Getting Started with Google Analytics 4: The Basics
Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is the latest version of Google’s analytics platform. It comes with many new features and improvements over Universal Analytics. If you’re new to GA4, here are some of the basic things you need to set up:
1. Create a GA4 Property
The first step is to create a new GA4 property for your website or app. You can do this by going to the Admin section in your Analytics account and clicking “Create Property”. Give your property a name and select your timezone and currency.
2. Install the Tracking Code
Once your property is created, you need to add the GA4 tracking code to your website or app. This can be done by copying the measurement ID from your GA4 property and inserting the tracking code on every page you want to track. The easiest way is to add it before the closing </head> tag.
3. Set Up Events Tracking
Event tracking allows you to see how users interact with specific elements on your site, like buttons, links, or forms. To enable this, you need to add onClick or other event handlers to HTML elements and call the gtag('event') function. This lets you track when these interactions occur.
4. Enable Enhanced Measurement
Enhanced measurement improves the accuracy of your analytics data by using machine learning to better understand user interactions. Make sure to enable this under your GA4 property settings.
5. Link to Other Tools
Connect your GA4 property to other tools like Google Ads, Google Tag Manager, and Google Optimize for expanded capabilities. This allows you to unlock more powerful features.
Setting up these basics in GA4 will give you a solid foundation for tracking important website metrics. As you get familiar with GA4, you can enable more advanced features like custom metrics, custom dimensions, and audience reporting.
