Google Analytics for Beginners: Getting Started with GA4

Hearing the words “Google Analytics” sounds intimidating. It might even scare some of us away because of how complex it sounds, but it’s worth getting into—mainly because of the endless growth opportunities you can achieve for your website. 

In this post, we’ll help you navigate Google Analytics 4 (GA4) with this step-by-step guide for beginners. We’ll help you unlock the tool’s full potential so you can leverage it and expand your brand or business. 

What is Google Analytics? 

The Google Analytics platform is a free website analytics tool that helps you understand your website visitors. It collects information about how your audience engages with your content, where they found your site, or where they’re located. This data helps in:

• • • • Improving user experience (UX) 

• • • • Making informed site or app decisions 

• • • • Enabling adjustments to marketing strategies

With technological advancements continuously emerging, Google introduced Google Analytics 4 (GA4) last October 2020. Replacing its predecessor, Universal Analytics, GA4 offers features that focus on user-centric tracking. 

3 Key features of GA4 

Tracking user behavior across different actions and platforms is a big part of how Google Analytics works. By leveraging event-based tracking and cross-platform capabilities, GA4 provides a detailed view of your audience’s journey after seeing your Google ads. 

Event-based tracking 

GA4 uses an event-based tracking model that analyzes individual user behavior. For example, you can track when a visitor clicks a ‘Buy Now’ button or watches a promotional video. This level of detail helps you identify which interactions lead to conversions and which areas need improvement. 

Cross-platform tracking 

GA4’s cross-platform tracking combines information from websites and mobile apps into one Google Analytics property. This feature allows site owners to monitor user behavior consistently, regardless of the device or platform used. 

Cross-platform tracking offers various advantages for companies with multi-platform strategies. It enables them to:

• • • • Analyze the complete user journey (from how they arrived at your site to completing actions or exit) across devices 

• • • • Dedicate resources towards marketing efforts that work across platforms 

• • • • Identify user behavior and device preferences that lead to conversions

Enhanced reporting 

GA4’s enhanced reporting capabilities consist of standard templates that cater to common analytical needs. These enable website owners to quickly access essential metrics without complex setups. 

Apart from that, GA4 allows users to customize reports tailored to their business objectives. Lastly, enhanced reporting also leverages machine learning to predict user behavior and trends. 

How to set up GA4 

Step 1: Create a GA4 Property 

A GA4 property is like a control room where you can collect and analyze data. You can create multiple properties to organize your analytics process. It can be based on the type of data you want to focus on. Let’s say you manage three different websites; you can create separate properties for each one. 

For users without a Google Analytics account 

1. Go to Google Analytics. Navigate to Google Analytics and click the ‘Start measuring’ button on the welcome screen. Sign in with your Google account. 

2. Create a GA4 account. After providing the necessary information for your account details, click ‘Next’. 

3. Create a property. Then, fill in your property details: 

• • • • Property name (choose a descriptive name that clearly reflects the website or app you’re tracking) 

• • • • Time zone (setting this up helps you find out at what time your site sees high conversion rates) 

• • • • Currency

4. Add business details. Follow the prompts to enter basic information, such as your industry and business size. You might find the industry categories broad. So, if you can’t find one that best describes your brand or business, choose the ‘Other Business Activity’ option instead. 

5. Define your objectives. Choose what you want to achieve with GA4. This is an essential step to tailor the reports to your business goals. Otherwise, click ‘Get baseline reports. You can always customize these objectives later. Then, hit ‘Create’. 

6. Click ‘I Accept’. Accept the terms of service to finish setting up your account and property. 

For users with an existing Google Analytics account 

1. Navigate to your account dashboard. Click the ‘Admin’ gear icon in the lower-left corner. 

2. Create a new property. Under the ‘Account’ column, select ‘Property’ and click ‘Property details’. 

3. Then, follow steps 3 to 6 laid out in the previous section. 

Step 2: Set up a data stream 

Before you can start collecting data, you’ll have to set up a data stream. This is a link between your website or app and your GA4 property that the analytics tool uses to send user interaction data. 

How to set up a data stream 

1. Create a data stream. For new users, this step immediately comes after creating your GA4 property. As for existing users, navigate to the ‘Admin’ section in your GA4 account. Select ‘Data streams’ under ‘Data collection and modification’. 

• • • • Choose the platform you want to track: Website, iOS app, or Android app. You’ll need to create separate data streams for each platform.

• • • • For an iOS or Android app, enter the iOS Bundle ID or the Package Name, respectively. Next, name your data stream and follow the additional setup prompts, like linking your app’s Firebase project. This step is necessary for tracking app data in GA4.

• • • • For a website, enter your site’s URL and provide a descriptive name for the stream.

• • • • Click ‘Create stream’ to finalize this step. 

2. Enable enhanced measurement. After creating the stream, you’ll see a list of tracking options under the ‘Enhanced measurement’ toggle. Turn this feature on to automatically track key interactions, such as: 

• • • • Pageviews. This is the total number of times a user accesses a page, whether they’re new or a returning visitor. 

• • • • Scrolls. This indicates how far users scroll down your pages. 

• • • • Outbound clicks. These are clicks on links that direct users to external sites. 

