Understanding Events and Key Events

Introduction to Key Events in GA4

Google Analytics 4 (GA4) introduces a significant change: ‘Conversions’ are now ‘Key Events‘.

With this recent update, Google aims to streamline terminology across their platforms.

In this article we will explain what Key Events are, how they differ from regular events, and how to configure them.

What Are Key Events?

Key Events in GA4 are a subset of events that you designate as critical for understanding the performance of your business.

They were previously known as “Conversions” in earlier versions of Google Analytics.

Key Events should reflect high-value actions that contribute directly to your business objectives. Most logically, you could think of a customer purchasing a product on your website (which is a conversion). However, it doesn’t end there.

Importance of Key Events

Key Events are pivotal because they track the interactions that matter most to your business. You should set Key Events for actions such as:

• generate_lead
• sign_up
• form_submit
• purchase (automatically set as a Key Event, previously: Conversion)

These events help you measure the effectiveness of your website and marketing efforts in driving your desired outcomes.

How Key Events Differ from Regular Events

While regular events provide a broad view of user interactions, Key Events are specifically tied to your strategic goals and often have a direct impact on revenue and engagement metrics.

Key Events receive special attention in reports and analytics, highlighting their importance in your overall data strategy.

Configuring Key Events in GA4

Setting up a Key Event is simple:

1. Access ‘Admin’ in GA4.
2. Choose ‘Events’ under ‘Data Display’.
3. Activate necessary events with the ‘Mark As Key Event’ toggle.

If an event is not already collected, add it manually in the ‘Key Events’ section.

Understanding Regular Events in GA4

GA4 also tracks or can track various types of events:

1. Automatically Collected Events: These are events that GA4 tracks by default without any extra configuration. Examples include first_visit, session_start, and user_engagement.

2. Enhanced Measurement Events: When enabled, GA4 automatically records interactions like scrolls, outbound clicks, site search usage, video engagement, and file downloads. This setting can be toggled on or off in the GA4 interface. Read more about Enhanced measurement events here.

3. Recommended Events: These are predefined by Google and are suggested based on best practices for tracking key actions relevant to most businesses. They include events such as add_to_cart, begin_checkout, and purchase. Google provides specific parameters for these events to maximize the utility of the data collected. Learn more about Recommended events here.

4. Custom Events: Users can define their own events to capture specific interactions that are unique to their business needs but are not covered by the other event types. Custom events offer the flexibility to track specialized actions, such as interactions with a unique feature of a web application. Gain deeper understanding on Custom events here.

The Impact on Your Analytics

Switching to Key Events won’t change data collection but updates how metrics are reported. Look for ‘Key Events’ instead of ‘Conversions’. Tools like Looker Studio may show old terms until updated.

Why the Change?

Google’s shift to Key Events is part of an effort to simplify analytics reporting. It ensures consistency in data across Google Ads and GA4, enhancing campaign optimization.

To conclude..

Understanding both regular and Key Events in GA4 is important for effectively leveraging Google Analytics to monitor user behavior, understand and build audiences and evaluate business performance.

By distinguishing between general interactions and those that drive key business outcomes, you can tailor your analytics practices to better align with your strategic goals. Thereby, support with enhanced decision-making and optimizing your digital presence.

Furthermore, it is important to consider tracking such key-events for your advertising platforms in order to ensure targeted advertising efforts. Think of it when you are configuring Meta pixels or LinkedIn pixels for example.

Navigating GA4’s changes ensures your analytics practices remain robust and relevant. And let’s be honest, that’s what it’s all about.

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