What Is GA4?
Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is simply a free instrumentality for search visits to websites and apps. It besides tracks interactions that hap connected these platforms.
This instrumentality provides insights into postulation numbers, personification demographics, most-visited pages, and more. Google developed GA4 and its predecessor, Universal Analytics (UA).
In this guide, we’ll explicate really GA4 differs from UA, really to group up GA4, and really to usage it to way your website’s performance.
How GA4 Tracking Differs from UA
UA was the earlier type of Google Analytics earlier Google launched GA4 successful October 2020.
GA4 differs from UA successful cardinal ways:
- User interactions: UA called personification interactions “hits,” pinch circumstantial deed types for page views, events, and different interactions. GA4 calls each personification interactions “events.”
- Google Analytics relationship structure: UA accounts could incorporate aggregate properties, which could past incorporate aggregate views for filtered information segments. GA4 accounts tin still incorporate aggregate properties, but they cannot incorporate views. Unlike UA properties, GA4 properties tin person aggregate information streams from websites and apps. UA properties tracked information from only 1 source.
Standard UA accounts stopped processing information connected July 1, 2023. If you want to way website capacity pinch Google Analytics, you request to group up GA4.
Further reading: Differences Between GA4 and UA
How to Set up GA4
Setting up GA4 involves 5 main steps:
- Create a GA4 Account
- Create a GA4 Property
- Provide Your Business Details
- Provide Your Business Objectives
- Create a Data Stream
1. Create a GA4 Account
You request a Google Analytics relationship to group up GA4. If you don’t already person one, spell tohttps://analytics.google.com/ and log successful to your Google account.
After logging in, click the cogwheel icon connected the near sidebar to entree the “Admin” settings.
On the Admin dashboard, click “+ Create” > “Account” to create your Google Analytics account.
Give your relationship a sanction successful the “Account name” field. Use the “Account Data Sharing Settings” to prime really you want to share your information pinch Google.
Click “Next” erstwhile you’re done.
2. Create a GA4 Property
A GA4 spot is simply a postulation of information from a website aliases app. A elemental spot illustration is 1 that has information from only a azygous website aliases app. If you person much precocious reporting needs, group up a spot that gathers data from aggregate sources.
To create a GA4 property, supply a sanction successful the “Property name” field. The sanction must incorporate astatine slightest 4 characters. Then, specify your preferred clip area and currency.
Click “Next.”
3. Provide Your Business Details
Fill retired the “Industry category” and “Business size” fields.
Click “Next.”
4. Provide Your Business Objectives
Select astatine slightest 1 business objective. GA4 uses these choices to tailor its default reports to meet your needs.
If you prime “Get baseline reports,” GA4 will supply reports covering the full customer life cycle alternatively of reports focused connected a azygous business objective.
Click “Create.”
Google Analytics’ position of work statement will appear. Adjust the state mounting if needed.
Review the agreement. If you accept, click “I Accept.”
5. Create a Data Stream
A data stream sends information from your website aliases app to your GA4 property. Creating a information watercourse depends connected whether your root is simply a website, iOS app, aliases Android app.
To create a information watercourse from a website, click “Web.”
Type your domain successful the “Website URL” field. Provide a sanction successful the “Stream name” field.
Then click “Create stream.”
A model will look showing your information stream’s measurement ID and different details.
Save the measurement ID location convenient. You whitethorn request it later.
After creating your website’s information stream, the adjacent measurement is to instal GA4 connected your website.
Further reading: This guide covers creating information streams for iOS and Android apps.
How to Install GA4 connected Your Website
Watch this video for an overview of the GA4 installation process connected a website:
Below, we’ll stock the steps for these 3 GA4 installation methods:
- Install GA4 pinch Google Tag Manager
- Install GA4 Using an Integration
- Install GA4 Manually
Use the first method if you person Google Tag Manager (GTM) connected your site.
Use the 2nd method if you utilized a website builder for illustration WordPress, Squarespace, aliases Wix and don’t person GTM.
If your website doesn’t person GTM and can’t merge pinch GA4, usage the 3rd method to instal GA4 manually.
Method 1: Install GA4 pinch Google Tag Manager
GTM is simply a level for adding codification snippets (called “tags”) to a website without nonstop codification edits. This includes tags for GA4.
If you want to usage this method but don’t person GTM installed, follow these steps to group it up first. You’ll create a “container” that holds tags and different modifications successful GTM.
Then, spell tohttps://tagmanager.google.com/ and log successful to your Google account.
Select your website’s GTM container.
Click “Add a caller tag” connected your container’s workspace overview.
Click “Untitled Tag” to sanction your tag, for illustration “GA4 Setup.”
Click anyplace successful the “Tag Configuration” panel.
From the “Choose tag type” window, prime “Google Tag.”
