How to Use Google Analytics 4 (GA4)?

If you’re running a website or app, you’ve probably heard of Google Analytics 4 (GA4).

But do you know how to use it effectively?

GA4 is Google’s latest analytics tool. It is designed to give you deeper insights into your audience and their behavior across multiple platforms.

If you are a business owner, marketer, or content creator, GA4 helps you see what’s effective and what isn’t. GA4 enables you to track user behavior and improve your campaigns. It provides all the necessary information you need to grow your online presence.

In this blog, we’ll break down what GA4 is, how it differs from Universal Analytics, and guide you step by step on how to set it up and use it effectively.

Let’s dive in!

What Is Google Analytics (GA4)?

Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is the latest version of Google’s powerful analytics platform. It is designed to help website owners and marketers understand how users interact with their websites and apps. It’s an upgrade from the previous Universal Analytics. GA4 offers a more modern, flexible, and privacy-conscious approach to tracking and analyzing user behavior.

The key difference with GA4 is its focus on event-based tracking rather than session-based tracking. Instead of tracking data through isolated sessions, GA4 tracks every interaction—like clicks, video plays, and form submissions—as individual events. This shift provides a deeper, more accurate understanding of the user journey across devices and platforms.

GA4 is built for a digital landscape where users often switch between devices and privacy laws like GDPR and CCPA require more secure data handling. For instance, it uses machine learning to fill in data gaps created by cookie restrictions and offer valuable insights even when data collection is limited.

In simpler terms, GA4 is like a smarter, more intuitive version of Google Analytics, capable of showing you:

• What are users doing?

• How are users doing?

• Why are they doing it?

If you have a blog, an online store, or a mobile app, GA4 can help you make better choices to enhance your user experience and increase your audience.

What is the Difference Between Google Analytics 4 and Universal Analytics?

Google Analytics 4 (GA4) and Universal Analytics (UA) may seem similar at first glance, but they’re built for entirely different purposes. UA was the go-to tool for website analytics for a long time. But GA4 has been created to adapt to today's world, which uses multiple devices and cares about privacy.

Here’s a detailed breakdown of the key differences between the two:

In short, Universal Analytics worked well for traditional web analytics, but GA4 goes beyond that. It’s designed to give businesses a complete, user-centered understanding of their audience in today’s dynamic digital environment.

What Is GA4 Used For?

Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is more than just a tool for tracking numbers—it’s a robust platform designed to help you understand your audience, refine your strategies, and improve your overall digital presence. Let’s break it down into the specific ways GA4 can transform your business operations and marketing efforts.

1. Understand User Behavior Across Devices and Platforms

The customer journey isn’t linear. Users switch between different devices and platforms—like looking at your website on their phones, reading reviews on social media, and making purchases on their computers.

GA4’s cross-device tracking gives you a unified view of this fragmented journey. It shows how users interact with your website and app, helping you identify which touchpoints lead to conversions. For instance, you might discover that a majority of users start their journey on your app but complete purchases on your website.

2. Enhance User Experience

Every click, scroll, and video play tells a story. GA4 collects this behavioral data to help you understand how users engage with your site or app.

For example, if users aren’t scrolling past the first fold of your homepage, you might need to rethink your design or content placement. If visitors are leaving right after watching a product demo, consider adding a clear call-to-action to guide them to the next step.

3. Evaluate and Optimize Marketing Campaigns

Not sure if your latest campaign is worth the budget? GA4 provides clarity.

It tracks which channels and campaigns are driving meaningful traffic and conversions. Want to know if an influencer partnership is working? GA4’s data tells you whether their audience is engaging with your site or leaving right away. 

Its AI-powered insights also highlight which parts of your customer journey need improvement. 

4. Boost Your SEO Performance

GA4 integrates seamlessly with Google Search Console. It allows you to uncover the keywords driving traffic to your site. But it doesn’t stop there—it also tracks what users do once they land on your site.