• • • • Video engagement. This shows user interaction with embedded videos.

3. Save your settings. Finalize your choices and click ‘Save’ to activate the data stream. Then, it’s time to install the tracking code. 

Step 3: Install the tracking code 

After creating your data stream, Google Analytics will generate a tracking code. This code (also known as the measurement ID) will collect data like pageviews, clicks, and other events on your website. This is where your data stream gets the information it sends to your GA4 property. 

How to install the Google Analytics code 

1. Locate your tracking code. For new users, you’ll see the code in the installation instructions right after creating your data stream. If you’re an existing user, you can go to the ‘Admin’ section, click ‘Data streams’, and select the stream you want to track. Then, copy the measurement ID or the code snippet provided. 

2. Add the code to your website. In the instructions, you’ll see two options for installing the tracking code: install with a website builder or CMS or install manually. 

• • • • Manual installation. You can do this in two ways. One way is to manually paste the tracking code into the <head> section of every web page’s HTML. The other way is to use Google Tag Manager, which allows you to install the code on your pages from your GA4 account. 

• • • • Website builder or CMS installation. Check your CMS’ documentation for analytics integrations. Many platforms have built-in options for adding Google Analytics code to your site. Follow their specific steps to ensure the tracking code is installed correctly. 

Step 4: Define events and conversions 

With GA4, events and conversions are key indicators that allow you to focus on the interactions and actions that bring productive results. 

Events track particular user activities (button clicks or form submissions), while conversions highlight key milestones (purchases or sign-ups). 

Together, they help you measure success and improve website performance if needed. 

How to define events and conversions 

1. Track meaningful events. To track additional actions specific to your goals in GA4, go to the ‘Admin’ section, click ‘Data display’, and select ‘Events’. Click ‘Create Event’ and define the event parameters (like the button ID for a sign-up form). 

2. Mark key events as conversions. In the same section, navigate to ‘Key events’, find the relevant event, and tag it as a key event. Once marked, these events will be tracked separately in reports to help you evaluate the success of your site’s key objectives. 

Understanding GA4’s key reports 

GA4 provides various reports to help you understand your website or app’s performance. Each section offers specific insights to help you decide and optimize user experiences. 

Home dashboard 

The home dashboard is your starting point for understanding key metrics at a glance. It allows you to quickly spot trends so you can take immediate action. The dashboard equips you with a detailed summary of the following:

• • User numbers. See how many people visited your site or app over a specific period.

  • Engagement metrics. Learn about how users interact with your content, including average engagement time.

  • Acquisition insights. Discover where your website traffic comes from, such as search engines, social media, or direct visits.

Reports section

The reports section dives deeper into your data to reveal more about your audience and their behavior. These reports help you measure success and discover improvement opportunities across your digital strategy. 

1. Engagement reports.

• • • • Pages and screens. Identify your most and least popular pages, along with engagement rates and time spent.

      • User flow. Visualize how users navigate through your site to uncover patterns and identify problematic points.

      • Event tracking. Monitor interactions to assess content performance.

2. Acquisition reports. 

• • • • Learn how users find your website or app through channels like organic search, paid ads, or social media.

      • Evaluate campaign performance to determine which marketing efforts drive the most traffic and conversions.

Explore section 

The explore section is where you can perform in-depth, custom analysis to answer specific business questions. The approaches listed below are only a couple of the many advanced methods GA4 offers. 

1. Funnel exploration. This technique visualizes user journeys and identifies where customers drop off during critical steps. 

Suppose you’re running an eCommerce site. With funnel exploration, you notice many users abandon their carts during the checkout process. This insight helps you identify issues in that area and make changes to boost conversions.

2. Path exploration. Path exploration maps out the sequence of events users take on your site or app. It helps you understand where users go after landing on a specific page or completing an action. 

For example, you’re managing an online travel booking website. Path exploration enables you to discover that users who land on the ‘Flight Deals’ page navigate to the ‘Hotel Packages’ page but rarely proceed to checkout.

This data might reveal that you need a clear call-to-action (CTA). You might also need to add more information on the ‘Hotel Packages’ page. With this insight, you can modify the page layout and content or add a large ‘Book Now’ button to guide your visitors to make a purchase.

Why is GA4 good for beginners? 

Firstly, because GA4 is free, it’s accessible to the general public. This gives individuals at any skill level an opportunity to share their knowledge about GA4 with each other. 

Having plenty of resources easily available is beneficial for beginners, especially since they’re most likely explained in simple terms. 

Another reason why this tool is great for those who just started is that the Google Analytics interface offers helpful information on its features. You’ll find question mark icons beside toggles that describe how each function works and how you can leverage them. 

Lastly, you’re not limited to basic analysis capabilities with GA4. It’s beginner-friendly but it also supports intermediate and pro level skills. 

As you go along your website journey, you’ll learn which data to prioritize. When this happens, you might need more than the pre-built reports Google Analytics initially provides. 

Its advanced functionalities will enable you to customize your analytics process so you get the exact results you need. 

Level up your website with GA4 

GA4 is a powerful tool that empowers website owners to better understand their audience, make informed decisions, and improve overall performance. Learning to navigate and use it confidently will constantly help your brand or business succeed. 

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