Fill retired the “Tag ID” section pinch your GA4 information stream’s measurement ID. If you haven’t saved it, learn really to find it here.
Adjust the tag’s configuration, shared event, and precocious settings if needed.
Click anyplace successful the “Triggering” sheet to specify erstwhile GTM should load the GA4 tag. That tag sends information from your website to GA4.
From the “Choose a trigger” window, prime “Initialization - All Pages.” This will load the GA4 tag earlier immoderate different tags.
Click “Save” to prevention your caller tag.
Next, trial your GA4 tag by clicking “Preview” connected the container’s workspace overview.
The Google Tag Assistant will unfastened successful a caller tab. Type your domain into the “Your website’s URL” section and click “Connect.”
Your website will unfastened successful a caller window. Leave it unfastened and return to Tag Assistant.
If Tag Assistant connects successfully, a “Connected!” model will appear. Click “Continue.”
In Tag Assistant, cheque the “Tags Fired” class successful the “Output of [your measurement ID]” panel. If you spot your GA4 tag there, GTM loaded it successfully.
Close Tag Assistant and your website. Then, click “Submit” successful the container’s workspace overview to finalize your GTM changes.
A “Submit Changes” model will appear.
Leave “Submission Configuration” arsenic “Publish and Create Version.” Then use:
- The “Version Name” section to sanction the caller type of your website (e.g., “GA4 installed”)
- The “Version Description” section to supply specifications of your changes
Click “Publish” to activate your GA4 installation.
Method 2: Install GA4 Using an Integration
Some website builders (like Squarespace and Wix) person autochthonal GA4 integration. They see built-in features to link a tract pinch GA4. You conscionable adhd your GA4 measurement ID.
Follow these guides to instal GA4 utilizing your website builder’s autochthonal integration:
- How to instal GA4 connected a Squarespace website
- How to instal GA4 connected a Wix website
WordPress doesn’t person autochthonal GA4 integration. Instead, usage a third-party plugin. Many are available, including Google’s Site Kit plugin, which we’ll show here.
Log successful to your WordPress admin dashboard and click “Plugins” > “Add New Plugin.”
On the “Add Plugins” page, type “site kit” into the hunt field.
Then, property “Enter” aliases “return” connected your keyboard to tally the search.
Look for “Site Kit by Google – Analytics, Search Console, AdSense, Speed.” Click “Install Now" to adhd the plugin.
Then click “Activate.”
You’ll spot a occurrence connection confirming Site Kit activation. Click “Start setup.”
On the setup screen, cheque the container that says “Connect Google Analytics arsenic portion of your setup,” past click “Sign successful pinch Google.”
Sign successful and assistance Site Kit entree to your Google relationship arsenic prompted.
Site Kit will guideline you done these 3 steps:
- Verifying ownership of your website
- Turning connected metrics successful Site Kit
- Setting up Google Search Console (GSC)
When you finish, you’ll spot a surface branded “Set up Google Analytics.” Click “Next” to instal GA4 connected your site.
On the “Connect Service” screen, usage the “Account,” “Property,” and “Web information stream” drop-downs to prime the GA4 account, property, and data stream you created.
Then click “Configure Analytics.”
A occurrence connection will corroborate GA4 is installed connected your website.
Method 3: Install GA4 Manually
To instal GA4 manually, spell to the “Web watercourse details”window for your website’s information watercourse successful GA4. Click “Admin” successful the near sidebar.
Under “Property settings,” prime “Data postulation and modification” > “Data streams.”
Click your website’s information stream.
In the “Web watercourse details” window, scroll down and prime “View tag instructions.”
Click “Install manually.”
A codification snippet will appear. Copy it utilizing the clipboard icon.
Paste the snippet into each page’s HTML, instantly aft the opening <head> tag.
Save your changes.
How to Track Events pinch GA4
UA treated “events” arsenic circumstantial personification interactions (excluding page loads). GA4 considers all interactions arsenic “events.”
GA4 events examples include:
- Page loads
- First visits
- Form submissions
- Adding items to a shopping cart
To spot events successful GA4, click “Reports” successful the near sidebar.
Then click “Engagement” > “Events.”
You’ll spot a database of events GA4 detected for a circumstantial day range.
Each arena introduction shows:
- Event count: Total triggers of that event
- Total users: Unique users who triggered the event
- Event count per user: Average triggers per user
- Total revenue: Total gross the arena generated
Click the day scope astatine the apical to alteration the arena reporting clip frame.
Click immoderate arena successful the study to get event-specific metrics like:
- Event count by country
- Event count by gender
- Events per session
For example, here’s the user_engagement arena report:
You tin besides create an “Exploration” (an precocious civilization report) for definite events.
