Google Analytics soon to be banned? We have a safe alternative!

You are probably aware of all the commotion around Google Analytics. According to the latest information, there is a very good chance that Google Analytics will soon be banned for European users. What exactly is going on, what are the consequences, and how can you be prepared for it? We explain it in this blog.

Google Analytics banned? What is going on?

On 13 January of this year, the Austrian data protection authority (DSB) ruled that the use of Google Analytics is in violation of the European GDPR. The ruling is based on two important grounds. The first is that data from Google Analytics is sent to servers in the United States, and that is in breach of the GDPR. The second ground is that the anonymisation of IP addresses in Google Analytics is no longer permitted. This development may therefore have serious consequences for users of Google Analytics in the near future.

What are the consequences?

The ruling of the privacy regulator may have major consequences. It is highly likely that Google Analytics will be banned in the near future. Especially since the Dutch data protection authority also makes mention of it. If Google Analytics will indeed be banned, you are obliged to remove it and look for an alternative. Avoid waiting too long before taking action, and be well prepared for the upcoming changes. But do not panic, we will help you get on the right track with an alternative.

We offer an alternative: Matomo

There are a number of alternative solutions on the market that use data similar to Google Analytics. One of these is Matomo. With Matomo, you keep 100% ownership of your own data. You decide what happens to your data and you protect the data of the users. Matomo has a cloud version and an on-premise version, and the data is always stored in Europe. In other words: 100% GDPR compliant.

What is the difference with Google Analytics?

If we purely look at the data: the difference is nil. All important metrics you use in Google Analytics, you will also find in Matomo. The big advantage? All data is organised in a neat and orderly way and it is much more user-friendly than the new Google Analytics 4.0. In addition to all your visitor’s data, you also have access to the behaviour report and acquisition report. Here, you will find the same data as in Google Analytics. Furthermore, you can customise which goals you want to measure and you can create custom reports. Funnels, multichannel attribution models and Cohorts analyses are some nice additions.

In addition to all the standard features, you can extend Matomo with the functionalities of tools such as Hotjar. This includes setting up heatmaps, starting session recordings, and the possibility to apply A/B-testing. The Tag Manager solution makes the tool complete. It is relatively easy to configure your custom events with the data you wish to see. Finally, Matomo is available as a white label and you can apply your own branding, to turn it into your very own tool. Here is a complete overview of the most important features:

• Visitors’ report
• Behaviour report
• Acquisition report
• Multi attribution model
• E-commerce
• Custom goals
• Funnel analysis
• Cohort analysis
• Custom reports
• Tag Manager
• Google Analytics import
• Heatmaps
• Session recording
• SEO keywords
• A/B testing
• Paid adds data
• White label
• API

How can I measure external campaigns?

Measuring external campaigns works practically identical to Google Analytics, except that instead of using UTM codes, you use PK codes. You can easily create these codes in the campaign builder in Matomo. The method is slightly different than you are used to, but the outcome of your data is the same. This allows you to track all your LinkedIn and Facebook campaign data in Matomo.

What happens to my analytics data? Data import!

Your Google Analytics data won’t get lost. In fact, Matomo offers the possibility to import the data from Google Analytics into Matomo. This means that although you start with a new tool, you keep your old data set. Isn’t that ideal?

How to switch?

Thinking about switching to Matomo? Let our specialists advise you. Our advice is to at least make a start and let the tools run side by side, until a final decision is made. Marketing Guys can help you with the complete setup of your Matomo account and we will make sure that all your Google Analytics data will appear in your Matomo account.

More information?

Interested in learning more about Matomo and how to switch? Feel free to contact us! We will be more than happy to help you transfer your Google Analytics account to Matomo.