Google Analytics
Stay up to date with the latest news, tips, and insights about Google Analytics on Search Engine Land, including strategies to optimize your use of Google Analytics 4 (GA4), which replaced Universal Analytics in mid-2024. and the forced migration to Google Analytics 4, starting July 1, 2023, from Search Engine Land.
You’ll find a variety of up-to-date and authoritative resources, including the latest news, tutorials and data to help you work smarter and make better decisions.
Navigating Google Analytics 4 and beyond
The transition to Google Analytics 4 (GA4) marks a significant change in how businesses track, measure, and analyze their website and app data. Search Engine Land offers in-depth insights and strategies to help you adapt to GA4 and leverage its new features for actionable results.
Discover tutorials on using GA4, creating custom reports, and getting the most out of the platform. Stay updated on understanding GA4’s new interface and interpreting its improved insights into customer behavior.
We also cover GA4’s expanded cross-platform tracking capabilities and its emphasis on privacy-focused measurement.
What you read here is written by our experienced in-house team, and subject matter experts from leading brands and agencies.
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What’s new and cool at Google from SMX East 2016
At this year's SMX East, Googlers Jerry Dischler and Babak Pahlavan shared recent updates and what's coming to AdWords and Google Analytics. Columnist Mark Traphagen was on hand to cover the highlights.
Google announces slew of search ads and Analytics updates at SMX East
New audience targeting solutions, a free version of Optimize 360 and more.
SearchCap: Google Penguin live, Bing Ads Editor shopping & El Santo
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: Google updates Penguin, says it now runs in real time within the core search algorithmSep 23, 2016 by Barry Schwartz The latest announced release, Penguin 4.0, will also be the last, […]
Search in Pics: Google pills, sleep cot & Elle Exxe performs
In this week’s Search In Pictures, here are the latest images culled from the web, showing what people eat at the search engine companies, how they play, who they meet, where they speak, what toys they have and more. Google pills: Source: Instagram Google Doodle postcards: Source: Twitter Google sleep cot: Source: Instagram Google Chrome […]
SearchCap: Google images, mobile shopping & election hub
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: Is Google showing fewer image boxes in its search results?Sep 15, 2016 by Barry Schwartz You are now 50% less likely to see the image box show up in your Google […]
SearchCap: Google extended text ads, Bing Ads structured snippets & Doodle 4 Google
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: Google bumps Expanded Text Ad deadline to January 31, 2017Sep 13, 2016 by Ginny Marvin Issues a set of dos and dont’s for testing expanding text ads. Bing Ads launches Structured […]
SearchCap: Google web reviews, security reports & Penguin update
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: Google adds ‘Reviews from the web’ to critic reviews in local search resultsSep 7, 2016 by Greg Sterling To be considered for inclusion, sites will need to use review snippet markup. […]
SearchCap: Not Google Penguin, Google local update & Shop the Look Google ads
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: Google: Friday’s update was not due to the Penguin algorithmSep 6, 2016 by Barry Schwartz Google’s John Mueller told us to cross off Penguin from the list of explanations for the […]
SearchCap: Google algorithm update, SEO business & PPC updates
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: Is a big Google search update happening? Chatter thinks so.Sep 2, 2016 by Barry Schwartz The SEO community is vigorously talking about two Google updates, one with the core web search […]
SearchCap: Google forecasting, SEO analytics & RFPs
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: Google’s premium-level Ad Grants program no longer accepting applicationsSep 1, 2016 by Ginny Marvin The Grantspro program offers non-profits up to $10,000 per month in search advertising grants. Want better data […]
Google’s premium-level Ad Grants program no longer accepting applications
The Grantspro program offers non-profits up to $40,000 per month in search advertising grants.
SearchCap: Google Merchant Center update, SEO & Chrome
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: Google debuts a brand new look for Merchant CenterAug 30, 2016 by Ginny Marvin A much needed face lift also includes some new features. Mastering Online-to-Offline Marketing: New Digital Strategies for […]
SearchCap: Google review guidelines, Panda mode & more
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: Google updates local reviews schema guidelinesAug 29, 2016 by Barry Schwartz Now only reviews “directly produced by your site” can have local reviews markup, according to Google. With Panda in stealth […]
SearchCap: Google local pack ad, expanded AdWords ads & more
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: First appearance of ads in Local Pack found in UK mobile search resultAug 7, 2016 by Greg Sterling The configuration showed three organic listings with one ad at the top. Expanded […]
SearchCap: Gboard update, Google local reviews & more
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: Google app now delivering restaurant reviews & best-of-lists for local searchesAug 4, 2016 by Amy Gesenhues Released today in the U.S., Google says food and drink related searches will now return […]
How to download all of your landing pages from Google Search Console via Analytics Edge — and I mean ALL of them!
Google Search Console provides a wealth of data on landing pages, but unfortunately, that data is limited. Columnist Glenn Gabe shares his method for getting around the 1,000-URL limit using an Excel plugin called Analytics Edge.
