book

Learning Google Analytics

Name: Learning Google Analytics
Author: Mark Edmondson
ISBN: 9781098113087

by Mark Edmondson

November 2022

Beginner to intermediate

339 pages

9h 16m

English

O'Reilly Media, Inc.

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Preface
Who This Book Is ForConventions Used in This BookUsing Code ExamplesO’Reilly Online LearningHow to Contact UsAcknowledgments
1. The New Google Analytics 4
Introducing GA4The Unification of Mobile and Web AnalyticsFirebase and BigQuery—First Steps into the CloudGA4 DeploymentUniversal Analytics Versus GA4The GA4 Data ModelEventsCustom ParametersEcommerce ItemsUser PropertiesGoogle Cloud PlatformRelevant GCP ServicesCoding SkillsOnboarding to GCPMoving Up the Serverless PyramidWrapping Up Our GCP IntroIntroduction to Our Use CasesUse Case: Predictive PurchasesUse Case: Audience SegmentationUse Case: Real-Time ForecastingSummary
2. Data Architecture and Strategy
Creating an Environment for SuccessStakeholder Buy-InA Use Case–Led Approach to Avoiding SpaceshipsDemonstrating Business ValueAssessing Digital MaturityPrioritizing Your Use CasesTechnical RequirementsData IngestionData StorageData ModelingModel Performance Versus Business ValuePrinciple of Least Movement (of Data)Raw Data Inputs to Informational OutputsHelping Your Data Scientists/ModelersSetting Model KPIsFinal Location of ModelingData ActivationMaybe It’s Not a DashboardInteraction with Your End UsersUser PrivacyRespecting User Privacy ChoicesPrivacy by DesignHelpful ToolsgcloudVersion Control/GitIntegrated Developer EnvironmentsContainers (Including Docker)Summary
3. Data Ingestion
Breaking Down Data SilosLess Is MoreSpecifying Data SchemaGA4 ConfigurationGA4 Event TypesGTM Capturing GA4 EventsCustom Field ConfigurationModifying or Creating GA4 EventsUser PropertiesMeasurement Protocol v2Exporting GA4 Data via APIsAuthentication with Data APIRunning Data API QueriesBigQueryLinking GA4 with BigQueryBigQuery SQL on Your GA4 ExportsBigQuery for Other Data SourcesPublic BigQuery DatasetsGTM Server SideGoogle Cloud StorageEvent-Driven StorageData PrivacyCRM Database Imports via GCSSetting Up Cloud Build CI/CD with GitHubSetting Up GitHubSetting Up the GitHub Connection to Cloud BuildAdding Files to the RepositorySummary
4. Data Storage
Data PrinciplesTidy DataDatasets for Different RolesBigQueryWhen to Use BigQueryDataset OrganizationTable TipsPub/SubSetting Up a Pub/Sub Topic for GA4 BigQuery ExportsCreating Partitioned BigQuery Tables from Your GA4 ExportServer-side Push to Pub/SubFirestoreWhen to Use FirestoreAccessing Firestore Data Via an APIGCSScheduling Data ImportsData Import Types: Streaming Versus Scheduled BatchesBigQuery ViewsBigQuery Scheduled QueriesCloud ComposerCloud SchedulerCloud BuildStreaming Data FlowsPub/Sub for Streaming DataApache Beam/DataFlowStreaming Via Cloud FunctionsProtecting User PrivacyData Privacy by DesignData Expiration in BigQueryData Loss Prevention APISummary
5. Data Modeling
GA4 Data ModelingStandard Reports and ExplorationsAttribution ModelingUser and Session ResolutionConsent Mode ModelingAudience CreationPredictive MetricsInsightsTurning Data into InsightScoping Data OutcomesAccuracy Versus Incremental BenefitChoosing Your Method of ApproachKeeping Your Modeling Pipelines Up-To-DateLinking DatasetsBigQuery MLComparison of BigQuery ML ModelsPutting a Model into ProductionMachine Learning APIsPutting an ML API into ProductionGoogle Cloud AI: Vertex AIPutting a Vertex API into ProductionIntegration with ROverview of CapabilitiesDockerR in ProductionSummary
6. Data Activation
Importance of Data ActivationGA4 Audiences and Google Marketing PlatformGoogle OptimizeVisualizationMaking Dashboards WorkGA4 Dashboarding OptionsData StudioLookerOther Third-Party Visualization ToolsAggregate Tables Bring Data-Driven DecisionsCaching and Cost ManagementCreating Marketing APIsCreating MicroservicesEvent TriggersFirestore IntegrationsSummary
7. Use Case: Predictive Purchases
Creating the Business CaseAssessing ValueEstimating ResourcesData ArchitectureData Ingestion: GA4 ConfigurationData Storage and Privacy DesignData Modeling—Exporting Audiences to Google AdsData Activation: Testing PerformanceSummary
8. Use Case: Audience Segmentation
Creating the Business CaseAssessing ValueEstimating ResourcesData ArchitectureData IngestionGA4 Data Capture ConfigurationGA4 BigQuery ExportsData Storage: Transformations of Your DatasetsData ModelingData ActivationSetting Up GA4 Imports Via GTM SSExporting Audiences from GA4Testing PerformanceSummary
9. Use Case: Real-Time Forecasting
Creating the Business CaseResources NeededData ArchitectureData IngestionGA4 ConfigurationData StorageHosting the Shiny App on Cloud RunData ModelingData Activation—A Real-Time DashboardR Code for the Real-Time Shiny AppGA4 Authentication with a Service AccountPutting It All Together in a Shiny AppSummary

10. Next Steps
Motivation: How I Learned What Is in This BookLearning ResourcesAsking for HelpCertificationsFinal Thoughts
Index
About the Author

Content preview from Learning Google Analytics

About the Author

Mark Edmondson has worked in digital analytics for more than 15 years and is known as a contributor throughout the industry with his highly anticipated blogs and open source work that pushes the boundaries of what digital analytics can achieve. He is the author of several published R packages dealing with Google APIs, including googleAnalyticsR and googleCloudRunner, which he developed to help with his own work. After pursuing a masters in physics from King’s College London, he has worked in all strands of digital marketing with world-wide brands up to his current interests in using the cloud, machine learning, and data science to turn data into information and insight. He is an international speaker on concepts such as machine learning, cloud computing, and data programming and is honored to be part of the Google Developer Expert program for Google Analytics and Google Cloud. Mark lives in Copenhagen, Denmark, with his wife, two children, cats, and guitars. If you’d like to get in touch, please do so via ga4-book@markedmondson.me.

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Learning Google Analytics

by Mark Edmondson

About the Author

Become an O’Reilly member and get unlimited access to this title plus top books and audiobooks from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers, thousands of courses curated by job role, 150+ live events each month,
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