Increasingly, Google Analytics is being used as a data collection platform and Google BigQuery is being used as a data storage platform.
What this means in the real world is that instead of running reports in Google Analytics, you might find yourself running reports in BigQuery; or linking BigQuery to Google Data Studio to blend web analytics data with CRM or other data sources.
Whichever way you dice it, collecting your Google Analytics data to Google BigQuery is becoming important. Data Runs Deep can help with the automation of loading your Google Analytics data into Google BigQuery.
The benefits of linking Google Analytics data to BigQuery don't stop there:
- Once data is in BigQuery, it's yours -- it's no longer officially owned by Google
- Personally Identifiable Information can be stored alongside clickstream data
- Predictive models can be used for forecasting conversions and performance
- BigQuery connects directly to Google Data Studio, so you can visualise your magic
If you're a Google Analytics 360 user, your Google Analytics data is automatically loaded into BigQuery daily, at the click of a button.
If you're not a Google Analytics 360 user, you have to get creative -- there are several methods for non-360 subscribers to automate the transfer of GA data into BigQuery to make use of unsampled data, and we shared a technique on our blog.
Once the connection is created, your Google Analytics can then be joined with other data sources, such as CRM, POS and app analytics data to report across the full spectrum of the customer experience.
If you're keen to get more from your Google Analytics by utilising BigQuery to add extra analytical oomph, you've come to the right place. Get in touch today for a chat.