Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is the latest version of Google Analytics, and it consists of several enhancements that can provide admins with in-depth insight into a website or app’s traffic, engagement, and overall performance levels.

Whether you are new to collecting data, or you’ve migrated from Universal Analytics and are ready to hit the ground running, this guide can be a compass to get you from start to finish.

Getting Started With Google Analytics 4

The world runs on data. It is the backbone of a successful organization’s decision-making process. With Google Analytics 4, businesses get a first-class glance into user behavior, trends, and essential touchpoints in the customer journey that can empower more data-driven decisions.

While this guide was written for anyone interested in harnessing the power of GA4, there are two kinds of people who may especially find it helpful:

1. People who have used Universal Analytics in the past and are in the process of migrating to Google Analytics 4.

Property No Longer Processing Data - GA4

2. People who are new to the world of data collection and are ready to hit the ground running.

To get started, the very first step required would be to set up a Google Analytics account, or log in to your existing account. If you don’t have one yet, please visit analytics.google.com for more information.

Your account may consist of a multitude of properties that will be managed by your company or organization. In GA4, each property contains a group of user data, which is being collected from either a website, or an app.

1. Collecting and Processing Data

Before you can begin to collect and process data from your website, or app, a property must be created.

Properties are areas in Google Analytics 4 that will house the data collected from your website or app. In Google Analytics 4, a property can be created by clicking the Admin button (in the lower-left corner of your dashboard), then Create. The Create button will trigger a dropdown menu, enabling you to create a new account or property.

Admin → Create → Property

After setting up a property, there is one more step required before information will begin to appear in your dashboard. To collect and process data, a tag must be added.

A tag is code inserted into the backend of your website, or app to track and measure user behavior. Tags work to communicate information from your website directly to your GA4 dashboard.

There are two ways a tag can be installed on your website:

Manually. Google Analytics 4 will provide you with a .js code to insert after the <head> tag of every page of your HTML website, or the header.php file of your WordPress website.

Google Tag Manager. This is a tag management system (TMS) that enables users to incorporate tags on their website, without having to add bulky code. For more information, read our step-by-step guide on how to set up Google Analytics 4 using Google Tag Manager.

One of the main advantages of manually installing a Google tag is that it generally will not require additional programs or plugins to achieve. However, if you aren’t as confident in your coding skills, Google Tag Manager could help simplify this process tremendously.

Check Out Our Google Tag Manager Tutorials:

💡Did You Know: A Google Analytics 4 account can consist of up to 2,000 properties.

2. Data Streams

One of the biggest differences between Universal Analytics and Google Analytics 4 is the introduction of data streams. Data streams refer to the flow of data that GA4 receives from a website or an app. Unlike Universal Analytics, Google Analytics 4 properties include data streams. GA4 has three different types of data streams that are designed to collect data from these three devices:

A website
An iOS app
An Android app

In Universal Analytics (UA), two separate properties had to be created for an app and website. With GA4, properties can contain up to three different data stream types, making it easier to house relevant data in a more organized way.

💡Did You Know: Google Analytics 4 properties can contain up to 50 data streams (with a limit of 30 app data streams).

3. Setting Up Event Parameters

Event parameters may not be a new concept, but GA4 has taken a new approach to it that gives admins more flexibility than before. Event parameters are data bits that can provide admins with additional insight into user interactions.

These parameters can be set up for recommended events and custom events.

Custom Events. Captures unique data that will be valuable for your business.

Recommended Events. Collects essential data that Google recommends for admins to monitor. Since they are not automatically configured, it will require the admin to set these events up, so a stream of data can appear.

Default Parameters. These event parameters will be automatically collected for every event in GA4 (including custom events):

language. The preferred language of the user.
page_location. The URL on your site where the event took place.
page_referrer. The URL that a user was initially on before engaging with yours.
page_title. The title tag of the webpage.
screen_resolution. The dimensions a user views your site on.

Visit support.google.com for a full list of default parameters in Google Analytics 4.

To customize event parameters, access to your website’s source code is required. Once you’ve gained the proper permissions, you can begin creating custom events using your own event parameters of choice.

Event parameters are added using key-value pairs, where the value inserted on the left of the pair represents the parameter, and the value inserted on the right represents the value of the parameter.

Below is an example provided by Google that can help shed more insight into this concept:

gtag("event", "level_end", {

  level_name: "The journey begins...",

  success: true

});

In the example above, _level_name refers to the name of the last level reached, and success refers to whether the level has been completed.

