In this digital world, Are you overwhelmed by the sea of reports and data in Google Analytics 4 (GA4)? What does it mean? Do you need help with the Google Tag Manager (GTM) and GA4 jargon?
You’re not alone!
As tracking for Universal Analytics comes to a close, getting familiar with the analytics glossary and terms of its features is crucial. Whether you’re a seasoned marketer or a curious beginner, mastering these analytics terms can feel like deciphering a new language.
But fear not!
We’ve got your back with a comprehensive GA4 glossary that will make you a GA4 and GTM pro in no time. Let’s dig together and transform our data analysis skills today.
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Google Analytics Terminology
GA4 is the latest version of Google’s web analytics platform, designed to provide insights into user interactions across websites and apps through event-based tracking.
GA4 offers advanced features like AI-driven insights, cross-device tracking, and improved data privacy controls.
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First, let’s explore general Google Analytics terminologies and GA4 definitions below:
Event
Everything is an event in GA4. All data is collected as events, encompassing page views and other automatically collected events via enhanced measurement.
Beyond these automatic events, you can also send recommended events and custom events to GA4. Events in GA4 are significantly different from those in the previous version, Universal Analytics.
The event count shows the total number of events collected by Google Analytics, while the event count per user indicates the average number of events collected per user, calculated by dividing the number of events by the number of users.
Event parameters are additional pieces of information collected with events, including automatically collected details such as page title, page location, and session ID. Custom parameters can also be included but must be registered as custom definitions to appear in reports.
These parameters can be numerical values or strings. Lastly, events per session show the average number of events collected per session, calculated by dividing the number of events by the number of sessions.
User Properties
User properties are attributes that describe segments of your user base, such as language preference or user type (e.g., logged-in vs. guest). These properties help in creating more detailed reports and targeting specific user groups for analysis.
Conversions
Previously known as a ‘conversion,’ key events track actions that align with business goals. A key event is recorded whenever a user initiates an action designated as significant for the business.
Conversions in GA4 are the critical actions you want users to take on your site or app, such as completing a purchase or signing up for a newsletter. In GA4, you can mark any event as a conversion, allowing you to track and optimize these key actions.
Data Streams
In GA4, a data stream is a flow of data from your website or app to GA4 for analysis. Each property can have multiple streams with unique IDs, tracking platforms like websites, and Android, and iOS apps separately.
This setup benefits organizations by enabling focused analysis per platform within one property, using distinct measurement IDs for tracking via code or Google Tag Manager.
Measurement ID
The Measurement ID in GA4 is a unique identifier starting with “G-” followed by alphanumeric characters. Each data stream has its ID, found in the Admin area of your GA4 property.
This ID is crucial for tracking data accurately using tracking code or Google Tag Manager, similar to the tracking ID in Universal Analytics.
Exploration
GA4 introduces a powerful new section called “Explore,” which allows you to construct custom reports, known as “Explorations,” and funnels using tables and graphs.
This feature provides flexibility in creating tailored reports and visualizations to analyze and understand specific aspects of your data within GA4.
Creating Custom Reports:
Options for creating custom reports include:
- Blank Template: Build from scratch.
- Free Form Format: Customize with tables and graphs.
- Funnel Exploration: Track user actions before conversion.
- User Path Exploration: Analyze user interaction histories.
Start by clicking the ‘Explore’ tab and selecting a template under ‘Start a new exploration.’
Explorations Snapshots:
Exploration snapshots summarize findings and insights from explorations. These can be created from scratch or templates and are private by default, accessible only to the creator or authorized users.
Key Features of Explorations:
- Funnel Visualization: Understand user actions before conversion.
- Pie Charts: Visualize segment overlaps.
- User Path Analysis: Track complete user interactions.
These tools enhance your ability to analyze data and make informed decisions.
Attribution
In GA4, attribution determines how credit for conversions is assigned across channels, offering models like last-click (where the last visit before conversion gets full credit) and data-driven (which distributes partial credit based on user interactions).
Configure default attribution settings and lookback windows in GA4’s Admin section to optimize marketing strategies based on comprehensive conversion data.
Custom Definition
Custom definitions in Google Analytics allow you to add specific information to your reports by registering them as custom dimensions or metrics.
These can be linked to events, users, or items, enhancing your ability to gather and analyze data beyond default metrics.
For example, you can create a custom dimension to track page authors, providing insights into content performance based on creators. Integrating these custom definitions in GA4 requires registration and configuration within Google Analytics settings.
DebugView
DebugView is a feature in GA4 that allows you to see real-time data from your site or app. It’s useful for testing and troubleshooting your implementation to ensure that events and parameters are being recorded correctly.
Channel Group
Channels in Google Analytics group your traffic sources and mediums, providing an overview of your inbound marketing performance.
Default channels include Direct, for users typing your URL or using bookmarks; Organic Search, for free search engine results; Paid Search, for tagged paid media traffic; and Display, for tagged paid display ads.
Referral, for traffic from third-party website links; Social, for traffic from social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook; and Email, for traffic from email campaigns with proper UTM parameters.
These channels help you understand where your traffic originates and how your marketing efforts perform.
Reporting Identity
In Google Analytics 4 (GA4), the Reporting Identity feature allows you to control how users are identified and tracked across devices and sessions.
This feature uses a combination of user identifiers, such as User ID (assigned by you), Google signals (for users who have turned on Ads Personalization), and device IDs.
By selecting different reporting identities, you can choose how GA4 de-duplicates users to provide a more accurate count and deeper insights into user behavior across different platforms and devices.
