Google has announced that ‘Conversions’ in Google Analytics are now called ‘Key Events’.
- You’re probably asking yourself: What’s changing?
- How will this impact your metrics and reports?
- And why is Google making this change?
How you track and report your business objectives using Google Analytics continues to evolve. When Google Analytics was first introduced, we used ‘Goals’ to report on important actions taking place on our website.
Then, as we moved from Universal Analytics to the current version of Google Analytics – Google Analytics 4 or GA4, we configured ‘Conversions’ to track and report on these high-value (or high-importance) actions. Now Google is replacing ‘Conversions’ with ‘Key Events’.
Key Events are like any other events in your reports, but they’re configured in Google Analytics to be included in the ‘Key Events’ metric (which was previously the ‘Conversions’ metric). This means you should configure Key Events for your most important actions. These actions will generally tied to your business and website objectives.
Examples of events you might consider configuring as Key Events include. ‘generate lead’, ‘sign up’, ‘join group’, and ‘form submit’ events.
I want to answer some important questions you might be asking.
- Do I have to re-configure GA4 Conversions as Key Events?
No, previous events classified as conversions in GA4 will automatically transition to Key Events within your property. You can verify Key Events by accessing ‘Admin’ and selecting ‘Key Events’ under ‘Data Display’. - Why is Google Making This Change?
Google has said they’re working to make terminology easier to understand and more consistent across their platforms. Part of the shift to Key Events in Google Analytics is that the term ‘Conversions’ will now describe any Key Events from Google Analytics that you’ve opted to use in Google Ads. Yes, this is where things start to get a little confusing. The main thing to remember is that ‘Conversions’ in Google Analytics are now called ‘Key Events’. If you use any of your ‘Key Events’ from Google Analytics in Google Ads, they’ll be called ‘Conversions’ in Google Ads. These Google Ads conversions can then be used for reporting and optimization in your Google Ads account. - How do Key Events differ from Conversions?
Key Events are utilized in Google Analytics to measure and report significant actions, whereas conversions are employed in Google Ads for optimization and reporting purposes. - How do I know if I’m using Conversions or Key Events?
When your GA4 property has been updated to reflect the change to Key Events, you will see ‘Key Events’ listed in the administration area under ‘Data Display’. - Will the switch to Key Events impact metrics and reporting?
While the data collection and processing for Key Events remain unchanged from Conversions, the naming convention has been updated. Instead of searching for ‘Conversions’ in standard reports, users will now refer to ‘Key Events’.
As the transition from ‘Conversions’ to ‘Key Events’ rolls out, users are encouraged to check for the new terminology in their Google Analytics account if it is not yet visible.
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