As marketers are getting to grips with Google Analytics 4 data, they are seeing differences in data which is causing both confusion and a lack of confidence in onboarding Google Analytics 4. This presentation will debunk five measurement myths in Google Analytics 4, and explains why Google Analytics 4 cannot be compared on an apples vs apples basis vs Universal Analytics. The main takeaway, and how it benefits MeasureSummit attendees, being that the audience becomes aware of measurement differences and nuances in GA4 that are not initially obvious. 

The five areas I intend to cover are: Users metric – explaining how the following will lead to differences in Google Analytics 4 Active users reported on in standard GA4 reports not total users Reporting identities and their impact on user calculation Sessions metric – explaining how the following will lead to differences in Google Analytics 4 New campaign mid session not be treated as a new session in GA4 Late hits processed over a longer time frame in GA4 Session handling over midnight in GA4 Estimated data. GA4 interface estimates user and session counts based on HLL++ algorithm. Debunk the myth that GA4 reports on actuals in interface. 

Conversions – explaining how the following will lead to differences in Google Analytics 4 Removal of goals – multiple conversions in a session now not de-duplicated No unique pageview/event type metrics to de-duplicate Smart goals not supported as conversion type in GA4 Data-driven attribution model and impact on reporting conversions by channel (i.e. fractions of conversions) Querying same data in GA4 interface and BigQuery wont return same results Active users vs total users Data estimation in interface (HLL++) Lack of source/medium data at session level in Google BigQuery export Google Signals impact.