You’ve probably heard of Google Analytics. It’s part of the Google Marketing Platform brand and is a web analytics service. It’s run by Google and tracks, reports and provides insights on a website’s traffic. But, how does Google Analytics work and what’s GA4, the new version of Google Analytics? The expert team at KIJO have put together the ultimate GA4 tutorial, including how to set up GA4; the revamped Google Analytics tool.
As of July 1st 2023, Google Analytics 4 (or GA4) is Google’s latest web analytics tool. It replaced Universal Analytics. GA4 allows you to see and learn about how your users engage with your app or website. This enables you to tailor your marketing efforts to boost engagement more accurately.
GA4 provides advanced tracking and reporting capabilities, which allows website owners to analyse their website’s performance across different platforms with more accuracy. It’s also been designed to be more easy to track these metrics than UA was; it’s now focused on the action of users rather than the user persona. For example, it’s far easier on GA4 than it was on UA to track things like video plays, downloads, navigational patterns and how many times affiliate links have been clicked.
GA4 can support your website’s success in multiple ways.
Search engine optimisation (SEO) is key to any successful website. GA4 reveals how your SEO efforts are doing and what you can improve and capitalise on. It will show you:
These things reveal things like whether your calls to action (CTAs) are working as they should, what content is resonating with users so you can emulate similar, and enhance your understanding of the user’s journey through your website so you can streamline it or maintain it.
GA4 will shine a light on whether your marketing campaigns are converting as hoped. This is because GA4 can reveal how your users engage with your content across different channels and platforms. This means you’re best placed to improve and bolster every step of your marketing campaigns journey for your target user.
Nowadays, users can check out a brand from multiple angles at the click of a button. This means their actual user journey can be chaotic and difficult to comprehend – not with GA4.
It reveals data about your user’s journey cross-platform and cross-device. These insights help you understand your user in a truly in-depth way. Then, you can tailor the user journey and the overall user experience (UX) more accurately because of them.
GA4 has the ability to unveil the purpose of your user’s website visits because of the data it draws from their behaviour. Because of this deepened understanding, GA4 allows you to create more targeted content that speaks to your actual audience rather than an imagined one.
If your website has an eCommerce function, GA4 analytic data can help you optimise your stock inventory as well as improve the experience of your online store.
GA4 will tell you things like if certain items are selling in a particular size more than other sizes so you can increase stock accordingly. This can save your business time and from disappointing customers with product availability. It will also show you whether customers are dropping off from the website during the purchasing process so you can make adjustments to minimise this.
Now that you understand the benefits of the programme, here’s how to set up Google Analytics 4. Be mindful that this is a two part process:
It goes without saying that you’ll need a Google account to start this process too.
Firstly, sign in to your GA account. Click the prompt “Start Measuring.” and then “Create Account”.
If you’ve used Google Analytics before, you’ll see a different screen. If that’s the case, click the cog icon in the bottom left of your screen to get to the administrative area.
Next, give your account a name – ideally your business’s one. Here, you may wish to provide Google with further information by following the prompts.
Then, click “Next”.
The GA4 property is where your data lives. This means that if you own multiple websites, you can have multiple properties under one account. You’ll be prompted to name your property. We’d advise using your domain name.
Then, you’ll be asked to supply your currency and your website’s time zone. Once you’ve completed this section, click “Next”.
Next, you’ll need to choose which industry category your website falls under. Choose the one that aligns the closest if an exact match doesn’t appear, or select “Other Business Activity”. Also, select your business size.
Then, click “Next”.
You’ll then be invited to select your business objectives. This determines which reports will be preloaded in your property. If you’re unsure what your objectives are, simply select “Get baseline reports”. You can always adjust your objectives at a later date.
Then, select “Create”.
You’ll then be asked to accept the Google Analytics terms of service. Select, “I accept.” in order to move forward.
You’re all set to start collecting user insights and data! So, now you can set up your data stream. This is selecting what sends data into your GA4 property.
Choose the type of platform you’re using: Website, Android app or iOS app. We’ll assume that you’re selecting “web” for the purposes of this GA4 tutorial.
Then, enter your website URL and give your data stream a name as prompted. We’d recommend calling it your business name and website. For example, ours is “KIJO Website”. Then, make sure the blue toggle is selected for “Enhanced Measurement” meaning you get the maximum data you can.
