For digital companies wishing to have a successful marketing and sales strategy, data collection and analysis have become crucial. By seeking to understand the performance of their website, their marketing campaigns and their interactions with users, they will be able to optimize their marketing strategies.
To be able to do this, businesses and organizations need powerful and flexible analytics tools and two of the most popular and respected analytics tools on the market are Matomo and Google Analytics v4 .
While both platforms offer robust analytics capabilities, there are key differences between them in terms of advanced features, specific use cases, and commitment to user data privacy and security. In this article, we'll explore these differences in detail, not to help you choose the best analytics tool for your business or organization , but to understand how each solution works.
In the first part of this article, we will compare the advanced features offered by Matomo and Google Analytics v4, focusing on social media and email marketing analytics capabilities, segmentation and custom reporting options, and integration with other marketing and advertising tools.
In the second part of this article, we will take a detailed look at how Matomo and Google Analytics v4 meet the needs of specific use cases, such as tracking high-traffic mobile apps or websites, analytics for businesses subject to strict data privacy regulations, and analytics requirements for government or non-profit organization websites.
Ultimately, our goal is to provide you with a comprehensive and unbiased analysis of the analytical strengths and weaknesses of Matomo and Google Analytics v4 in detail and help you make an informed decision on which analytics tool is right for you. better for your business or organization .
Comparison of advanced features
Social Media and Email Marketing Analytics Capabilities
Social media and email marketing are crucial parts of any digital marketing strategy. Both analytics platforms offer features to measure and analyze the performance of your campaigns across these channels.
Matomo allows in-depth analysis of social media and email marketing campaigns with its “ Marketing Campaigns Reporting ” module. It offers features like tracking clicks on links shared on social media, tracking conversions attributed to email campaigns, and the ability to see which marketing channels are generating the most traffic and conversions. The tool also provides detailed reporting on user engagement with content shared on social media, including interactions and shares.
GA4 offers tracking capabilities for social media and email campaigns through its traffic sources and attribution reports. It tracks user interactions from different marketing channels , including social media and emails through detailed reporting on the performance of your social media campaigns, including user demographics, interests and behaviors. users.
Additionally, GA4 uses advanced attribution models and machine learning to provide insights into campaign performance. Users can also create custom segments to specifically analyze user interactions from email and social media campaigns.
You can use UTM code to monitor the performance of your email channel. To implement this code, you can generate it manually using the URL Builder tool on Google Analytics . The Google Analytics UTM tag will be very helpful in this process. Its purpose is to track all visits to your site from a campaign and understand which links visitors used to get there. An email can contain different types of links to follow such as logo, images and CTA button.
Overall, Google Analytics v4 offers more advanced analytics features for social media, while Matomo offers a simpler, easy-to-implement solution for tracking social media and email marketing.
Custom segmentation and reporting options
Segmentation and custom reporting are essential for understanding how your website and marketing campaigns are performing across different user groups.
Matomo offers advanced segmentation with the ability to create custom segments based on various criteria such as user behaviors, traffic sources, specific site actions, etc. The tool provides flexibility in custom reporting, allowing users to design reports that specifically meet their needs using an intuitive report editor.
GA4 significantly improves segmentation options compared to its previous versions. It allows the creation of dynamic custom segments that update in real time, based on multiple and complex conditions. Users can also create custom reports in GA4 through the “ Analysis Hub ” interface, which allows drag-and-drop of dimensions and metrics to create specific reports and visualizations.
Overall, both platforms offer robust segmentation and custom reporting features, although Google Analytics v4 offers slightly more advanced options .
Integration with other marketing/advertising tools
Integration with other marketing and advertising tools is important to get an overview of your campaign performance and optimize your efforts.
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Matomo integrates with various marketing and advertising tools, including Google Ads, Facebook Ads, and other digital marketing platforms. It allows the import of campaign costs for a complete ROI analysis. Users can also integrate Matomo with CRM systems, marketing automation platforms, and other tools via plugins or APIs.
