05 Aug
Are you confused about switching Google Analytics to GA4?
So, read carefully till the end.
As because this guide will surely help you in clearing all your doubts and getting started.
So let’s start with the tool that you are probably familiar with.
Yeah, you are right.
We are going to discuss Google Analytics first.
Table of Contents Google Analytics
Google Analytics
First, let’s start our topic with what Google Analytics is.
So,
“Google Analytics is a free website tracking and analyzing tool that website owner should have to analyze its performance.”
Configuring Google analytics is a key to understanding:
- Who visits your website
- What content are they looking towards you
- The behavior of your website visitors.
Why choose Google analytics?
More than 10 million marketers around the Globe are using google analytics to measure the effectiveness of their property in real-time (Website). This means Google Analytics is helping over 10 million businesses, from eminent marketers to small blog owners, to get the most out of the Web. Let’s give you a quick shot at a few of its benefits:- Get Updated with:
- The overall amount of traffic your site gets
- Traffic from different websites
- The traffic of an individual website
- Total number of conversions
- Websites where your leads came from
- Demographic info
- Gadget information that your visitors use
How to set up your own Google Analytics account (In a few steps)
Setting up an account is a little tricky, but once you install Google analytics, you will gain access to tons of information regarding your website in a simple format. To install google analytics, follow these steps: Step#1: Setup google tag manager Step#2: Create your account on google analytics Step#3: Setup analytics tag with Google tag manager Step#4: Set up your goals Step#5: Link to Google Search Console. That’s it. Now let’s jump to the detailing of each step. Starting fromStep#1: Setup google tag manager
If you are new to Google Analytics, you must think, “What is Google Tag Manager?” The way it works is quite simple. “Google Tag Manager takes all the data from your website and sends it to different platforms like Facebook Analytics and Google Analytics.” The Google Tag Manager removes your headache, allowing you to update and add tags to your UA (Google Analytics) account, so you don’t have to write code manually on the back end. You must create an account on the Google Tag Manager dashboard to enable it.
Enter the name you want to give your account in the “Account Name” space.
Then set up a container that contains all the “macros, rules, and tags” for your site, according to Google.
Give a descriptive name to your container and select the type of content it’ll be linked with, like Web, iOS, Android, or AMP.
Once you set it up, click on create, review the terms of services, and click agree if you want to continue.
This container’s installation code snippet will be seen on your screen.
When you set up your account on Google Analytics, You came to know “What is Google Tag Manager?”
The way it works is quite simple.
“Google Tag Manager takes all the data from your website and sends it to different platforms like Facebook Analytics and Google Analytics.”
The Google Tag Manager removes your headache, allowing you to update and add tags to your UA (Google Analytics) account, so you don’t have to write code manually on the back end.
You must create an account on the Google Tag Manager dashboard to enable it.
Enter the name you want to give your account in the “Account Name” space.
Then set up a container that contains all the “macros, rules, and tags” for your site, according to Google.
If you are confused about the purpose of this code,
So don’t get confused. It is the code you must paste into your website’s back end to manage your tags.Â
To do that, copy and paste the code snippet to every website page.
As the instructions say, you’ll need to paste the first one in the header and the second one after the opening of the body.
Are you using WordPress? If so, then perfect!
You can easily do this by pasting these two codes into your WordPress theme.
And that’s it.
Now moving to step#2
Step#2: Create your account on google analytics
Like Google Tag Manager, you must create a Google Analytics account by signing up on the Google Analytics page.
Now for this section.
Enter your account and website name.
And URL in the given spaces.
Don’t forget to enter your website’s industry category and the time zone you want reporting to be in.
Once you’ve filled in all the required information, accept the terms and services to get your tracking ID.
Note: Don’t share the tracking ID with anyone.
Step#3: Setup analytics tag with Google tag manager
This section will tell you how to set up your website’s Google Analytics tracking tag.
Open the Google Tag Manager dashboard and click the “Add a new tag” button.
After clicking, it will take you to a page where you can create a website tag. Here, you will see that you can customize two areas of your identification:
Configuration: where the tag data will go
Triggering: what type of data do you want to collect?
To choose the tag type you want to create, click on the tag configuration button.
If you are going to create a tag for Universal Analytics, aka Google Analytics,
After clicking it, you can choose the data you want to track.
After choosing it, go to Google Analytic Settings and select the “New VariableâĶ” from the dropdown menu.
After choosing a new variable from a dropdown menu, it will take you to a new window where you can put your Google Analytics tracking ID.
This will send your website’s data directly into Google Analytics, where you can see it later.
As we have told you earlier, that triggering section contains all the data you want to collect.
So, once you have entered your tracking id, head to the “Triggering” section to collect the data you are willing to get.
As with the “configuration,” click on the “triggering” button to be sent to the “Choose a trigger” page.Â
Click on the all page from here, so it sends data from all your web pages.