For example, if visitors are bouncing off certain pages, GA4 helps you pinpoint the issue. Conversely, if a blog post about “vegan meal prep” attracts a lot of engagement, you can double down on that topic and create similar content.

5. Optimize Ecommerce Performance

For eCommerce businesses, GA4 delivers detailed analytics to improve sales performance. It tracks everything from product views and cart abandonment rates to refund statistics.

Say you discover the red version of a handbag is outselling other colors by a wide margin. You can adjust your inventory and marketing efforts to focus on the most popular options. Similarly, if your cart abandonment rate spikes on mobile devices, GA4 can help you diagnose and fix the problem.

6. Create Detailed Customer Personas

GA4 segments your audience based on their behavior. So you can craft accurate customer personas.

For instance, you can identify a group of users who frequently watch your tutorial videos but never make a purchase. With this data, you can create a targeted email campaign or retargeting ad to convert them into customers.

How to Set Up Google Analytics 4 (GA4)

At first, setting up GA4 may seem overwhelming, but when broken down into manageable steps, it is a simple process. This guide will help you set up GA4 and begin gathering useful data, regardless of whether you are upgrading from Universal Analytics or starting from scratch.

Step 1: Log In to Google Analytics

First, head to the Google Analytics website and log in with your Google account. If you don’t have an account, you’ll need to create one.

Write your name in the “Account name” box. Then set the data sharing settings and click the “Next button. Fill out the "Property name" box with the name of your URL. Select the details like your property name, time zone, and currency, then hit the “Next” button.

Here, you will be asked a few business-related questions. Answer them according to your business and hit the “Next” button.

Next, you need to outline your goals for Google Analytics. Choose any of your desired objectives. And after you click create, you will have to accept the Google Analytics Terms of Service Agreement. Accept it and your account will be created.

Step 2: Set Up a Data Stream

GA4 uses data streams to collect information from your website or app.

1. Select the type of data you want to track—Web, iOS, or Android.

2. If you’re setting up a web stream, enter your website URL and name the stream.

3. Once done, GA4 will generate a Measurement ID (a unique identifier for your stream).

Step 3: Install the Tracking Code

To start collecting data, you need to add the tracking code to your website.

1. Copy the Global Site Tag (gtag.js) code from your web stream setup.

2. Paste it into the <head> section of your website’s HTML.

• If you’re using a CMS like WordPress, you can add the code using plugins like “Insert Headers and Footers” or through your theme settings.

3. Save the changes to activate the tracking.

Step 4: Link GA4 to Google Tools

To maximize GA4’s potential, connect it with other Google tools:

• Google Search Console: Provides insights into your organic search performance.

• Google Ads: Tracks ad performance and conversions.

• BigQuery: For advanced data analysis.

These integrations allow you to create a centralized data hub.

Step 5: Configure Key Settings in GA4

1. Set Up Events: GA4 automatically tracks key events like page views and scrolls. However, you can add custom events (e.g., form submissions or video plays) to track specific interactions.

2. Define Conversions: Go to the Conversions section to mark important events, like purchases or sign-ups, as conversion goals.

3. Adjust Data Retention Settings: GA4 defaults to a 2-month data retention period, but you can extend it to 14 months in the settings.

Step 6: Test Your GA4 Setup

Before going live, ensure everything works correctly.

1. Use the DebugView in GA4 to test your setup and confirm data is flowing into the property.

2. Visit your site and interact with it as a user. GA4 should capture these actions in real time.

Step 7: Start Analyzing Data

Once your setup is complete, GA4 will begin collecting data. You can explore the reports, analyze user behavior, and use insights to improve your site or app.

Steps to Use Google Analytics 4 (GA4)

Once you’ve set up Google Analytics 4, the real value comes from understanding how to use it effectively. GA4’s interface and features may feel new if you’re familiar with Universal Analytics, but it’s designed to be intuitive and flexible. Here’s how you can use GA4 to uncover actionable insights and make data-driven decisions.

