Many marketers who consider Google Analytics 360 (GA360), no matter how briefly, rule it out as an option when they see the price tag. From a brief overview of the features, GA360 offers, most can’t muscle their way past the six-figure cost.
Marketers are used to working with the free version of Google Analytics and assume that GA360 is merely an expanded version of that. However, the difference is huge. Let’s take a closer look at just how big that difference is and how GA360 can be a valuable tool in helping you reach your marketing goals.
Google Analytics 360: What You Get
GA360 is one of seven services that make up the Google Marketing Platform. At a cost of $150,000 annually (or $12,500 monthly with an annual contract), you get all-inclusive access to all seven GA360 products:
- Analytics 360
- Data Studio
- Display and Video
- Optimize
- Search Ads 360
- Surveys 360
- Tag Manager 360
- GA360 vs Google Analytics
There is a myriad of additional features with GA360 that you don’t get with the standard Google Analytics free version. When trying to ascertain whether or not GA360’s benefits would justify the cost for you and your company, there are several key features you should be aware of:
BigQuery
BigQuery is Google’s enterprise data warehouse crafted to provide unmatched performance for its users. This interactive service allows users to analyze very large and complex datasets in near real-time. With no infrastructure to manage, you’re free to put all of your focus on your data and look for insights and trends that will strengthen your marketing efforts and more.
Data-Driven Attribution
Data-Driven Attribution in GA360 allows you to take Google Analytics’ existing strengths to the next level. GA360 goes way past the basic attribution models in the free edition and utilizes machine learning to produce custom attribution models using Google Analytics data and data from connected venues and accounts.
Export Capacity
When exporting in the standard version of Google Analytics, you’re allowed 50,000 rows. In GA 360, you can export up to 3 million rows.
Increased Dimensions and Metrics
In standard Google Analytics, you get 20 custom dimensions and metrics for your use. With GA360, you get 200 of each which is a substantial increase making it a highly useful feature.
Roll-Up Reporting
Roll-up reporting is a great feature that aggregates data gathered from various GA properties so you can view it all together in the same reports. It’s a time saver and it offers abilities that aren’t available in the free version like custom dimension and metrics inheritance, duplicating users, stitching sessions, and others.
Sampling
Standard Google Analytics allows up to 10 million hits each month which it defines as interactions that result in data being sent to analytics. Most small to medium-sized businesses fit easily under that umbrella. Larger businesses that get millions of hits each month may be battling sampling limits often. When that’s the case, Google’s sampling of your data is usually done in such a way that the data’s no longer very useful. With GA360 there are no limits. Users get as many as 100 million sessions before sampling kicks in. The result is reliable data that can make a big impact on business decisions.
Time Lag
Normally, it takes an entire day for standard Google Analytics to push data into the reporting interface. GA360, on the other hand, serves the data within four hours. This allows marketers to receive near real-time data and start making decisions that can have an immediate impact.
Takeaway
The tools offered in the free version of Google Analytics may be sufficient for small and medium-size businesses. However, for companies that receive millions of hits and data points, GA360 offers an enterprise-level analytics solution. With robust features of Google Analytics 360, such as granular reporting, reliable attribution models and no caps, marketers can greatly improve the performance of their marketing programs.