This helps in creating a cohesive and comprehensive view of user interactions, enabling better analysis and decision-making.
Google Tag Manager (GTM) Terms
GTM is a tag management system that simplifies the process of deploying and managing tags on websites without needing to modify the code directly. It uses tags, triggers, and variables to efficiently handle tracking codes, scripts, and analytics tools.
Some common GTM terms are as follows:
Container
A GTM container is a collection of tags, triggers, and variables defined for a specific website or app. Each GTM account can have multiple containers, making it easy to manage different sites or apps from one place.
Tag
Tags are snippets of code that execute on your site or app to send data to third-party tools like Google Analytics, Google Ads, or Facebook Pixel. GTM simplifies tag management by allowing you to add, update, and manage all your tags from a single interface.
Trigger
Triggers define the conditions under which tags should fire. For example, a trigger might specify that a tag should fire when a user views a specific page, clicks a button, or submits a form. Triggers ensure that your tags collect data only when relevant events occur.
Variable
Variables in GTM are placeholders for values that can change based on the context in which they are used. They can be built-in (e.g., Page URL, Click ID) or user-defined (e.g., custom JavaScript functions). Variables help make your tags and triggers more dynamic and flexible.
Data Layer
The data layer is a JavaScript object that stores the information you want to send to GTM. It acts as a bridge between your website and GTM, enabling you to pass data dynamically. For example, you can push information about a purchase into the data layer, which GTM can then use in tags and triggers.
Event
In GTM, events are actions that occur on your site or app, such as page views, clicks, or form submissions. These events can be used to trigger tags. Note that GTM events are distinct from GA4 events, even though they often serve similar purposes.
Container ID
The container ID is a unique identifier for each GTM container. It is included in the GTM snippet that you add to your website or app, allowing GTM to identify and load the correct container.
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Debug Mode
Debug Mode in GTM allows you to test and preview your container setup before publishing. It opens a console where you can see detailed information about tags, triggers, and variables, helping you troubleshoot any issues.
Workspace
Workspaces in GTM allow multiple users to work on different changes simultaneously within the same container. Each workspace is like a sandbox where you can make and test changes without affecting the live container.
Version
Every time you publish changes in GTM, a new version of the container is created. You can revert to previous versions if needed, making it easy to manage changes and maintain a history of your configurations.
Consent Mode
Consent Mode in GTM helps you manage user consent for data collection, especially important for compliance with privacy regulations like GDPR. It allows you to control which tags fire based on the user’s consent preferences.
Auto-Event Tracking
Auto-Event Tracking in GTM enables you to track user interactions without additional code. By using built-in variables and triggers, you can automatically track clicks, form submissions, and other actions, simplifying the process of setting up event tracking.
Custom Templates
GTM Custom Templates allow you to create a reusable tag, trigger, and variable templates using a visual editor. These templates can be shared and reused across different containers, enhancing consistency and efficiency in tag management.
Cross-Domain Tracking
Cross-domain tracking in GTM helps you track users across multiple domains. This is particularly useful for businesses with multiple websites, ensuring that user sessions are accurately tracked across different domains.
Enhanced E-commerce
Enhanced E-commerce is a feature in GTM and GA4 that provides detailed tracking of user interactions with products on your website, such as product impressions, clicks, and purchases. It helps you understand the full customer journey and optimize your e-commerce performance.
JavaScript Variable
A JavaScript Variable in GTM allows you to execute custom JavaScript code and use the returned value in your tags, triggers, and other variables. This is useful for advanced customizations and logic that isn’t covered by built-in variables.
Lookup Table
A Lookup Table variable in GTM allows you to map input values to output values. For example, you can use a Lookup Table to map URL parameters to more user-friendly names for use in your tags and triggers.
RegEx Table
A RegEx Table is similar to a Lookup Table but uses regular expressions for pattern matching. This allows you to handle more complex mappings and transformations of your data.
Server-Side Tagging
Server-side tagging in GTM involves sending data from your site or app to a server before it reaches third-party tools. This can improve performance, enhance data security, and comply with privacy regulations.
Built-In Variables
Built-in variables in GTM are pre-configured variables that capture common data points, such as Page URL, Click ID, and Form Element. These variables are easy to use and don’t require additional setup.
Custom HTML Tag
A Custom HTML Tag in GTM allows you to add custom HTML, JavaScript, or other code snippets to your site. This is useful for integrating with third-party tools that don’t have built-in tag templates in GTM.
Trigger Group
A Trigger Group in GTM lets you combine multiple triggers into a single condition. For example, you can create a trigger that fires only when both a specific page is viewed and a button is clicked.
DOM Ready Trigger
A DOM Ready Trigger fires when the Document Object Model (DOM) is fully loaded. This is useful for ensuring that your tags fire only after the necessary elements on the page are available.
Window Loaded Trigger
A Window Loaded Trigger fires when the entire page, including all dependent resources like stylesheets and images, is fully loaded. This trigger ensures that your tags fire only when the complete page is ready.
Conclusion
Navigating GA4 and GTM’s extensive features and terminologies can be daunting. However, this comprehensive glossary simplifies the complex landscape of GA4 and GTM, making it accessible for both seasoned marketers and curious beginners.
By understanding key terms like events, user properties, conversions, data streams, and GTM-specific elements such as tags, triggers, and variables, you can enhance your data analysis skills.
Embrace these insights to optimize conversions, improve tracking accuracy, and make informed decisions for your digital strategy. With these tools, you’ll transform your approach to analytics, gaining deeper insights and driving better business outcomes.
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