💡Did You Know: In Google Analytics 4, up to 25 event parameters can be added to a single event.

Noteworthy Differences Between Google Analytics 4 and Universal Analytics

When making the transition from Universal Analytics to Google Analytics 4, you can expect more than navigating the new interface to be on your list of learning curves. Below are some of the most noticeable differences you may come across in GA4.

Universal Analytics vs. Google Analytics 4

Universal Analytics	Google Analytics 4
Session-based data model	Event-based data model
Properties	Properties and data streams
Measures goals	Measures conversion events
Hits	Events
Total users	Active users
Less user anonymity	More user anonymity

Audiences in Google Analytics 4

4. Audiences and Segments

GA4 has an Audiences section, which allows admins to segment users based on custom factors that are relevant to their business. An audience can be segmented by events, dimensions, or metrics that apply to an exclusive group of users.

Check out the Audiences section at:

Admin → Audiences

5. Creating Custom Segments

Custom segments enable admins to look closely at a subset of data. To create a custom segment:

Click Explore on the Google Analytics 4 menu.
Create a New Exploration (Blank).
Add an Exploration Name.
Click the plus icon on the Segment section to add a Segment.
Under the Create a Custom Segment section, click Event segment.
Name this segment and add a description.
In the Include Events when section, add a new condition and select all options that apply.
Click the blue Save and Apply button in the upper-right corner of your dashboard

💡Did You Know: Google Analytics 4 allows admins to create a limit of 100 audiences.

All About Conversions

6. Event Tracking & Conversions

In Universal Analytics, we measured goals, and GA4 has replaced this metric with conversion events. When a user interacts with your website in a way that aligns with the goals and objectives your business has set, it is considered a conversion. To measure a conversion, first, a custom event must be created. Then, it must be marked as a conversion in GA4.

7. Marking Conversions

Any time a user engages with your website, or app, Google Analytics 4 considers it an event. One of the major differences between an event and a conversion is events can be any action, while conversions are actions that have been identified as essential to your business.

To mark an existing event as a conversion:

Click the Admin button, located in the lower-left corner of the Google Analytics 4 menu
Under the Data display section, click Events.
Toggle the Mark as Conversion setting to on for the appropriate event (it should be a shade of blue).

For additional information on marking an existing event as a conversion, please refer to our screenshots below, which highlight the process step by step.

To Mark An Event as Conversion Cont'd - GA4

In Google Analytics 4, there are two types of conversion rates available: user conversion rates and session conversion rates.

1. User Conversion Rate. This percentage measures the number of users that triggered a conversion event. If events have previously been marked as conversions or you have set up conversion tracking, the conversion rate metric should automatically be available.

The formula to calculate the user conversion rate is as follows:

User Conversion Rate = Number of users who triggered a conversion during a specific time period/Total number of users recorded in the same time period.

2. Session Conversion Rate. This percentage measures the percentage of sessions that triggered a conversion event.

The formula to calculate the session conversion rate is as follows:

Session Conversion Rate = Number of sessions that triggered a conversion during a specific time period/Total number of sessions in the same time period.

💡Did You Know: Up to 30 events can be marked as conversions in Google Analytics 4.

Frequently Asked Questions About Google Analytics 4 (GA4)

1. What is Google Analytics 4 used for?

GA4 is changing the way we collect data to provide us with a bird’s-eye view of the customer journey, which helps us better:

Understand how users are engaging with your website or app
Determine the effectiveness of your content and marketing campaigns
Pinpoint content that is the most effective at helping accomplish business goals
Identify how online users are discovering your website or app

2. What happened to Universal Analytics?

Google has been phasing out Universal Analytics, and encouraging users to migrate to Google Analytics 4. On July 1, 2023, Universal Analytics properties completely discontinued the processing of data. By July 1, 2024, Google plans to completely wipe out the interface and prohibit access to its API.

To be safe, Google recommends admins completely migrate from Universal Analytics to Google Analytics 4 by March 2024.

3. What is the difference between Google Analytics 4 and Universal Analytics?

Google Analytics 4 and Universal Analytics both have similar functions, but there are a few ways these two platforms may differ, as well. For starters, Google Analytics 4 is an updated version of Google’s UA product, with a new interface containing several new features and enhancements.

Some noteworthy features include, data streams, audience segmentation, and predictive metrics.

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Caressa Losier

Caressa brings five years of experience as a content writer and over two years of digital marketing experience to Dagmar. Her responsibilities include optimizing content for SEO and creating robust data-driven strategies that are critical to the success of our digital content.

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