SEO

Google Analytics 4 (GA4)

Q: What is Google Analytics 4?

Google Analytics 4 is the current version of Google's website analytics tool, available since October 2020 and mandatory since July 2023, when Universal Analytics was switched off. It rests on event tracking rather than session tracking and adds AI-assisted analysis.

Q: What is new in GA4?

Four core changes: an event model in place of the page-view model; cross-device tracking through user IDs; a BigQuery export that is free by default; and AI-assisted insights and predictions. It ships with fewer standard reports than Universal Analytics, so it needs more configuration.

Q: Is GA4 compliant with European data protection law?

Conditionally. Raw data still flows to Google servers in the United States. IP anonymisation is active by default. Where strict compliance is required, use the EU-first settings or an alternative such as a self-hosted Matomo.

Q: How does GA4 connect to Rankmio?

Through an OAuth login. Authenticate the GA4 account, choose the property, and Rankmio pulls session, conversion and engagement metrics per landing page into the keyword hub automatically. No manual export is needed.

Also known as: GA4, Google Analytics 4, successor to Universal Analytics

Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is Google's web analytics platform, which replaced the classic Universal Analytics entirely on 1 July 2023. In place of the old session-based logic, GA4 is thoroughly event-based: everything is an event, whether a page view, a click, a scroll or a conversion. It brings cookie-less modelling, built-in conversion prediction, native BigQuery integration and a simplified data model that covers app and web tracking alike. For SEO it is the indispensable source of engagement and conversion data — Search Console shows what happens before the click, GA4 what happens after it.

The concepts that matter

Events instead of sessions — every user action is an event, and sessions are derived from events.
Engagement rate as the main positive metric, in place of the classic bounce rate.
Engaged sessions — sessions lasting more than ten seconds, or with a conversion event, or with two or more page views.
Conversion events — important events you define yourself, rather than fixed goals.
User properties — attributes of the user such as plan tier or region.
Data streams — separate streams for web, iOS and Android within the same property.
Consent Mode v2 — privacy-compliant modelling where cookie consent is absent.

Combining GA4 with Search Console

The two tools complement each other. Search Console shows behaviour before the click: which query produced visibility in the results, and which produced the decision to click. GA4 shows behaviour after the click: what the user does on the page, and whether they convert. The official Search Console link inside GA4 produces a hybrid report showing both data sets side by side — query, landing page, engagement, conversion. It belongs in every SEO reporting setup.

The usual traps

Data sampling at high volumes — reports may rest on a sample rather than the full data.
Cardinality limits where many unique event-parameter values occur.
The attribution model defaults to data-driven, which is not deterministic.
Consent Mode v2 left unconfigured — a compliance breach and a hole in the data at the same time.
Server-side tracking not enabled — a loss of data quality, above all on Safari for iOS.

Example from practice

Example: An agency builds an SEO report for a client that combines both sources. Search Console supplies clicks and impressions per commercial cluster; GA4 supplies engagement rate, conversion rate and conversion value per landing page. Together they give a return-on-investment view per topic cluster — cluster A brings 4,200 clicks and 38 leads, cluster B 8,400 clicks but only 12 leads. The conclusion is plain: keep building cluster A, and examine the search intent behind cluster B. Without the GA4 data the report would show visibility alone, with no connection to the business.

Frequently asked questions

What is Google Analytics 4?

Google Analytics 4 is the current version of Google's website analytics tool, available since October 2020 and mandatory since July 2023, when Universal Analytics was switched off. It rests on event tracking rather than session tracking and adds AI-assisted analysis.

What is new in GA4?

Four core changes: an event model in place of the page-view model; cross-device tracking through user IDs; a BigQuery export that is free by default; and AI-assisted insights and predictions. It ships with fewer standard reports than Universal Analytics, so it needs more configuration.

Is GA4 compliant with European data protection law?

Conditionally. Raw data still flows to Google servers in the United States. IP anonymisation is active by default. Where strict compliance is required, use the EU-first settings or an alternative such as a self-hosted Matomo.

How does GA4 connect to Rankmio?

Through an OAuth login. Authenticate the GA4 account, choose the property, and Rankmio pulls session, conversion and engagement metrics per landing page into the keyword hub automatically. No manual export is needed.

Used in Rankmio for

Conversion reporting in the dashboard

Go to the feature →

Last updated: 2026-06-17 · Browse all glossary entries