The Ultimate Guide to Google Analytics GA4 Setup for Beginners
Updated as of: 11/8/24
Imagine having the ability to analyze your website performance like a detective – uncover visitor insights, decode user behavior patterns, and gain info about what channels are bringing you the most traffic.
Google Analytics gives you all that insight and more. It’s an indispensable website tracking tool that provides valuable insights into customer behavior and website functionality.
In this blog post, we'll explore what Google Analytics is, why it's important for your online business, and how to set it up step-by-step.
No tech guru skills required – it’s as simple as following a few steps and making a few clicks.
What is Google Analytics?
Google Analytics, or GA, is a website tracking tool used to analyze data and gain insights into customer behavior and website functionality. Over the past 17 years of its existence, it has evolved significantly, continually providing businesses with data to make informed decisions.
The most recent version, Google Analytics 4, or GA4, offers cutting-edge features to help you understand your online presence better while also adhering to the more strict privacy guidelines that have been released over the last decade – ensuring that your data is handled with the utmost care and compliance.
Why It's Important
Setting up Google Analytics 4 should be one of the first things you do when establishing an online business. It starts pulling in data from the day you set it up, allowing you to gain an overview of your website's performance over time. This data empowers businesses to make informed decisions, optimize their websites, and tailor their strategies based on customer actions and interests.
Key Insights from Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
After setting up your Google Analytics 4 account (see the section below on how to do this) and waiting for the data to populate, you can gain valuable insights, including:
Pageviews: Identify which pages are the most popular and generate the most traffic, enabling you to focus your efforts on high-performing content.
Channels: Discover which channels are bringing you the most traffic, whether it's organic search, social media, or somewhere else, helping you refine your marketing strategy.
Demographics: Gain insights into your audience's location and characteristics to tailor your content and targeting accordingly.
Devices: Understand which platforms, device categories, operating systems, and browsers users are accessing your website with, ensuring a seamless user experience.
Why Use Google Analytics 4
There are several compelling reasons to use GA4:
It's Free: Google Analytics 4 is a powerful tool that doesn't cost a dime, making it accessible for businesses of all sizes.
Simple Setup: Setting up Google Analytics 4 is straightforward, even for beginners, allowing you to start collecting data quickly.
Data-Driven Decisions: Instead of relying on assumptions, Google Analytics helps you make data-driven decisions so you can optimize your website’s performance.
Integration with Google Business Tools: Google Analytics 4 seamlessly integrates with other valuable Google tools, such as Google Tag Manager, Google Search Console, Google Looker Studio, and Google Ads. These tools provide additional layers of insight and functionality for your online business. Those blogs are for another day!
GA4 Step-by-Step Setup
Now, let's walk through the step-by-step process of setting up Google Analytics 4 and connecting it to Squarespace:
1. Create a Google Analytics 4 Account
+ Begin by creating a Google Analytics 4 account, going to the link here, and clicking the blue Start measuring button. If you don't have a Google account, you'll need to create one first.
+ Account creation: Enter an Account name and check the boxes for the Account Data Sharing Settings that follow your terms/compliance and privacy for your business and click the blue Next button.
+ Property creation: Create a Property, this name can be changed later, but we suggest: GA4 -“Business Name” - All Website Data (i.e. GA4 - H+Co - All Website Data). Select your timezone and currency, then click the blue Next button.
+ Business details: Complete the Business details, then click the blue Next button.
+ Business objectives: Choose your business objectives, then click the blue Create button. You will see a pop-up that requires you to read the Google Analytics Terms of Service Agreement and agree to accept the Data Processing Terms as required by GDPR. Then click the I Accept button.
· If you checked the “Google products & services” box at the beginning under Account Data Sharing Settings, you must also agree to the Google Measurement Controller-Controller Data Protection Terms.
2. Start collecting data
+ Under the Choose a platform section, select Web. This is where you will set up your data stream.
+ Enter your website URL, name the stream “Website”, and make sure Enhanced measurement is turned on. Then click the blue button Create & continue
+ Choose how to set up a Google tag, click Show more options, select Install with Squarespace, click the blue Next button, and follow the Installation instructions.
· Important note: depending on the plan you have with Squarespace, the Google Instructions may not match what you see. If the Google instructions don’t work, go to your Squarespace dashboard, then go to Settings > Developer Tools > External API Keys and paste the tag ID (G-XXXXXXXXXX) into the Google Analytics section, and click Save.
· If you are using a different website building/hosting tool, follow the Google instructions on how to add the tag to your website
· The “tag ID” in the above screenshot and the “MEASUREMENT ID” are the same. The format will be G-XXXXXXXXXX.
· Now go back into your Google Analytics, and click the blue Test installation button
Congratulations! You just created a Google Analytics 4 account AND connected it to your website! Give the tool some time (at least 24 hours) to start pulling in data.
How to Configure GA4
On the homepage of GA4, click the gear icon in the bottom left corner. Under Data collection and modification select Data streams, select Website, scroll down, and make sure that Manage connected site tags has 0 connected.
If you have other website pages, (for example cart.hoffbeck.co or schedule.hoffbeck.co), because it’s different than hoffbeck.co, we need to make a note in the tool to also track the traffic on that other URL. This is common with e-commerce or scheduling websites. To do this, under the same data streams section, click into Configure tag settings, and click Configure your domains. Click Add condition, add the additional domains here, and save.
Back in the Data collection and modification section, click Data Retention. By default, the Event data is set to 2 months, and User data is set to 14 months, which means the event data will be gone after 2 months, and the user data will be gone after 14 months. These controls don’t affect most standard reporting, which is based on aggregated data. Later on, if you were to build a more detailed report, these timelines would come into play. (To learn more about this, see Google’s Data Retention Article). If your compliance policies allow, change the Event data to 14 months. Keep in mind when the user comes back, the clock starts over.
You took the first steps towards harnessing the power of Google Analytics 4 for your online business. By following our step-by-step guide, you've laid a solid foundation for gathering valuable insights into your website's performance.
Remember that data is a valuable asset in the digital landscape, and Google Analytics 4 is your gateway to unlocking its potential. With the right data, you can make informed decisions, optimize your strategies, and drive your online business to new heights.
If you ever find yourself in need of assistance with setting up your GA4 account or navigating the intricacies of data analytics, let’s talk. Our team is here to help you make the most of your online presence.
HELPFUL NOTE:
After you go through these steps, you are set to start pulling in data, but you may receive a prompt or notification to finish setup with the Setup Assistant. All the steps may look overwhelming, so we wrote Part 2 of the GA4 setup blog, How to Complete Setup for GA4 and Remove the Red Notification Bar, which will walk you through each step of finishing the setup correctly!
More soon,
Jessica
MARKETING + OFFICE COORDINATOR
P.S.
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