Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is a free tool designed to track visits and interactions on websites and apps (IOS & Android). It offers valuable insights into traffic volume, user demographics, popular pages, and more.
As of July 1, 2023, GA4 officially replaced Universal Analytics (UA) and is now the default option for all new Google Analytics properties.
Why use GA4?
Google Analytics 4 (GA4) helps you understand your site visitors and potential customers by providing detailed data on their behavior and demographics.
This insight allows you to analyze user interactions, improve user experience, and tailor your strategies to meet their needs better.
GA4 vs its predecessor Universal Analytics (UA)
GA4 is designed to track both websites and mobile apps seamlessly, offering a unified cross-platform analysis. In contrast, UA is limited to website tracking, making GA4 more versatile for analytics needs.
Another difference is their measurement IDs: GA4 uses “G-” (e.g., G- ######), while UA starts with “UA-” (e.g., UA- ######).
4 Important Areas of Google Analytics
Who is looking at your website (The Audience)
How they got there (Traffic Acquisition)
What they are doing on your website (Behavior/ Engagement )
Conversion (Key Events)
How to Set Up Google Analytics 4
Setting up Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is essential to start collecting data. The process involves four simple steps:
Step 1. Create a GA4 Account
If you don’t have a GA4 account, go to Google Analytics and log in with your Google account. In the left sidebar, click the gear icon to access “Admin” settings. From there, select “+ Create Account” to set up your Google Analytics account.
(Skip this step if you already have a GA4 account.)
Step 2. Create a GA4 Property
A GA4 property is a data collection point for your website or app. To create one:
- Name your property in the “Property name” field (at least four characters long).
- Select your preferred time zone and currency for accurate reporting.
Step 3. Provide Business Details & Objectives
Fill in the “Industry category” and “Business size” fields. Then, choose at least one business objective, E.g. “Get baseline reports,” to receive general lifecycle reports or tailored analytics based on your selection. Finally, review and accept the terms of service to proceed.
Click for more info on the Default Report.
Step 4. Create a Data Stream (Data collection)
A data stream sends data from your website or app to your GA4 property. Here’s how to create one for a website:
- Click “Web” in the data stream options.
- Enter your domain in the “Website URL” field and name your data stream in the “Stream name” field.
- Click “Create stream.” You’ll see the measurement ID and other setup details.
- Once the data stream is created, the final step is installing GA4 on your website or app to begin tracking data.
Once your GA4 account and property are set up, the next step is to install it on your website.
How to Install GA4 on Your Website (3 methods)
There are three main methods to install Google Analytics 4 (GA4) on your website, depending on your setup:
Choose the method that best fits your website setup to ensure accurate data tracking.
Method 1. Install GA4 with Google Tag Manager (GTM)
This is the ideal method if Google Tag Manager is already installed on your website. GTM allows for seamless integration and easier management of tags without modifying your website’s code.
Method 2. Install GA4 Using Your CMS Integration
If your website is built with a platform like WordPress, Squarespace, or Wix, and you don’t have GTM installed, use the CMS’s built-in integration to set up GA4. Most website builders support native or third-party integrations for GA4.
If your CMS platform or plugin offers support for GA4, this tends to be the simplest method
Method 3. Install GA4 Manually
If your website lacks both GTM and CMS integration options, you can manually install GA4 by adding the tracking code directly into your website’s HTML. This method is best for websites that do not support native or third-party integrations.
Install GA4 with CMS Integration:
Some website builders or CMS, such as Squarespace and Wix, offer native GA4 integration. This means they include built-in functionality to connect your website to GA4 easily.
To set it up, simply navigate to the appropriate settings in your website builder and enter your GA4 property’s measurement ID.
For detailed instructions on installing GA4 using your website builder’s native integration, click the link below:
Installing GA4 on Wix website
If you’re using Wix, follow these steps to connect Google Analytics 4 (GA4):
1. Go to Marketing Integrations in your Wix dashboard.
2. Under Google Analytics, click Connect.
3. In the pop-up, click Connect Google Analytics.
4. Paste your GA4 Measurement ID.
5. (Optional) Tick the IP Anonymization checkbox to hide visitors’ IP addresses from Google.
6. Click Save to complete the setup.
Your Wix website is now integrated with GA4, and data collection will begin.
Install GA4 on WordPress website
For WordPress websites, you may use third-party plugins to install GA4 seamlessly. Many popular plugins are available, including:
1. Site Kit
Site Kit – Google’s official WordPress plugin.
Active Installation: 4M
Ratings: 4.2
Last update: 18 Nov 2024
2. GA Google Analytics
GA Google Analytics – Lightweight option for tracking GA data.
Active Installation: 500k
Ratings: 4.9
Last update: 2 Nov 2024
3. PixelYourSite
PixelYourSite – A versatile plugin for analytics and tracking.
