Google Analytics 4 (GA4) was announced in October 2020 as the next measurement solution to replace Universal Analytics(UA). GA4 was designed to improve privacy standards in collecting measurements and incorporates more AI and machine-learning than UA.

Google announced that GA4 would replace Universal Analytics in July 2023 and historical data would not transfer from UA to GA4. Many in the SEO community felt it was an unnecessary change but hoped it would improve their reporting.

More than two years later, it is painfully clear the transition was neither smooth nor has it been well-received.

After the initial release and negative feedback, many hoped that the decreased reporting abilities and awful interface were just part of the initial launch and would be quickly resolved. Today, many SEOs find GA4 to still be a tremendous downgrade in both data and reporting from the previous version of Google Analytics.

Some search marketers noted that commonly used features are buried within the user interface, making it difficult to access. Others are frustrated that GA4 does not have current data and that third-party add-ons still don't work.

Many digital marketers yearn for the return of the old Analytics dashboard. In fact, a 2023 survey found that over 75% of SEOs were not happy with the new product:

Survey of SEOs: 76% not happy with GA4
Source: Search Engine Roundtable

Top GA4 Complaints

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Google Analytics 4: Still Awful After 2+ Years

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