SearchCap: Google voters, CPC prices & sitelinks test
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: Mobile brand CPCs on Google are climbing, finds MerkleJul 15, 2016 by Ginny Marvin Increases started at the end of June and have only affected smartphone CPCs. Google to launch new […]
SearchCap: Google Search Console emails, EU antitrust expanded & more
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: Google Search Console bug sends re-verification notifications to usersJul 8, 2016 by Barry Schwartz Don’t panic, says Google — That verification email from Google Search Console was an accident, but it […]
SearchCap: Bing ads Keyword Planner, SEO dirt & more
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: Bing ads bolsters Keyword Planner targeting and rolls out access to the UK, Canada & AustraliaJul 7, 2016 by Greg Finn Keyword Planner begins expansion outside of the US and gives […]
The 10+ biggest things to happen in PPC so far in 2016
Big text ad changes, a revival of device bidding and LinkedIn possibilities are among the announcements that hold big implications for search marketers.
SearchCap: Dynamic search ads, Google Keyword Planner & e-commerce SEO
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: Google says Dynamic Search Ad targeting will soon get better Jun 30, 2016 by Ginny Marvin Query matching set to improve over several months. Learn how to drive more conversions with […]
Shopping campaigns: Play like every day is a holiday
What's ahead for shopping ads this holiday season and beyond? Columnist Alexander Paluch recaps a session from SMX Advanced focusing on what search marketers need to know.
SearchCap: Google’s internet speed testing tool, Landy Awards call for entries & more
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: SMX Advanced 2016 recap: Harnessing SEM analytics for smarter automation Jun 28, 2016 by Christi Olson Columnist Christi Olson provides tips and advice from PPC experts on how search marketers can […]
SMX Advanced 2016 recap: Harnessing SEM analytics for smarter automation
Columnist Christi Olson provides tips and advice from PPC experts on how search marketers can make SEM automation work for them.
How to measure the true performance of your content
We’ve all heard the stats: This year, marketers plan to produce 70 percent more content than they did in 2015. Content marketing has become the most significant part of the marketing mix and is showing no signs of slowing down. However, brands and agencies often still struggle to really define their ROI. One primary […]
#SMX Advanced keynote: Google’s Gary Illyes talks RankBrain, Penguin update & more
Day one of SMX Advanced concludes with the traditional Google keynote conversation covering the biggest issues in SEO.
SearchCap: Google local ads, search analytics & Bing Ads editor
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: It’s here: Bing Ads Editor for Mac launches in beta Jun 22, 2016 by Ginny MarvinAfter years of waiting, Mac users finally get a native desktop editor for Bing Ads with […]
SearchCap: Google mobile usability, AdWords bidding & more
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: Google Search Console testing new mobile usability reportJun 21, 2016 by Barry Schwartz Leaked screen shots show the new Google mobile usability testing tool gaining the same interface as the mobile-friendly […]
SearchCap: Google time filters, local search reporting & more
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: Google is removing the custom date range search filter for mobile usersJun 17, 2016 by Barry Schwartz Mobile searchers on Google will no longer be able to use the custom date […]
Search in Pics: SEO & Chromebook cookies, Beatmania IIDX & Google garden
In this week’s Search In Pictures, here are the latest images culled from the web, showing what people eat at the search engine companies, how they play, who they meet, where they speak, what toys they have and more. Google Chromebook birthday cookies: Source: Google+ I Love SEO cookie: Source: Twitter Google has a Beatmania […]
Here’s my exclusive look into SMX Advanced, only 1 week away
Search Engine Land’s SMX Advanced, the only search marketing conference designed exclusively for experienced internet marketers, is returning to Seattle June 22-23. Here’s a preview of what to expect – while All Access Passes are currently SOLD OUT, you can still add yourself to the wait list and get notified once a ticket becomes available. […]
SearchCap: Google shopping ad filters, Google maps speeds up & Yandex algorithm update
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: Google testing filter buttons for Shopping ads: Filter by local availability, top rated and moreJun 9, 2016 by Ginny Marvin The new test offers more opportunity for ad exposure beyond the […]
SearchCap: Google AdWords hack, SEO ROI & more
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: True performance baselines & ROI for SEO without attribution modelingMay 31, 2016 by Chris Liversidge How do you determine your SEO program’s real performance, discounting the effects of seasonality, paid search […]
SearchCap: Apple Siri Echo, paid search ROI & more
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: Refine your content marketing tactics to benefit from enhanced search engine displayMay 25, 2016 by Thomas Stern Columnist Thomas Stern discusses how content marketing performance can fall short if SERP features […]
SearchCap: 2 trillion Google searches, AdWords announcements & more
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: Google now handles at least 2 trillion searches per yearMay 24, 2016 by Danny Sullivan The search giant won’t say exactly how many trillions of queries it processes, other than it’s […]
All the AdWords & Google Analytics changes announced at Google Performance Summit 2016
At Google's annual event for AdWords and Google Analytics customers, it shared new ad formats, mobile-first bidding options and more.
SearchCap: Google mobile friendly, Search Console update & Bing Ads bans
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: Google’s mobile-friendly algorithm boost has rolled outMay 12, 2016 by Barry Schwartz The new Google mobile-friendly algorithm is supposed to give an additional ranking boost for mobile-friendly websites in the mobile […]
Google Search Console metrics now deeply integrated into Google Analytics
Google Analytics is replacing the Search Engine Optimization report with the Search Console report and adds behavior and conversion metrics into the mix.
SearchCap: Google black & blue links, voice search tracking & Bing Twitter results
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: Google widely testing the title links in black, instead of the traditional blue hyperlink colorMay 9, 2016 by Barry Schwartz Google testing going from blue hyperlinks to black hyperlinks, and searchers […]
AdWords Express now shows Google Analytics goal results
Small businesses can see how their ads convert from the AdWords Express dashboard.