Google Analytics 4 (GA4)

Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is the latest version of Google's web analytics platform, launched in 2020 as the successor to Universal Analytics. Unlike its predecessor, GA4 measures user behaviour based on events rather than sessions. The platform collects data on how visitors navigate through your website, what actions they perform and how they convert. For SMEs, this means you can finally see how a customer moves through your website, mobile app and ads, all in one view.

How Google Analytics 4 captures user behaviour

GA4 works with an event-based model. Every action a visitor performs, such as viewing a page, clicking a button or downloading a PDF, is registered as an event. You can define these events yourself or use standard events that Google automatically recognises. The platform collects this data via a tracking code that you place on your website. That code sends information to Google's servers, where machine learning analyses the data and recognises patterns. In practice, this means you not only see how many visitors you have, but also what they do and in what order.

Why Google Analytics 4 replaced Universal Analytics

Universal Analytics, the previous version, stopped collecting new data in July 2023. Google made this decision because the old session model no longer suited the way people now move online. Visitors switch between laptop, phone and tablet. They start on your website and complete a purchase in your app. Universal Analytics couldn't track that journey. GA4 could. In addition, Google anticipated stricter privacy laws like the AVG. GA4 offers more control over what data you collect and how long you keep it. For Dutch companies, this is a practical improvement because you can more easily meet the requirements of the Dutch Data Protection Authority.

What Google Analytics 4 brings to your company

With GA4, you can see which marketing channels deliver the most value. You can measure how many visitors come in via Google Ads, social media or organic search results and which channel generates the best conversions. This helps you allocate your marketing budget smarter. In addition, GA4 offers insight into the behaviour of returning visitors. You can see whether customers come back after a first visit and where they drop out. This information is valuable if you are working on a well thought-out SEO strategy or want to improve your conversion optimisation. In practice, we often find with SME clients that GA4 provides surprising insights about which products or services attract the most interest, even if they do not generate the most sales.

GA4 is not a passive reporting tool. You can use the platform to inform concrete business decisions. From optimising your ad budget to improving your checkout process, the applications vary greatly by company type and growth stage. Below are four practical scenarios that match what Dutch SMEs encounter on a daily basis.

Comparing marketing channels and steering budget

GA4 shows which channel generates the most conversions. For example, you can see that visitors via Google Ads are more likely to request a quote than visitors via Facebook. Or that organic traffic stays on your site longer and comes back more often. With that information, you can shift your ad budget to channels that demonstrably perform better. For an online shop with 500 products, that might mean stopping advertising slow-movers and concentrating your budget on best-sellers. For a B2B service provider with 12 employees, it might mean prioritising LinkedIn Ads over display ads. GA4's attribution modelling also helps you see which channels are important at the beginning of the customer journey, even if they don't generate the last click.

Analyse conversion funnel and identify bottlenecks

With GA4, you build a conversion funnel that shows where visitors drop out. You see how many people view the product page, how many of them put the product in the cart and how many end up checking out. If 60% of visitors leave the cart before paying, you know the checkout process needs attention. Maybe the shipping costs are too high or the form is too complicated. GA4 does not provide an answer, but it does point to the problem. Combined with good web design and A/B testing, you can then make targeted improvements and measure whether they have an effect.

Comparing user behaviour on mobile versus desktop

GA4 automatically breaks down how many visitors visit your site via mobile, tablet or desktop. You also see whether behaviour differs. Mobile visitors may stay on your site for a shorter time, but convert more often. Or vice versa: they browse longer, but rarely complete a purchase. This information is crucial if you are considering redesigning your site mobile-first or paying more attention to the desktop experience. For online shops, we often see mobile visitors exploring products and later checkout on desktop. GA4's cross-device tracking recognises that journey and attributes the conversion to both devices, giving you a realistic picture of how customers really move.

When Google Analytics 4 is the right choice and when it is not

GA4 fits well with companies that want insight into their online channels and have enough traffic to recognise patterns. If you have less than 100 visitors a month, the data are too scarce to draw reliable conclusions. Even if you don't have time to set up events and interpret reports, GA4 remains underused. In that case, a simpler alternative such as Plausible or Matomo might be more practical. Do you have an online shop with multiple products, an active advertising strategy or do you want to continuously improve your online shop? Then GA4 is a logical choice. The platform grows along with your ambition and offers depth you won't get anywhere else for free.