GA4 offers native integrations with a multitude of Google products such as Google Ads, Google BigQuery, and Google Data Studio. These integrations enable seamless and comprehensive analysis of advertising campaigns and marketing data. In addition to Google integrations, GA4 can connect with various other tools via APIs, allowing customization and expansion of analytical capabilities.
Overall, Google Analytics v4 offers broader and more seamless integrations with other marketing and advertising tools , especially with Google products. However, Matomo offers solid integration options and the ability to extend the platform's functionality using plugins .
Study of specific use cases
Tracking high-traffic mobile apps or websites
Tracking high-traffic mobile apps and websites can be challenging for analytics tools, due to high data processing and storage requirements.
Matomo offers a mobile app tracking SDK, compatible with iOS and Android, to collect detailed data on user interactions with the app. For high-traffic websites, Matomo offers performance optimization features and scalable infrastructure, which can be deployed on dedicated servers to handle large amounts of data.
GA4 is designed for unified tracking of websites and mobile applications, enabling a comprehensive view of user interactions across different platforms. It uses SDKs for iOS and Android as well as JavaScript tags for web tracking. With its cloud-based infrastructure, GA4 can easily handle large traffic volumes and deliver robust performance even for high-traffic websites and applications.
In fact it is difficult to divide it since both platforms offer mobile application tracking functionalities and capabilities for managing large volumes of solid data. The easiest way to help you understand the differences in this monitoring by each of these solutions is to read our two examples below
EXAMPLE OF MOBILE APPLICATION TRACKING WITH MATOMO
The Régie Autonome des Transports Parisiens (RATP) uses Matomo to monitor and analyze the performance of its “RATP” mobile application , which provides real-time information on schedules, routes and disruptions to the Paris public transport network and of his region. With more than 5 million downloads, the RATP application generates significant traffic and requires a robust and reliable analysis tool.
Thanks to Matomo, RATP can track users and events in its mobile application using the SDKs for iOS and Android. The company can also create custom segments to analyze the app's performance across different user groups, based on criteria such as location, device type or user behavior.
In addition, Matomo offers self-managed and cloud hosting options, allowing RATP to scale analytics resources according to its needs and guarantee the confidentiality and security of user data .
EXAMPLE OF TRACKING HIGH TRAFFIC WEBSITE WITH GOOGLE ANALYTICS V4
French television channel TF1's website, tf1.fr , attracts millions of visitors each month, making it one of the busiest websites in France. To monitor and analyze the performance of its website, TF1 uses Google Analytics v4.
With Google Analytics v4, TF1 can track users and events on its website using measurement libraries for web applications. The company can also create custom segments to analyze website performance among different user groups, based on criteria such as location, interests or user behavior.
Additionally, Google Analytics v4 is designed to handle large volumes of data and offers high data collection limits, allowing TF1 to track and analyze its significant website traffic without encountering limitations.
These specific French examples illustrate how Matomo and Google Analytics v4 can meet the tracking needs of mobile applications or high-traffic websites. While both platforms offer solid tracking features, Matomo can offer more flexibility in terms of hosting and scaling resources, while Google Analytics v4 offers more extensive cross-platform tracking and the ability to manage large volumes of data.
Analytics for businesses subject to strict data privacy regulations
Businesses subject to strict data privacy regulations, such as the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) , need analytics tools that respect the privacy and security of user data .
Matomo stands out for its privacy-friendly approach, offering on-premises deployment options that allow businesses to maintain full control over their data. This is especially useful for businesses subject to strict regulations like GDPR. Matomo also offers built-in privacy management features, such as IP anonymization, respecting user consent preferences, and personal data management tools.
GA4 has integrated enhanced privacy features, such as automatic IP anonymization and enhanced user consent options. It is designed to comply with privacy regulations such as GDPR and CCPA. However, because GA4 is a cloud-based service, the data is stored on Google's servers, which may be a consideration for businesses with strict data localization requirements.
Overall one would be tempted to say that Matomo is better suited to businesses subject to strict data privacy regulations, due to its commitment to user data privacy and security and its flexible hosting options . However in reality it is not that simple, you just need to read the two examples below to realize it.
