Become great at Google Analytics 4
Online course
By Charles Farina,
Head of Innovation @ Adswerve
Course length: 5h 09min
Some of the companies that train their teams at CXL:
Be prepared for the next generation of Google Analytics.
Google Analytics has been around for over 15 years and the core of it has largely stayed the same. Everything we knew is changing with the release of Google Analytics 4, or GA4, the next generation of Google Analytics. The user interface, data model, capabilities, and implementation is all new and different.
This course will teach you everything you need to get started with GA4 by providing hands-on experience. We will create a sandbox environment together, which will allow you to experience exciting new features first hand including new features available for all users for the first time ever (BigQuery/raw data integrations, funnels, pathing reports, etc). This exciting format will give you everything you need (implementation guide, frameworks, etc) to get started with GA4 on any site.
Introduction video (2 minutes)
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After taking this course you’ll…
- Understand why GA4 is the future of Google Analytics and why getting started now is important (hint: GA4 will not import data from existing Google Analytics)
- Learn about the new event-driven data model GA4 uses and how it is similar or different to other analytics solutions (Snowplow, Heap, existing GA, etc).
- Develop an implementation plan for dual-tagging or migration of your existing Google Analytics properties.
- Ability to leverage enterprise features that were previously only available in Google Analytics 360 including the BigQuery integration, funnels, and unsampled data.
Learn everything you need to get started with GA4
GA4 requires a new implementation/code for web reporting, so we will provide you everything need including implementation specs, step-by-step walk-throughs, and debugging.
By the end of the course you will understand how to use features that were previously only available in Google Analytics 360 including BigQuery(raw-data) integration, analysis module, and different data/sampling limits.
Skills you will master
Milford Crosby
It was a great overview, and it’s great to get an insider’s opinion of the important features of GA4.
Alex Spelucín
I was blown away by the Audiences lesson in this course.
Ana Maluf
I love how Charles Farina explains things and shows real-life examples that he tested as well as possible use cases.
Marc Richard
Because I know Charles is an established Google Analytics thought leader, learning from him in this Google Analytics 4 course gave me confidence that I would learn all of the important GA4 concepts that I must understand to be successful with it. Also, he presents at a pace that helps increase my ability to absorb more of what he is teaching. I highly recommend this course.
This course is essential for you if …
- You currently use Google Analytics and want to future-proof yourself and any organizations that use GA.
- You want to get access and knowledge to new features never available in GA standard before including funnels, BigQuery Integration, and pathing.
- You want to know more than anyone else. Soon everyone will be talking about GA4 properties and you will be ahead of the curve.
This course is NOT for you if…
- You expect GA4 to solve everything or be feature complete. This is still an early launch and they are under heavy development.
- You already consider yourself an advanced user of GA4. (CXL will have an advanced course in the future)
- You are a slow adopter. This course is designed to put you well ahead of the curve, so if you don’t like being ahead with new technology, consider coming back later.
Charles Farina
Head of Innovation @ Adswerve
Charles is deeply experienced with the Google Marketing Platform, especially on the measurement side. He has performed hundreds of Google Analytics 360 trainings globally for clients, including GoPro, Starbucks, and Glassdoor.
His current focus is the new Google Analytics 4 properties and Google Ads Data Hub. You can find him as a leading contributor for Google Analytics on Measure Slack, Twitter, and the Google Analytics Partner community.
Your course curriculum
Google analytics 4
1 Introduction to Google Analytics 4
The new version of Google Analytics is here. In this lesson, we show case the differences between GA4 and Universal Analytics. Specifically, the key features you need to know and a preview of what this course contains.
Topics covered:
- How GA4 differs from Universal Analytics (GA3) and what to watch out for.
- Why and when you should start using GA4 (and what it means for your existing implementation)
- What extremely valuable feature that used to only be available in GA360 (paid version) is now available for free
2 Setup: Core Implementation
For many, the best way to learn is by getting hands-on experience. This lesson provides the perfect opportunity to learn GA4 by implementing it on a real website with Google Tag Manager. This will help you see first-hand how it differs from current Google Analytics and give you everything you need to implement on your own business after!
Topics covered:
- Learn how easy it is to get started with GA4, by implementing it yourself on a real website.
- Experience the new enhanced (automatic) measurement capabilities that provide more than just basic pageview tracking out of the box.
- Understand how to debug and test your new analytics implementations
3 Setup: Admin Overview
Many of us are very familiar with Google Analytics admin settings, including managing user permissions, configure filters, set up views, and more. GA4 has significantly different administration capabilities, and many components work differently. We will go through the admin section together and point out everything you need to know.
