A/B Testing in Google Analytics 4: Life After Optimize

The sunsetting of Google’s Optimize tool left many SEOs wondering how best to carry out A/B testing in Google Analytics 4 (GA4).

While Google OptimizeA/B testing will be missed, its closure provides an opportunity to explore other GA4-integrated solutions for driving experimentation and growth.

In this article, we’ll add some context to Optimize’s removal and explore three integrated A/B testing tools you can use alongside GA4. We’ll also run through a high-level A/B testing process to help you get set up with your chosen app.

Let’s get started.

Optimize, Google’s freemium split-testing and personalization tool, officially shut down on September 30, 2023 after six years of operation.

Image Source: Google

Despite it being helpful for conversion rate optimization (CRO), Google claims that Optimize didn’t have all the features and services its customers “request and need” for effective experimentation.

The sunset’s silver lining?

Google will instead “invest in solutions that will be more effective for our customers.”

More specifically, it’ll invest in third-party Google Analytics 4A/B testing integrations.

Further reading: Did you know you can get actionable AI-driven advice inside Semrush? The AI Narratives for GA4 app uses your GA4 data to explain insights, reports, and alerts in plain English so you can easily understand your website’s performance.

Why Google Analytics 4A/B Testing Still Matters

Google Optimize’s pairing with GA4 made it a uniquely powerful CRO tool.

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