Now, it’s time to install your GA4 tracking code.
Now your data stream is configured, you’ll be presented with a “Measurement ID” field. This is unique to your property. There is a button above this that’s labelled “View Tag Instructions”. You’ll be presented with three installation options. For the purpose of this GA4 tutorial, we’ll talk you through the manual installation.
To start the installation process, select “View Tag Instructions” and then select “Install Manually”.
Here, you’ll be presented with an html tracking code. Copy the entirety of this code by selecting the copy icon in the top right of its window.
Head on over to your website, and paste the code in the <head> section of your page. This can be found between the html tag and the body tag and is typically much smaller than the body tag. That’s because its main job is to contain metadata. Developer tools in your web browser, or your web development agency, can help you locate the html <head> of any website page.
Doing this will help ensure you get the most accurate data.
Once this is saved and implemented, GA4 will now run on your website!
Now you’re set up on GA4, how can you be sure it’s working?
From your admin area, navigate to “Reports”, and then to “Real Time”. Then, open your website in a separate browser window. Next, return to your GA4 window displaying the real-time report. If it’s correctly set up, you should see details of your new browser window visit. Details such as your location and the page you visited should be shown on the report.
If it’s not working, you should consult with your web development team or at least someone with knowledge of GA4.
The main, useful data categories that GA4 tracks are Views, Users, Sessions, Conversions and Events. Here’s what each one means for you and your website.
Each time a user “views” a page on your website, it is counted as a view by GA4. If a user visits a page, leaves it, then returns again later, this will count as two views.
A user is an individual that enters your website. This then means you can track how many people have visited your website. GA4 will be able to tell you which specific pages they’re visiting on your website too.
A session refers to your user’s time spent on your pages. The session ends when the user leaves the website, or there’s a period of inactivity for half an hour. GA4 will tell you which actions the user took during their session on your website with Events.
Events refer to the significant actions the user took on your page like scrolling through the page, clicking a link or submitting a form.
Conversions refer to how many users complete the desired objective of your website. If you’re running an eCommerce website, your desired objective would probably be a purchase. For other websites, it may be to submit an enquiry form or book an introductory call.
You’ll need to let GA4 know which Events on your website count as Conversions though. Here’s how to do it:
Firstly, click the cog icon labelled “Admin” in the bottom left of the screen.
Then, within the property setting in the middle of the screen, select “Events”.
Here you’ll be presented with a list of Events GA4 has been tracking. Using the blue toggle option, select which events should be counted as Conversions.
Related Read: KIJO’s Conversion Rate Optimisation Tips
Your GA4 reports are how you read up on your powerful insights. Here’s how to find them.
If you want to find out what content is performing best (and worst), you’ll need your “Pages and Screen” report.
In the left hand navigation, select “Reports”. Then, expand the “Engagement” reporting area and select “Pages and screens”.
Here, you’ll be presented with a list of your most viewed pages in descending order. In sistering columns, you’ll see views per user, average engagement time (how long the user spent on the page), and the conversion rate the content is generating.
In order to realise which marketing channels are providing the best performance and output, you’ll need your “Traffic Acquisitions” report.
In the left hand navigation, select “Reports”. Then, expand the “Acquisition” reporting area and select “Traffic acquisition”.
Here, you’ll see where your users are coming from, as well as how long they’re spending on your page because of the source. If your organic search results are low, this may indicate you need to up your keyword research game. If your paid search results are high, this may indicate that your CTAs in this copy are working well. So, this means you could probably emulate them again.
Either way, your GA4 reports are where the inspiration for growth lies.
In order to develop your understanding of GA4, you can work through the Google provided GA4 Tutorial platform. You can choose whether you want to learn about Google Analytics from a “Beginner and Small Business” perspective, or from a “Digital Analyst” or an experienced “Web Developer” one. These will help you get to grips further with the GA4 platform and utilise it to its maximum potential.
However, our advice would be to instruct a web development agency that does all of this complicated work for you. One that has a specific optimisation package, like us here at KIJO.
KIJO Optimise offers an in-depth audit of your site’s performance, UX, traffic and conversions. Looking at 113 data points, our expert team will pinpoint exactly how to make your site rank higher on Google, boost traffic, and increase conversion volume and ratio. We’ll uncover the insights GA4 would provide for you, and thensome by advising you what steps to take next to see improvements. Get in touch with our friendly, expert team today.
