Google announces the Business objectives collection in GA4

As an analyst, I understand the importance of extracting actionable insights from data to drive business growth. I'm excited to share the benefits of the Google Analytics announcement of the tailored collection of reports which will create insights based upon the information you provide about your business. This change, known as the Business objectives collection, enables you to gain valuable insights relevant to your unique business goals.

The ability to tailor the GA4 interface to your business is one of its most powerful, and underused assets. Use the Reports Library to edit, rename and remove unwanted reports, and, most importantly, access these new business objectives reports, to aid your analysis

Lawrence Greenlee, Senior Web Analyst

The GA4 Business objectives collection appears above the Life cycle collection when you provide specific information about your business during the initial setup process.

By selecting a business objective, such as "Optimise online sales", you automatically gain access to a curated set of reports customised to help you achieve that goal.

For instance, by choosing to optimise online sales, the new feature will include reports such as User acquisition and Traffic acquisition. These reports focus on the data that matters most to your business objectives, providing actionable insights to drive improvements and results.

To access the Business objectives collection, you can specify business information during your Google Analytics setup. Doing so will add the collection to your GA4 reporting section.

Additionally, the Reports Library enables users to access a Google-curated collection of reports. You can add, remove and edit these new tabs to customise GA4 to suit your analysts.

However, you may only be able to see the Life cycle reports in GA4. This is because:

1. You created your property before March 27, 2023: If the property creation occurred before this date, the default collection will be the Life cycle collection unless you specify business information during setup.
2. You did not specify the business information during setup: If you didn't provide business information during the initial setup, the default collection will remain the Life cycle collection.
3. You migrated from Universal Analytics using Setup Assistant: If you migrated from a Universal Analytics property using the Setup Assistant, the default collection is the Life cycle collection.

The introduction of the Business objectives collection in GA4 brings several benefits to marketers and analysts: 

1. Relevance to Your Goals: By tailoring the reports to your specified business objective, GA4 ensures you receive insights that align with your goals. The feature saves you time and effort by focusing on the most relevant data. 
2. Actionable Insights: The curated reports in the Business objectives collection provide actionable insights that can drive improvements in areas such as user acquisition, traffic acquisition, and more. These insights empower you to make data-driven decisions that enhance your online performance and business objectives.
3. Consistency Among Users: With the Business objectives collection, all users accessing your property will see the same set of reports. The feature fosters consistency in analysing and interpreting data across your team, facilitating collaboration and unified decision-making. 

The new Business objectives collection opens up new avenues for growth. By aligning your data analysis with your business goals, you can gain actionable insights that drive improvements and maximise results.

Ensure you specify business information during setup to unlock the power of this valuable resource and propel your business forward with data-driven decision-making.