Topics covered:
- Key differences in GA4 admins settings compared to Universal (GA3)
- Learn how the new IP filters work (used to exclude internal traffic)
- Avoid surprises by being aware of the new default data retention settings (2 months)
4 Setup: Events and Conversions
Events power everything in GA4. Learn everything you need to know about the new event-driven data model. We will start by covering the automatic measurement and learning why and how you need to customize it. We will implement custom events on the website we built together. I'll teach you everything you need to know about conversions including how to leverage the new create/modify events features for advanced configurations!
Topics covered:
- Events work very differently than Universal (GA3). See how parameters differs from Event Category, Event Action, Event Label
- Automatic measurement will need additional configuration to make it useful.
- Understand how to use the new event creation features to configure the conversions you need
5 Setup: Other Components: BigQuery, E-Commerce, Privacy, and More
There are a few other core components of GA4 you need to know related to setup. First, the BigQuery integration is something every user should set up. We also need to cover other implementation areas including User Properties (user-scoped custom dimensions), e-commerce, and Firebase (mobile apps). We also want to cover the new privacy features, which are an essential component in today's landscape.
Topics covered:
- Learn how to enable the BigQuery integration (the most important feature in GA4)
- Why E-Commerce can be a massive undertaking (but Simo has you covered)
- Know what privacy components are new in GA4
6 Reporting: Standard Reports
The standard reports in GA4 have been completely re-envisioned and are completely different from GA3 (Universal). These reports have no sampling, allow you to change the attribution model, work on new identity spaces, and more. We will cover everything you need to know to get started!
Topics covered:
- The new standard reports in App + Web are never sampled (but where sampling still happens)
- Understand the potential of its flexible attribution methodology
- Avoid lost time by learning all the tips and tricks needed to get data quickly (and why the Analysis module is so important)
7 Reporting: Analysis Module (Funnels, Pathing, and More)
Analysis is one of the most important and exciting additions for GA4. The Analysis module contains techniques for pathing, funnels, segment overlaps, and ad-hoc analysis used to only live in the enterprise version (GA360). For the first time, all users of Google Analytics can create meaningful funnels 🥳
Topics covered:
- Learn how to use the new funnel capabilities
- Get experience with the new pathing reports
- Discover the other Analysis techniques including segment overlap, user explorer, cohort, exploration, and more.
8 Reporting: Segments & Audiences
GA4 has brand new functionality for building audiences. Google has provided even more functionality and advanced features that users of Google Analytics have never had access to. We will do a deep-dive into the audience builder and features and show you everything you need to know.
Topics covered:
- When and where to use the audience builder in GA4 (Analysis vs Audience report)
- Learn advanced functionality for time-based sequences, temporary vs. permanent exclusions, user lifetime scopes, event scopes, and more.
- Discover the new audience triggers that allow you to use audiences as conversions 🤯
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Learn Google Analytics 4: FAQ
Who is this course for?
This Google Analytics 4 course is essential for you if:
- You currently use Google Analytics and want to future-proof yourself and any organizations that use GA4.
- You want to get access and knowledge to new features never available in GA standard before including funnels, BigQuery Integration, and pathing.
- You want to know more than anyone else. Soon everyone will be talking about GA4 properties and you will be ahead of the curve.
Some careers that will especially benefit from this course are data analyst, digital marketing specialist, product marketer, SEO specialist, web analytics consultant, ecommerce manager, and digital analytics specialist.
What will you learn?
After taking this GA4 certification, you will:
- Understand why GA4 is the future of Google Analytics and why getting started now is important (hint: GA4 will not import data from existing Google Analytics)
- Learn about the new event-driven data model GA4 uses and how it is similar or different to other analytics solutions (Snowplow, Heap, existing GA, etc).
- Develop an implementation plan for dual-tagging or migration of your existing Google Analytics properties.
- Ability to leverage enterprise features that were previously only available in Google Analytics 360 including the BigQuery integration, funnels, and unsampled data.
What tools and platforms are covered in the course?
This training covers everything you need to master Google Analytics 4, including dashboards, implementation, events and conversions, setup, reports, analysis, segments and audiences.
What does the course include?
Our Google Analytics 4 training includes 8 lessons, 43 downloadable resources, 5h 09min of video material, several assignments, and a final exam.
Are subtitles available for the lessons?
Lessons have English subtitles and transcriptions available.
Will I receive a certificate of completion?
After taking this course, you will receive the Google Analytics 4 from CXL, with credentials that you can add to your LinkedIn profile.
What is the refund policy?
All plans come with a 7-day refund period .
How long will it take for me to finish it?
This is entirely up to you – it’s how many study hours per week you can put in. This course is 5h 09min long.