The Game-Changing Move from ‘Conversions’ to ‘Key Events’ in GA4

The transition from “conversions” to “key events” in Google Analytics 4 (GA4) marks a pivotal change that digital marketers, particularly those in SEO, need to understand and adapt to. This article explores how this shift can enhance your marketing strategies and reporting.

What Are Key Events in GA4?

On March 21, I received a message from a former student about a noticeable change in GA4: “Analytics conversions have been renamed key events.” Google explained this shift as follows:

“To avoid confusion between conversions in Google Analytics and those in Google Ads, we’ve renamed Analytics conversions to key events. Your existing setup remains unchanged. Key events are created and reported similarly to the previous conversions in Google Analytics.”

Here’s what you need to know:

“Key events represent interactions that are critical for your business. For example, designating a purchase or a newsletter sign-up as a key event will reflect in your Analytics reports as a key event metric.”

In summary:

• An event tracks a specific action on your site or app.
• A key event is a significant event for your business, appearing in reports but not directly reportable or bidable in Google Ads.

Reflecting on the evolution from Universal Analytics (UA) to GA4, the shift from conversions to key events introduces significant changes:

• UA was session-based; GA4 is event-based.
• UA measured bounce rate; GA4 measures engagement rate.
• UA used cookies; GA4 employs modeling for key event estimation.
• UA allowed up to 20 goals; GA4 supports up to 30 key events.
• UA provided data; GA4 offers automatic anomaly detection.
• UA reported user actions; GA4 provides predictive insights.
• UA used last-click attribution; GA4 uses data-driven attribution.

This change is particularly relevant for SEO specialists and managers who traditionally focus on organic search traffic. It also benefits marketers tracking referrals, social media, and other traffic sources.

What This Means for SEOs

For SEO professionals, the shift to key events offers a fresh perspective on measuring the impact of organic search. Despite organic search accounting for 53% of all website traffic (according to BrightEdge), its value isn’t always fully appreciated at the executive level. Executives often prioritize business goals like brand awareness, lead generation, or sales.

With the introduction of the Business Objectives collection in GA4 in June 2023, combined with the shift to key events, SEOs now have an opportunity to better align metrics with business objectives.

Aligning Metrics with Business Goals

Previously, “micro conversions” were measurable but often considered less significant than “macro conversions.” Key events, however, convey a greater sense of value. For example:

• For a CMO focusing on brand awareness: Report on how many organic search users:
• Scroll through 90% of a blog post.
• Watch at least 50% of a product video.
• Complete a tutorial.
• For a CRO focusing on lead generation: Track how many organic search users:
• Download a white paper.
• Subscribe to a newsletter.
• Complete a registration form.
• For a CEO focused on sales: Report the percentage of organic search users who:
• Begin the checkout process.
• Add items to the cart.
• Make a purchase.

Assigning Value to Key Events

You can also assign a monetary value to key events, similar to how purchase events are valued. Calculate this based on the likelihood of users completing an action and converting into customers. For example, if 10% of newsletter sign-ups convert and the average transaction is $500, then the monetary value of that key event is $50.

For practical insights, explore the Google Analytics demo account for the Google Merchandise Store. You might find it more impactful to report “$61,370 in revenue” rather than “42,596 key events” or “27,657 users” over a period.

The shift to key events in GA4 enables you to provide more relevant, business-aligned insights, significantly enhancing your marketing reporting and strategy. By leveraging this change, you can better align your data with your business objectives and demonstrate the true value of your marketing efforts.