Search & Convert has been building expertise in GA4, and one of its integrated features is to enable Google Signals. Google Signals is a feature in GA4 allowing you to track and analyze customer interactions across different devices and marketing channels. It allows you to understand better how customers interact with your website, apps, and other online properties and use that information to improve the customer experience, driving more conversions.
How does it work?
Google Signals works by tracking customer interactions across different devices and marketing channels using a unique identifier called the “Google Signals ID.” This ID is created when a customer signs in to a Google account, such as Gmail, and is used to link together all customer interactions with your business across different devices and marketing channels.
Our Founder and CEO, PJ Christie, is here to explain.
Google Signals is a feature that allows advertisers to use data from signed-in users across Google properties and services to show personalized ads. The feature is designed to be GDPR-compliant, but it’s important to note that advertisers using Google Signals are responsible for ensuring they comply with all relevant laws and regulations, including GDPR.
What is GDPR?
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a European Union (EU) law that regulates the processing of personal data belonging to those living in the EU. There is no equivalent US law with the same broad scope as the GDPR; however, there are several federal and state laws that regulate the collection, use, and protection of personal data, including the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA).
How does Google Signals track info?
Google Signals uses cookies and other tracking technologies to collect data on customer interactions, such as page views, clicks, and form submissions. This data is then analyzed by GA4 (the newest version of Google Analytics, which will be decommissioned in July 2023) to provide insights into how customers are interacting with your business, such as which marketing channels are driving the most traffic and conversions and which pages and content are the most popular. You can use these insights to optimize your marketing efforts and improve the customer experience.
To gather data by region, Google Signals uses the location information provided by the customer’s device, such as the IP address or GPS coordinates. This information is used to determine the device’s geographic location and to group customer interactions by region.
By activating Google Signals, you enable GA4 to collect data about your traffic in addition to data collected through a standard GA4 implementation. Google Signals then provides additional features such as cross-device audiences and insights.
Within the GA4 admin settings, there are three (3) parts to understand:
- Google Signals data collection allows you to set the regions you wish to target. It’s easy to choose 306 regions, but do you need all of them? Definitely not.
- Granular location and device data collection can also be enabled for all regions or just the regions you specify
- Advanced settings allow for ad personalization
Big Picture Takeaway
Search & Convert applauds Google for building this robust consumer privacy-focused option. We believe Google Signals and the Google Signal ID will be a great new area for our clients to explore and understand as GA4 is implemented.
Likely Impact
- Within GA4 and Google Signals, your web analytics will report your audience and their device use
- Companies using Google Ads will have the option to personalize their ad content and experience
- Companies using GA4 will shift their attention to the quality of their traffic
The Bottom Line
GA4 is coming. To begin taking advantage of its new features, such as Google Signals, it’s important to get GA4 set up sooner rather than waiting until June. Remember that Google Analytics (UA) is going away in July 2023, and if GA4 isn’t set up before then, you’ll lose all your historical data. You’ll also miss out on the enhanced marketing tools you could be using now.
Search & Convert is pleased to announce a new service – GA4 implementation. It’s a fast, convenient, inexpensive way to get your GA4 set up now so you can begin to take advantage of the new marketing tools. For more information, click here.
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