Google Signals: What is it & how to use it

Google Signals is a feature within Google Analytics that enhances the data collection and reporting capabilities by providing cross-device tracking and more detailed user insights. It utilizes data from users who have signed into their Google accounts and have turned on Ads Personalization. This data integration allows for a more comprehensive understanding of user interactions across multiple devices.

Update: As of February 12, 2024 Google Signals is going to be removed from identity reporting and this will affect all Google Analytics 4 properties. Google Signals will continue to collect user demographic and interest information (visible in their respective reports) and will also continue to be used in audience and conversion generation (such as remarketing or conversion optimization in other products like Google Ads).

Key Features:

1. Cross-Device Reporting: Google Signals enables tracking of users across various devices (like smartphones, tablets, and desktops), providing a unified view of user interactions. Important: this feature will cease to function on February 12, 2024.
2. Remarketing Capabilities: With Google Signals, you can create remarketing audiences based on cross-device behavior, allowing more effective ad campaigns.
3. Demographics and Interests Reports: Enhanced reporting on user demographics and interests, improving understanding of audience segments.
4. Ads Reporting: More robust data on how users interact with ads across devices.
5. Device Overlap, Paths, and Acquisition Reports: Insights into how users move across devices before they convert, and the device paths they take. Important: this feature will cease to function on February 12, 2024.

How to enable Google Signals

Be aware that you can change how Google Signals works on each region letting you to fulfil legal compliance and granular privacy settings by region.

Google Signals and reporting identity

In Google Signals you can enable or disable the inclusion of Google Signals data in the reporting identity. This has some implications to consider.

Enabling “Include Google Signals in Reporting Identity”

1. Enhanced User Data: When enabled, Google Analytics associates event data collected from your website or app with the Google accounts of signed-in users who have consented to share this information. This provides richer data for analytics.
2. Demographics and Interests Data: Enabling this feature allows specific demographics and interest data from signed-in, consented users to be included in reports.
3. Comprehensive Insights: This option is beneficial for gaining more in-depth insights into user behavior, demographics, and interests, particularly for cross-device tracking and understanding signed-in user interactions.
4. Impact on Reporting and Marketing: Enhanced data can be particularly valuable for detailed audience analysis, remarketing, and bid optimization in linked Google Ads accounts.

Disabling “Include Google Signals in Reporting Identity”

1. Data Omission: Disabling this option omits specific demographics and interest data from reports. This specifically refers to data from signed-in, consented users.
2. Reduced Data Thresholding: This option can be useful if your property uses the Blended or Observed reporting identity, as it can help reduce the likelihood of data thresholding. Data thresholding is a privacy protection measure that Google Analytics uses to prevent the identification of individual users in your reports.
3. Continued Data Collection: Even when this option is turned off, Google Analytics will still collect Google Signals data. This means you can still use the Google Signals data in audiences and conversions, and also share the data with linked Google Ads accounts for purposes like remarketing and bid optimization.

Legal considerations

When using Google Signals, it’s crucial to consider various legal and privacy aspects, especially given the sensitive nature of user data involved. Here are key legal considerations:

1. User Consent and Privacy Policies

• Informed Consent: Ensure that users are fully informed about the data being collected and how it will be used. Obtain explicit consent where required, especially under regulations like GDPR.
• Update Privacy Policies: Your privacy policy should be updated to include information about Google Signals, the type of data collected, and its usage.

2. Compliance with Data Protection Laws

• General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR): If you have users in the European Union, ensure compliance with GDPR. This includes obtaining explicit consent for tracking and processing personal data.
• California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA): For users in California, the CCPA requires transparency about data collection practices and allows consumers to opt-out of the sale of personal information.
• Other Regional Laws: Be aware of and comply with any other regional or local privacy laws applicable to your user base.

3. Google’s Terms and Conditions

• Adhere to Google’s Policies: Using Google Signals means agreeing to Google’s terms of service, which include specific clauses on user data handling and privacy.
• Responsible Use of Data: Ensure that the data collected through Google Signals is used responsibly and ethically, adhering to Google’s guidelines.