Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is being touted as the online analytical tool every business needs to evaluate and elevate data. According to its promotional material, it is “an analytics service that enables you to measure traffic and engagement across your websites and apps.” Sounds efficient and promising. So why are so many marketers bashing it?

Google Analytics 4 replaces its predecessor, Universal Analytics. And the problem with it, according to marketers, is the mandatory migration to GA4, which was slated for July 1, 2023.

Some in the digital marketing community have organized “funerals” for Universal Analytics, signaling their disappointment with the forced transition, Search Engine Land reported.

Google Analytics 4 is so unusable that there is now a black market for old Google Analytics 3 accounts from abandoned projects that can be repurposed.

— David Petersen (@typesfaster) September 15, 2023

“The forced migration to GA4 is causing concern among companies due to increased cost and a more formidable data analytics foundation,” CMS Wire reported.

If you don’t migrate, you’ll have separate data sets. This will pose a challenge when it comes to analyzing and comparing data efficiently between the two versions.

According to a poll by Search Engine Land, marketers are finding the transition challenging in itself.

One of the major grievances has been the user interface of GA4. Marketers have criticized its speed and design, labeling it as slow and less intuitive compared to Universal Analytics, Search Engine Land reported.

The way the Google Analytics 4 migration was handled made me feel that Google has no real interest in retaining GA users. Which is fair: I was a free user. They probably wanted me to churn (how it all felt to me).

I moved off after ~10 years of GA, now paying for @PlausibleHQ. https://t.co/h5iR8a1Vb0

— Gergely Orosz (@GergelyOrosz) September 16, 2023

There is also a data lag, a delay in reporting data in GA4. This impacts real-time monitoring and the ability to make timely decisions based on analytics.

“Granted it is only a few seconds difference, but when you look at many different patterns every day, it becomes frustrating to repeat those excess UI moves over and over when you used to do it faster,” Search Engine Land.

Advertisers say they need the ability to monitor performance constantly and are confused as to why the new analytics platform doesn’t appear to have this function.

And there even concerns about the data accuracy.

Another complaint is that the tool is missing certain features compared to Universal Analytics, especially in terms of attribution features.

“GA4 is a disaster. It is so much harder to use than UA, and completely non-intuitive,” SEO and marketing consultant Jason McDonald told Search Engine Land.

What's most impressive about Google Analytics 4 is that I've yet to come across a single person who likes the product.

I've honestly never seen this happen across the board.

— 🫰🏽 Paul Scrivens (@scrivs) September 18, 2023

Photo by cottonbro studio: https://www.pexels.com/photo/person-in-white-long-sleeve-shirt-using-imac-5083397/