EXAMPLE OF ANALYSIS WITH MATOMO FOR A COMPANY SUBJECT TO THE GDPR
The French online sales company for organic and ecological products, Greenweez , is subject to the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). To meet user data privacy and security requirements, Greenweez uses Matomo to track and analyze the performance of its website.
With Matomo, Greenweez can benefit from features such as IP anonymization, user consent and automatic data deletion, allowing it to comply with GDPR requirements for personal data protection. Additionally, Matomo offers self-managed and cloud hosting options, allowing Greenweez to store analytics data in a location that meets its privacy and security requirements.
Using Matomo, Greenweez can also customize its analytics reports to track business-specific KPIs, such as visitor-to-buyer conversion rate, average order value, and bounce rate.
EXAMPLE OF ANALYSIS WITH GOOGLE ANALYTICS V4 FOR A COMPANY SUBJECT TO GDPR
The French information and financial product comparison website, Meilleurtaux.com , is also subject to the GDPR. To monitor and analyze the performance of its website while respecting the confidentiality and security requirements of user data, Meilleurtaux.com uses Google Analytics v4.
With Google Analytics v4, Meilleurtaux.com can benefit from privacy features such as IP anonymization and automatic data deletion. However, Google Analytics v4 has been criticized for its extensive collection and use of user data for ad targeting purposes, which may raise privacy and security concerns for some companies.
Using Google Analytics v4, Meilleurtaux.com can also customize its analytics reports to track key performance indicators specific to its business, such as the number of quote requests, the conversion rate of visitors to customers and the cost of customer acquisition.
These specific French examples illustrate how Matomo and Google Analytics v4 can meet the analytics needs of businesses subject to strict data privacy regulations, such as GDPR. While both platforms offer privacy features, Matomo can offer a stronger commitment to user data privacy and security and flexible hosting options, while Google Analytics v4 can offer more advanced analytics features and seamless integration with other Google products.
Analytics requirements for government or nonprofit organization websites
Government or nonprofit organization websites often have unique analytics requirements, such as tracking online donations, volunteer engagement, and the impact of awareness campaigns.
Government and nonprofit organizations often value Matomo for its open-source approach and on-premises deployment options, providing full control over data and ensuring compliance with internal policies and local regulations.
Matomo also offers competitive pricing and customization options that can be beneficial for organizations on a budget.
GA4 can be used by government and nonprofit organizations to benefit from powerful analytical capabilities and tight integrations with other Google tools. It also offers specific solutions for nonprofits through the Google for Nonprofits program. However, issues of privacy and data control can be concerns for these organizations, especially when it comes to data localization and regulatory compliance.
Overall, both platforms offer analytics features that can be tailored to the unique needs of government or nonprofit organization websites. However, Matomo can offer more flexibility in terms of customization and pricing, while Google Analytics v4 offers more robust analytics features in its paid version.
Conclusion
As you will have understood from reading this article, both Matomo and Google Analytics v4 offer powerful and flexible analytics features that can help businesses and organizations understand the performance of their website and marketing campaigns, and to optimize their efforts. On this point it is undeniable that we will not be able to decide between them. However, through the examples we have given you you will have seen that there are key differences between the two platforms in terms of advanced features, specific use cases and commitment to user data privacy and security .
For businesses and organizations subject to strict data privacy regulations, or those that prioritize user data privacy and security, Matomo is the best choice. With its commitment to user data privacy and security, flexible hosting options, and robust privacy features, Matomo is designed to meet the needs of privacy-conscious businesses and organizations.
For businesses and organizations that need extensive and seamless integrations with other marketing and advertising tools, especially with Google products, Google Analytics v4 is the best choice. With its powerful integrations, advanced analytics features, and ability to manage large volumes of data, Google Analytics v4 is designed to meet the needs of businesses and organizations looking to optimize their marketing and advertising efforts.
Ultimately, choosing between Matomo and Google Analytics v4 will depend on the unique needs, priorities, and constraints of your business or organization. By taking the time to evaluate the features and benefits of each platform, comparing them to your own requirements, and reading our article dedicated to how to choose between Google Analytics and Matomo , you will be able to make an informed decision and choose the analysis tool that suits you best.
Article updated on June 2, 2024
