Today, we talk about the Google Classic Analytics.
PRODUCT: The product category includes elements about Google Analytics itself (such as classic analytics, universal analytics) as well as those on the peripheral of Google Analytics (such as Google Analytics Certified Partners, Google Analytics Premium).
Under this category, there are also elements which are essential to the functioning of the analytics software. Elements such as Cookies, analytics.js and ga.js give a more comprehensive and behind-the-scenes understanding.
CLASSIC ANALYTICS: A funny name given to a product that is barely 3 years old
Google Classic Analytics, or ga.js, is the older version of Google Analytics. It was the old method Google used to track visitors to your website.
It was used from 2005 to 2013. In 2013, Google introduced Universal Analytics. So Google Classic Analytics became out of date when Google made the switch to Universal Analytics.
Many websites had since switched to Universal Analytics, but many are still using Classic Analytics. I believe that many are still unaware of the differences between the two versions.
The main difference between Classic and Universal Analytics is how data is stored. The former stored data (e.g. cookies) in the users' machines, while the latter in Google's cloud servers. With this upgrade, users would be able to track more things, and at a faster speed.
Intermediate to Advanced.
- To check your version: You can check which version of Google Analytics the website is running by viewing the source code. You'll be able to search and find either “analytics.js” and “ga.js”, which indicates the version used. However, if you're using Google Tag Manager, you'll find neither.
- Upgrade or miss out: Google roll out 50-70 new features a year, and they're only releasing it on Universal Analytics. So, to benefit from these releases, you'll need to be using Universal Analytics.
Want to know more about the Periodic Table of Google Analytics? Visit here for more information.