Google Analytics Universal Analytics (UA) has long been a fundamental tool for marketers and WordPress site owners to gauge user interactions and site performance. However, as of July 1, 2024, UA will permanently cease operations and begin deleting all stored data. Users will no longer have access to the UA interface or its API, and importantly, the data from UA cannot be directly imported into the new Google Analytics 4 (GA4). This transition poses significant challenges and opportunities, which this post will explore, focusing on its importance, implications for WordPress site owners, and guidance on preserving valuable data.

Why Is Google Analytics UA Shutting Down?

Launched in 2012, Universal Analytics became the standard for tracking website activity. Yet, as the focus on privacy and cross-platform tracking intensified, UA’s capabilities lagged behind the evolving digital marketing needs. Google’s response was the development of Google Analytics 4 (GA4), designed with enhanced privacy controls, superior cross-device tracking, and advanced, AI-powered insights. The discontinuation of UA is important as it forced users to migrate to GA4, a shift initiated last year in July when UA ceased data collection. The upcoming complete data deletion underscores the final chapter of this transition.

Implications for WordPress Site Owners

Loss of Historical Data

The permanent shutdown means any historical data within UA will be irretrievable post-shutdown. This loss is particularly impactful for businesses that depend on long-term data analysis for trend spotting and strategic planning. Although the transition to GA4 should ideally have been completed by July 1, 2023, preserving a year of historical data, longer-term insights will require proactive data preservation from UA. Based on your organization’s data needs, losing this data may not be significant or the cost and effort to export the UA data may not be worthwhile which is why we dive into what data to preserve and how to preserve it next.

Deciding What Data to Preserve

To mitigate data loss while balancing the amount of effort required for such an export, it’s important to only select the data you might need. Depending on your needs, this process can be relatively simple, yet tedious or very complex and costly.

• Review Key Metrics: Pinpoint your organization’s impotant metrics such as user demographics, behavior patterns, and conversion rates that drive decision-making.
• Evaluate Business Goals: Align the data preservation with long-term objectives, ensuring you maintain information critical to tracking and shaping future strategies.
• Consult Data Stakeholders: Collaborate with all stakeholders to understand their data needs so that any necessary data is retained.

Tools and Methods to Export UA Data

Effectively transitioning from UA requires not only data export but also selecting appropriate tools for both storing and analyzing the data since it will no longer be available directly in Google Analytics.

Export Options

While Google provides several export tools within UA, these do not support direct importation into GA4, creating challenges.

• Custom Reports: Users can generate custom reports in UA to export data in formats like CSV and Excel. Although these formats along with using a Google Sheets add-on for Sheets, this method captures only specific data snapshots and might be cumbersome for detailed data sets or comparisons.
• Google Analytics Data Export API: For those with deep technical expertise, this API facilitates direct data retrieval, suitable for integration with advanced platforms like Google Looker Studio or other data warehouses.

Third-Party Tools

Several platforms offer easy to use capabilities for storing and analyzing legacy UA data:

• Fathom Analytics: This privacy-focused platform includes a one-click import feature from UA, useful for ongoing analysis even if GA4 is your primary tracking tool.
• Supermetrics: This platform enables exporting UA data to Google Sheets, with add-ons available to help with data conversion and comparison between UA and GA4 as described in this guide.
• Whatagraph, Analytics Canvas, and Funnel: These platforms provide comprehensive data integration and dashboard capabilities. Analytics Canvas can create a custom Google Looker Report while Funnel has a nifty stitching tool to link UA and GA4 for comparison purposes.
• Fivetran: Although setup is complex and the costs are relatively high, connecting UA data to BigQuery via Fivetran streamlines data management for large organizations.

Conclusion

The end of Google Analytics Universal Analytics signals a critical juncture for WordPress site owners to overhaul their digital analytics frameworks. By understanding which data to retain and employing the right tools for effective transition and ongoing analysis, WordPress site owners can ensure their digital strategy remains robust and insightful in a data-driven landscape.