Set Up Google Analytics

Get Google Analytics 4 running on your site so you can see who visits and what they do.

GA4 is Google’s current analytics platform. It tells you where your visitors come from, what pages they view, and whether they take action (buy, sign up, contact you). Every website needs this.

This guide covers: Creating a GA4 account, installing tracking on your site, and verifying it works. Takes 15-30 minutes.

Step 1: Create Your GA4 Property

1. Go to analytics.google.com
2. Click Admin (gear icon, bottom left)
3. Click Create → Property
4. Enter your website name and select your time zone/currency
5. Follow the prompts to describe your business
6. Select Web as your platform
7. Enter your website URL
8. Click Create stream

You’ll see your Measurement ID (starts with “G-“). Copy this—you’ll need it for the next step.

Step 2: Install on Your Website

WordPress (Recommended: Site Kit plugin)

1. Go to Plugins → Add New
2. Search for “Site Kit by Google”
3. Install and activate
4. Click Start Setup and sign in with your Google account
5. Site Kit automatically connects GA4 to your site

Alternative plugin: MonsterInsights provides a friendlier dashboard within WordPress.

Shopify

1. Go to Online Store → Preferences
2. Scroll to Google Analytics
3. Paste your Measurement ID (G-XXXXXXXX)
4. Save

Shopify handles the rest automatically, including basic e-commerce tracking.

Squarespace

1. Go to Settings → Advanced → External API Keys
2. Paste your Measurement ID in the Google Analytics field
3. Save

Wix

1. Go to Marketing & SEO → Marketing Integrations
2. Click Google Analytics
3. Paste your Measurement ID
4. Save

Manual Installation (Custom Sites)

If your platform isn’t listed above, add this code just before the closing </head> tag on every page:

<!-- Google tag (gtag.js) -->
<script async src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-XXXXXXXXXX"></script>
<script>
  window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || [];
  function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);}
  gtag('js', new Date());
  gtag('config', 'G-XXXXXXXXXX');
</script>

Replace G-XXXXXXXXXX with your actual Measurement ID.

Step 3: Verify It Works

1. Open your website in a new browser tab
2. Go to GA4 → Reports → Real-time
3. You should see yourself as an active user
4. Click around your site—the pages should appear in real-time

Not seeing data?

• Wait 5 minutes—there’s sometimes a brief delay
• Try incognito mode (ad blockers can block GA4)
• Check that your Measurement ID matches exactly
• Verify the tracking code appears in your page source (View Source, search for “gtag”)

Step 4: Enable Enhanced Measurement

GA4 can automatically track common actions without extra code:

1. Go to Admin → Data Streams
2. Click your web stream
3. Under Enhanced measurement, ensure these are ON:
   • Page views (always on)
   • Scrolls (90% scroll depth)
   • Outbound clicks
   • Site search
   • File downloads

This gives you useful data without any custom code.

Step 5: Set Up Your First Conversion

Conversions track the actions that matter to your business. Common examples:

• Contact form submission
• Newsletter signup
• Purchase completion
• Phone number click

Quick Method: Mark an Event as a Conversion

1. Go to Admin → Events
2. Wait for events to appear (may take 24 hours after setup)
3. Find a relevant event (like form_submit or generate_lead)
4. Toggle the Mark as conversion switch

For custom conversion tracking, see our Goal Tracking Guide.

Sources

• analytics.google.com
• MonsterInsights

What to Look at First

Once data starts flowing (24-48 hours), check these reports:

• Acquisition → Overview: Where are visitors coming from?
• Engagement → Pages and screens: Which pages get the most views?
• Engagement → Events: What actions are people taking?

Common GA4 Setup Questions

How long before I see data in GA4?

Real-time reports show data within seconds. Standard reports have a 24-48 hour delay.

Do I need Google Tag Manager?

No. Basic GA4 works fine with just the tracking code. GTM is useful for advanced tracking without code changes.

Is GA4 free?

Yes. GA4 is free for most businesses. GA360 (the paid version) is only needed for very high-traffic sites.