Welcome to Part I of Edition No. 30 of my weekly newsletter, providing practical analysis in the world of digital content strategy.
Contents
I. Tip: Get GA4 Stats in Search Console Insights
II. Analysis: The Spotted Lanternflies of Social Media
Tip: Get GA4 Stats in Search Console Insights
Since Google Universal Analytics still works perfectly fine, there are places where it takes precedence over GA4, perhaps without you realizing it.
I know a lot of people who continue to use UA, and not GA4, as their primary analytics tool, and that’s fine. (In many scenarios, it makes sense.)
But since we’re less than a year out from a hard transition, I recommend at least initiating the process a little at a time.
One of the ways to do that is by changing features that still default to UA to GA4 instead.
In Google Search Console, for example, even if you have both UA and GA4 connected, Search Console Insights will use UA data.
Why is this a problem?
If you, or someone on your team, looks at a UA-fed Search Console Insights alongside a GA4 dashboard, the numbers aren’t going to match up. There are many differences between UA and GA4, to the point that even same-named metrics have completely different definitions. (Bounce rate is one example.)
So how do you get GA4 data, and not UA data, in Search Console Insights (SCI)?
You change the default association by eliminating the UA association altogether.
In other words, as long as you have UA connected, that’s what’s going to drive your SCI data.
To be clear – you don’t have to delete any UA data. You’re merely deleting its association with SCI.
This way, GA4 data will feed your SCI dashboard, making things more uniform and preparing you a bit more for the full transition July 1.
Here’s how to remove the UA association from Search Console Insights
1. Click Settings
2. Click Associations
(You may see Google Analytics as in the screenshot here.)
3. In the row where you see Google Analytics UA, click the three vertical dots and click Remove association.
As you can see, this row is being “Used for Search Console Insights.”
You should now see just GA4 as an associated service, with the “Used for Search Console Insights” in that row.
You will also see the option below to ASSOCIATE Google Analytics (UA) with your account (again) should you change your mind until the GA4 transition is complete.
Read More: How To Install Google Analytics 4
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Analysis: The Spotted Lanternflies of Social Media
When I visited Maryland this summer, the state was in the midst of a spotted lanternfly infestation.
The Spotted Lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) is native to China and was first detected in Pennsylvania in September 2014. Spotted lanternfly feeds on a wide range of fruit, ornamental and woody trees, with tree-of-heaven being one of the preferred hosts. Spotted lanternflies are invasive and can be spread long distances by people who move infested material or items containing egg masses. If allowed to spread in the United States, this pest could seriously impact the country’s grape, orchard, and logging industries.
Though pretty to some, these large insects apparently contribute nothing of use to the ecosystem from a human perspective. (There are even government-sanctioned campaigns to smash the bugs.)
They’re not only annoying, but also ubiquitous.
You’ll excuse me, then, for comparing a certain class of social media influencers to them.
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