When you’re done with what we just said, your new tag setup will appear like this.
Now click on Save; you have a new Google Tag Tracking, which will send data to your Google Analytics account page.
But we are not done yet, though.Â
Now in step 4, you will need to set your goals.
Step#4: Set up your goals
You have to set goals on your Google Analytics dashboard to tell Google what success looks like for your website.
You can set your goals by clicking on the Admin Button in the bottom left corner.
After clicking the Admin button, a new window will open where the “Goals” button is present.
Clicking on the Goals button will take you to the Goals dashboard, where you can set your new goal.
Here you can select the goal that matches your intended purpose.
It includes:
- Destination:Â If your goal was to land your user on a specific web page, then choose this one.
- Duration:Â If your goal was to make users spend a specific amount of time on your site.
- Pages/screens per session:Â If your goal was to have users go on a specific number of pages.
- Event. If your goal was to make users play a video or click on a link.
Among all the goals mentioned above, choose your plan wisely.
Step#5: Link to Google Search Console.
If you don’t know about the Google search console,
So,
“Google Search Console is a useful tool that helps marketers gain valuable search metrics and data.“
With the Google search console, you can:
- Check the search crawl rate of your website
- Check when google analyzes your website
- Find out which pages link to your website externally and internally
- Look at the keywords you rank on the Google search engine.
So let’s move toward its setup…
To set the Google search console, click on the Gear icon at the left left-hand corner of the main dashboard.
Then click on the Property settings present in the middle column.
Then scroll down a little and click on the Adjust search console.
You can initiate adding your website to the Google search console.
Once you are redirected to this page, click on add a site to the search console button at the bottom.
You can add a new website to the Google search console on this page.
Enter your website’s name and click add.
Follow the directions to add the HTML code to your site. Once you add it, click save.
You will then be redirected to Google Analytics!
And remember, your data won’t appear soon after you add code to your site but check back later to check your google search console data.
After following the preceding steps, we are sure that you can easily set up your Google Analytics account.
Now, you are done with Universal Analytics, aka Google Analytics or GA.
Let’s move to the next generation of Google Analytics, known as Google Analytics 4 or GA4.
GOOGLE ANALYTICS 4
What’s interesting about it is that you can use GA4 for a website, an app, or both together. It’s ultimately up to you which path to take.
GA4 provides excellent performance using machine learning models to track the latest market trends and customer behavior across devices and platforms.
Their policy ensures you can enjoy better ROI for your long-term marketing plans.
This section will discuss creating a new GA4 account, upgrading to a new GA4 version, and many more.
So, continue reading because you don’t want your competitors to stay ahead of you.
How to create an account on Google analytics 4?
Step 1: Visit https://analytics.google.com/analytics/ after signing in to your Google account. Step 2: Click the “Start Measuring” button after opening the above link.
Step 3:Â You must mention your account name in this section (usually, the company name is entered).
Click next after filling in the company name.
Step 4: Enter your property name in this section and select your “reporting time zone” and “currency.”
Step 5: To make a property of Universal analytics along with GA 4 property, click on the “Show Advanced options.”
Step 6:Â Switch on the toggle; it will turn bright blue in color after switching it.
Now enter your website URL in the given section and select the option which property you want to create.
Click next after selecting your desired option.
Step 7: Provide your business details in “About your business” by selecting the appropriate option relevant to your business, like your business category, its size, and how you want to use Google analytics with your business.
Click on create after choosing the appropriate options for your business to develop GA4 property under the new Google Analytics account.
Step 8: Accept the Data processing terms by checking or choosing the relevant boxes.
Now click on “I accept” if you want to proceed.
Step 9: After accepting the terms, it will land you on the “Web Stream Details” screen, where you can find the Measurement Id in the right corner of the top screen.
Kudos! You are now in line with your competitors.
Now for those who want to upgrade Universal analytics property to GA4 property.
So stay with us.
How to upgrade to GA4 from the existing Universal analytics property?
Follow these steps to upgrade your existing Universal Analytics property. Step 1: Click on “Admin“
Step 2: By clicking Admin, it will land you on the Admin console of Universal analytics property. You can click “GA4 Setup Assistant” under the “Property” column.
Step 3: Now click on “Get started.”
Note:Â Make sure to select the correct account under the account column.
Step 4: After clicking on get started; here, click on “Create property.”
Step 5: Once you click on Create property, it will take you to the following screen, where you can see the property message with the property ID.
Now click on “See your GA4 property,” and you will land on the “SETUP ASSISTANT” screen.
Here click the arrow (>) under “TAG Installation” to go to the “Data Streams” Screen.
Step 6:Â After clicking the arrow under Tag installation to go to the Data streams screen, once the data streams screen is open.