1. Navigate the GA4 Interface

When you log in to GA4, you’ll see the main dashboard. It includes an overview of real-time data, user metrics, and reports. Here’s what each section does:

• Reports: Shows insights on user acquisition, engagement, monetization, and retention.

• Explore: Offers customizable reports with in-depth analysis, including funnel exploration, cohort analysis, and pathing.

• Advertising: Focuses on campaign performance and ad insights.

Take some time to familiarize yourself with the layout. The cleaner design is meant to streamline your analysis.

2. Track Real-Time Data

GA4’s Real-Time report lets you see what’s happening on your site or app as it happens.

• Monitor the number of active users, their locations, and the pages they’re viewing.

• Use this to analyze the performance of live campaigns or time-sensitive events like product launches.

For example, if you’re running a flash sale, the Real-Time report can show how many users are checking out your sale page and whether they’re completing purchases.

3. Understand Your Audience

Go to the User reports under the “Reports” section to learn about your audience.

• Demographics: Understand who your users are by age, gender, location, and language.

• Tech Details: Find out what devices, operating systems, and browsers they use.

This information helps you optimize your site or app for your audience. For instance, if most users are on mobile, focus on improving mobile load times and design.

4. Analyze User Acquisition

The acquisition reports reveal how users are finding your site or app.

• Are they coming from organic search, social media, paid ads, or direct traffic?

• What keywords or campaigns are driving the most visitors?

By analyzing this, you can focus your marketing efforts on channels that bring in the most value.

5. Explore User Engagement

The engagement reports show how users interact with your site or app. Key metrics include:

• Engaged Sessions: Sessions where users actively interact for 10 seconds or more.

• Event Count: Tracks user actions like clicks, scrolls, and video plays.

• Pages and Screens: This shows which pages or screens are the most popular.

For instance, if you notice users are spending time on a specific blog post, consider creating similar content to keep them engaged.

6. Monitor Conversions

Conversions are critical for measuring success. GA4 allows you to track specific user actions, like:

• Form submissions

• Purchases

• Downloads

Head to the Events section and mark important events as conversions. This ensures you’re tracking what matters most to your business. For example, if you run an e-commerce store, tracking “add to cart” and “checkout completed” events can give you insight into your sales funnel.

7. Build Custom Reports in Explorer

The Explore feature lets you create custom reports to dive deeper into your data. Popular options include:

• Funnel Analysis: Map out the user journey to see where users drop off.

• Path Exploration: Trace the steps users take before and after a specific action, like a purchase.

• Segment Overlap: Analyze how different audience segments interact.

For example, you can build a funnel to see how many users visit your homepage, proceed to a product page, and complete a purchase. This helps you identify where users drop off and optimize those areas.

8. Leverage Predictive Insights

GA4’s machine learning capabilities provide predictive metrics, such as:

• Purchase Probability: The likelihood that users will make a purchase in the next 7 days.

• Churn Probability: The likelihood of users disengaging.

These insights allow you to proactively engage with users. For example, if the churn probability is high, you could launch a re-engagement email campaign.

9. Integrate GA4 with Other Tools

To maximize the potential of GA4, integrate it with other tools like:

• Google Ads: Measure the performance of your ad campaigns and track conversions.

• BigQuery: Perform advanced data analysis with large datasets.

• Google Search Console: Understand how your site performs in search results.

10. Use DebugView for Troubleshooting

The DebugView feature in GA4 is essential for testing and troubleshooting.

• Use it to ensure that events and conversions are being tracked correctly.

• This is especially useful when setting up custom events or implementing new tracking codes.

Conclusion

Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is a powerful tool for people who want to understand and enhance their online presence. GA4 has useful features like tracking across different platforms, focusing on events, and predicting trends. These tools help you understand what your audience wants and how they engage with your content.

You can make data-driven decisions to increase engagement, enhance campaigns, and improve the user experience overall by learning how to set it up and use its reports efficiently. If you are measuring conversions, improving SEO, or looking at marketing results, GA4 is the tool you need for success online.

Ready to take your analytics to the next level? Start exploring GA4 today!