Further reading: How to Create a Custom GA4 Events Exploration
How to Track Conversions pinch GA4
A conversion is an arena that fulfills a business goal. Examples include:
- A merchandise objection booking
- An bid placement
- A record download
GA4 doesn’t supply default conversion events, truthful you must set them up yourself to lucifer your goals. GA4 will past grounds them arsenic they occur.
To position conversions, click “Reports” successful the near sidebar.
Then click “Engagement” > “Conversions.”
For immoderate fixed day range, you’ll see:
- Conversions: The number of times the conversion arena occurred
- Total users: How galore unsocial users converted
- Total revenue: Revenue earned from that event
Use the Conversions metric successful different GA4 reports to way conversions by postulation source, page, aliases different attributes. For example, successful the Pages and screens report, you tin spot really galore conversions occurred connected each page.
Click the “All events” drop-down nether the Conversion metric to spot results for circumstantial conversion events.
How to Import Data to GA4
You tin import information from different sources (like CRM tools) into GA4. This centralizes your information truthful you tin analyse it each successful 1 platform.
Data you tin import includes:
- Ad costs data
- Item data
- User ID data
- Client ID data
- Offline arena data
You tin import information manually pinch a CSV file, aliases you tin schedule regular imports from a CSV record connected an SFTP server.
To do this, click “Admin” successful the near sidebar.
Under “Property settings,” prime “Data postulation and modification” > “Data import.”
Click “Create information source.”
Give the information root a descriptive sanction and prime the information type you’re importing.
Scroll down and take your import source.
If your import root is simply a CSV file, click “Upload CSV” to upload the file. If you’re utilizing an SFTP server, move the import root to “SFTP,” capable retired your server details, and group up the import schedule.
Click “Next.”
Map the information fields from your root to GA4’s fields.
Click “Import.”
The import will commencement correct away.
If you’re importing from SFTP, click the pencil icon to rename your import fields to lucifer the CSV.
Then click “Create & make key.”
GA4 will nutrient a nationalist cardinal to authorize the relationship to your SFTP server. Copy this cardinal and adhd it to your server settings.
GA4 will import your information according to the schedule you set. Then you tin analyse information from GA4 and different sources together.
Types of Analyses successful GA4
GA4 tin thief you analyze:
- Number of users who visited your website. You tin spot trends complete clip by adjusting the day range.
- Demographics of your website visitors. Includes country, city, language, gender, and interests.
- Most celebrated pages. Includes really good they thrust conversions.
- Events happening connected your website
- Conversions connected your website
- Top postulation sources. Tracks integrated search, email, referrals, and nonstop visits.
- Devices users usage to sojourn your website. Distinguishes desktop vs. mobile and moreover operating systems and browsers.
- Purchase journeys. Tracks from the commencement of a convention to the viewing of a merchandise to the checkout, and highlights wherever users driblet disconnected successful the acquisition funnel.
Use these findings to measure really good your website increases marque awareness, grows your customer base, and drives sales.
If you request easier-to-read reports, AI Narratives for GA4 tin help. It uses your GA4 information to present straightforward reports connected page views, conversions, revenue, and more, on pinch recommendations for improvements.
AI Narratives for GA4 tin besides nonstop automated email reports and notify you of different postulation changes.
Consider connecting GA4 pinch different devices for deeper insights. For example, Semrush’s Organic Traffic Insights integrates pinch GA4 and GSC to show keyword, user, and convention information from those devices and from Semrush’s ain database for your landing pages.
It tin besides uncover which keywords thrust postulation to your pages—even if GA4 labels them arsenic “(not provided).” Then it shows your ranking positions and stock of postulation for those keywords.
Get Started pinch GA4
Setting up GA4 requires immoderate first steps, but the free information connected website capacity makes it worthwhile.
To heighten your GA4 experience, usage AI Narratives for GA4 and Organic Traffic Insights. These devices tin enrich your GA4 reports pinch recommended adjacent steps and connection a broader position of your hunt rankings.
Try some for free pinch a Semrush account.
FAQs
How Do I Get Access to GA4?
To get entree to GA4, motion up for a Google account, past create a Google Analytics account. Follow GA4’s onboarding steps. If you’re installing GA4 connected a site, usage GTM, a GA4 integration, aliases manually adhd the GA4 snippet to your webpages.
What Is the Best Practice for a GA4 Setup?
Google recommends nary much than 3 information streams (one for a website, 1 for iOS, and 1 for Android) per GA4 property. For aggregate websites aliases apps, group up aggregate GA4 properties if your information measurement objectives require them.
How Much Does It Cost to Set up GA4?
GA4 is free to group up. You whitethorn incur costs if you usage paid third-party devices aliases integrations. For example, if you person a Semrush account, you tin usage AI Narratives for GA4 for free for 7 days, past salary $39/month afterward.
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