Active Installation: 500k
Ratings: 4.3
Last update: 25 Nov 2024
4. MonsterInsights
MonsterInsights – A user-friendly analytics plugin for WordPress.
Active Installation: 3M
Ratings: 4.5
Last update: 13 Nov 2024
5. HFCM
HFCM (Header Footer Code Manager) – Ideal for adding custom tracking codes.
Active Installation: 600k
Ratings: 4.9
Last update: 30 Sep 2024
Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with or receiving any commission from the tools listed above. They are included here based on their popularity and recommendations from reliable sources.
Choose a plugin that suits your needs to integrate GA4 quickly and effectively into your WordPress site.
Why Track Site Traffic?
Tracking site traffic helps you understand how your website is performing and where improvements are needed.
-
Learn about your website visitors: Identify which pages are most popular so you can create more content your audience enjoys.
-
Evaluate your SEO efforts: Monitor organic (unpaid) traffic to see how well your site performs in search engines.
-
Spot areas for improvement: Find low-traffic pages and analyze why they’re underperforming, then optimize them.
-
Benchmark against competitors: Compare your traffic with similar websites to understand your position in the industry.
-
Measure campaign performance: See how many visitors your marketing campaigns (such as paid ads) actually bring to your site.
FAQs
GA4 hierarchy structure:
GA4 follows a simple three-level hierarchy: Account → Property → Data Stream.
The Account is the top-level and can contain multiple properties.
A Property represents a business, brand, or app ecosystem where all data is collected and analyzed.
Within each property, you create separate Data Streams (Web, iOS, Android) that send data into that property, allowing unified cross-platform reporting under one measurement framework.
What is data streams in GA4?
In GA4, data streams are the sources that send data into your property, such as a website, Android app, or iOS app. Each stream collects user interactions (like page views or events) and feeds them into one GA4 property so everything can be analyzed together.
What Is a Google Analytics Tracking ID?
A Google Analytics tracking ID is a unique identifier assigned to each website or app to ensure user activity data is sent to the correct Google Analytics property during setup.
In Google Analytics 4 (GA4), this tracking ID is called a Measurement ID and usually looks like G-XXXXXXX, where the letters and numbers are unique to your site.
The Measurement ID is also known as the Google tag and is used in the Google tag to manually install GA4 and start tracking user interactions.
What is the difference between Measurement ID and Stream ID in GA4?
The Measurement ID (starts with G-) is used to send data from your website or app to GA4, usually added to your site via Google Tag or GTM.
The Stream ID is an internal identifier used by GA4 to distinguish different data streams (web/app) within the same property and is primarily used for configuration and management, not for tracking code.
What is Google Tag?
Google Tag is a single tracking tag that lets you collect data for Google products like Google Analytics (GA4) and Google Ads without adding multiple tags to your website. It simplifies setup and management by sending data to different Google tools from one central tag.
gtag.js vs Google Tag Manager (GTM) Implementation
gtag.js is a direct implementation method where you install Google’s tracking code manually on your website and configure events within the site’s code.
Google Tag Manager (GTM) is a tag management system that allows you to deploy and manage GA4 tags, events, and other tracking scripts through a web-based interface — without modifying your website’s code each time.
In simple terms:
gtag.js = code-based implementation
GTM = interface-based tag management system
For most marketing teams, GTM provides more flexibility, version control, and scalability, especially when managing complex tracking setups.
Google Analytics vs Google Search Console: What's the differences?
Google Analytics 4 focuses on what users do on your website, such as sessions, events, engagement, and conversions across all traffic sources.
Google Search Console focuses on how your site performs in Google Search, showing impressions, clicks, queries, and rankings.
In short, GA4 explains on-site behavior, while GSC explains search performance before users arrive at your site.
What are some GA4 alternatives?
Several analytics tools can be used as alternatives or complements to Google Analytics 4, depending on your needs. Popular options include Microsoft Clarity (click and scroll heatmaps), Matomo (formerly Piwik), Mixpanel, Hotjar, and privacy-focused tools like Plausible Analytics and Fathom Analytics.
Other alternatives include Clicky, Heap, Woopra, GoSquared, Simple Analytics, Usermaven, and enterprise tools like Adobe Analytics.
Why consider an alternative to Google Analytics?
Some businesses look for alternatives to Google Analytics due to:
Steep learning curve.
Others have data privacy concerns, as Google may use collected data for advertising purposes, and some EU regulators have questioned GA’s automatic compliance with GDPR.
Additionally, most users do not receive direct customer support unless they are on the enterprise-level Analytics 360 or the Google Marketing Platform for ads.
What to look for in a Google Analytics alternative
-
Provides essential reports such as page views, traffic volume, and key events
-
Is easy to install and use, with a simple setup and an intuitive interface
-
Offers real-time reporting to support timely, data-driven decisions
-
Prioritizes privacy, with compliance to regulations like GDPR
-
Fits your use case, whether you need basic insights or advanced product and user behavior tracking