Click the arrow under the “Data stream” screen, and it will land you on “Web Stream Details.“
Step 7: You will find a Measurement Id for the GA4 property in the top right corner, On the “Web Stream details” page.
Congratulations!! You have successfully upgraded your property to GA4.
How to add GA4 tracking code to your website (without using Google Tag manager)
This section is for those not interested in using google tag manager to insert tracking code on their website. For doing this, we have three options. Option One: Connect your measurement Id to the existing UA property. Option two: Add a new ‘Configuration’ directive to your website’s existing code. Option three: in this option, you only have to copy and paste the GA4 tracking code script in the <head> section. Now we will go into detail on what to do with each option.1. Connect your measurement Id to existing UA property.
To do this, you need to connect the GA4 Measurement Id under the Universal Analytics property in the tracking code under the “Tracking info” property column of the Google Analytics admin section. Step 1: Click “Admin“
Step 2: Click “Data Streams” and select “web.”
Now click the arrow (>) under “Data Streams,” and it will lead you to the “Web stream Details” page.
Step 3:Â Copy this GA4 measurement ID at the top right corner.
Step 4:Â Go back to your existing UA property, then click on Admin >> Tracking info>>Tracking code.
Step 5: Scroll down a little; here, you will find a “Connected site tags” option. Now click on this option.
Step 6:Â Paste the measurement ID you created earlier in step 3.
Then click on “Connect” after clicking on it, Your Universal Analytics and GA4 property will be linked.
2. Add a new ‘configuration’ directive to your website’s existing code.
If you already have a (gtag.js) analytics code on your website and are willing to add a GA4 measurement Id to your site, then you can choose this option.
Gtag.js analytics code usually looks like this on the source page of your site.
Add “Config” directive having Google analytics 4 property “Measurement Id” After line 8 in the above-mentioned gtag.js code.
Once you add your “config” directive having GA4 property “Measurement Id,” it will look as below:
a. Copy and paste the Google Analytics 4 tracking code script in the <head> section.
Follow these steps to copy and paste the GA4 tracking code.
Step 1: Click on the “ADMIN” in the bottom left corner.
Step 2:Â Now click on the “Data streams” and select the “Web” menu.
After selecting Web, click on the arrow (>) under “Data Stream” to go to the “Web Stream Details” page.
Step 3: Click on “Add new on-page Tag” under the “Tagging instructions” tab. Then you will find a âGlobal site tag (gtag.js) > Tagging instructions>> Add new on-page tag>>> Global site tag (gtaj.js)
Step 4:Â After copying this code and paste it into the <head> of any webpage you want to measure.
How to add GA4 tracking code to your website with google tag manager.
This one is for those who have no issue using Google tag manager.
So, keep reading till the end.
Google tag manager can support two tags of GA4.
- Google Analytics: GA4 configuration
- Google Analytics: GA4 event
By following the steps mentioned below, you can implement Google Analytics 4 using Google tag manager.
Step 1: Sign in to your Google account and visit this link https://tagmanager.google.com/#/home.
Step 2: Click “Add a new tag”
Step 3:Â Now click on the “TAG configuration” option.
Step 4:Â Then select Google Analytics: GA4 configuration
Step 5:Â Enter your “Measurement Id” under the TAG Configuration tab.
Step 6:Â Click on the “Triggering” Option.
Step 7: Select “All pages” from a trigger window.”
Step 8:Â Rename this tag from untitled to any name of your choice. You can name it “GA4 configuration tag” as well.
Step 9: Now, click the save button to save this tag.
Step 10: You can also preview the changes by clicking on Preview.
Step 11:Now, enter the URL of your website and then click on the start button.
Step 12: Now check if “GA4 configuring tag” appears under “TAGS Fired.”
Step 13: Go to your Google tag manager tab and Click on the Submit button.
Step 14:Here, you can edit the “Version Name” and add a description of the changes you have made in this version.
And then Click on Publish.
Wrapping up,
Setting up a GA4 or Google analytics 4 account is difficult, But we have tried our best to make the process easier for you.Â
If you still have any questions, feel free to contact us.
FAQs.
Their measurement model is the most significant change from Universal Analytics to Google Analytics 4.
Universal Analytics uses sessions and page views as a measurement model. Whereas Google Analytics 4 uses events and parameters as a measurement model
Yes, you can. While you develop your Google Analytics 4 implementation, you can continue using your current Universal Analytics setup by dual tagging.
Universal Analytics highlights total users (shown as users) in most of its reports, whereas GA4 highlights active users (also offered as users).
The term “user” is the same in both UA and GA4, but the calculation for this metric differs.
Basically, yeah. On July 1, 2023, Universal Analytics will stop processing data. You must update GA4 to continue tracking your performance. Although it isn’t strictly required, you won’t have any data after July 1, 2023.
It’s preferred to upgrade to GA4 because you don’t want to lag behind your competitors.
