If you’ve used Google Analytics for your website, chances are you’re familiar with Universal Analytics (UA) — the long-standing version that most marketers and analysts grew up on. But now, Google Analytics 4 (GA4) has taken center stage, and it’s not just a redesign — it’s a whole new way of thinking about analytics. Key … Read more
Introduction Analyzing GA4 data in BigQuery can be incredibly powerful — but it’s easy to end up with slow, expensive queries as your logic grows. After writing complex GA4 SQL for things like session stitching and consent-aware attribution, I’ve learned some valuable techniques to keep things efficient, readable, and scalable. In this post, I’m sharing … Read more
Google Analytics 4 (GA4) has been evolving rapidly, but one hot topic in 2025 is data sampling. Many marketers and analysts are noticing that GA4 reports now apply sampling more aggressively than before, which can lead to inaccurate insights. This change is pushing professionals to rely more heavily on BigQuery for precise, unsampled data. In … Read more
Marketing teams constantly ask: “Which channel truly drives conversions?” GA4 provides user-level metrics and event data, but discrepancies between the GA4 interface and BigQuery exports can make attribution tricky. For example, Active Users or New Users may not match when you try to analyze traffic by campaign, source, or medium in BigQuery. This guide shows … Read more
If you’ve ever compared GA4 user metrics in the interface with BigQuery exports, you might have noticed discrepancies. For example, Active Users, New Users, or Total Users in the GA4 UI often don’t match what you calculate from the raw BigQuery data. Understanding why this happens is crucial for accurate reporting, marketing attribution, and data-driven … Read more
In this guide, we’ll walk you through SQL queries to calculate Active, New, and Returning Users, explore cross-device behavior, and share best practices for deduplication and segmentation. By the end, you’ll have a complete toolkit to analyze GA4 users in BigQuery with precision—perfect for building reports, dashboards, or feeding insights into your CRM or marketing … Read more
GA4 completely changed how we think about website and app users. Instead of just counting every visitor like Universal Analytics (UA) did, it focuses on real engagement. To truly master GA4, you have to go beyond the basics and understand how it defines, measures, and reports on users, especially when you dive into the raw … Read more
If you’ve logged into GA4 in the morning and noticed that the previous day’s session count doesn’t look quite right, you’re not alone. This is a common GA4 behavior — not necessarily an “issue.” The Main Reason: Data Processing Latency GA4 does not process data in real time for standard reports.Here’s what you should know: … Read more
Yesterday’s post: How to Measure and Analyze Cart Abandonment with GA4 and BigQueryToday, we’ll go beyond a single funnel view and break down performance by campaign and by product category — so you can quickly see what’s driving the best conversion rates. Why This Matters Not all campaigns or product lines pull their weight.If you’re … Read more
Understanding how different channels contribute to user acquisition vs. user retention is critical for optimizing spend and strategy. In GA4, while you get some visibility into user types, a more detailed analysis often requires BigQuery SQL. This guide walks you through: Why This Analysis Matters Most marketing teams ask: By breaking down New vs. Returning … Read more