Stacey has been writing about SaaS and digital marketing for over 10 years and on other topics for much longer. Alongside this, she's fascinated with web design, user experience, SEO, and scaling small businesses.
How to Create Simple Google Analytics Reports for Beginners
Posted on -
Written By:
Stacey Corrin
Contents
When I was new to marketing, Google Analytics was an alien concept to me.
I’d heard it was crucial for understanding my visitors, but honestly, just looking at it made my head spin. All those charts, tables, and numbers, it felt like trying to decipher a code I didn’t have the key to.
I just wanted the basics: Who was visiting? What were they looking at? And were they finding what they needed? It was, to say the least, incredibly frustrating.
If that sounds familiar, you’re definitely not alone. Many website owners and marketers find Google Analytics overwhelming. We all need clear, actionable insights, but getting them shouldn’t be such a headache.
That’s why I’m writing this guide: to show you how to create simple Google Analytics reports that actually make sense and help you achieve your goals.
What Are Reports In Google Analytics?
Google Analytics reports are your website’s story told through numbers. They’re organized summaries showing exactly what’s happening on your site, from who’s visiting to what they’re doing.
Google Analytics report categories
Google Analytics organizes these reports into five main categories:
Conversion Reports: Whether they take desired actions
Real-Time Reports: What’s happening right now
Each of these categories answers specific questions about your visitors and their actions.
But here’s the catch: while these reports are powerful, they’re also overwhelming. GA4’s complexity often stands between you and the information you need.
Let’s look at why that happens.
Why Is Google Analytics 4 So Complicated?
Google’s move to GA4 in 2023 significantly changed how we analyze website data, and it’s been a difficult transition for many. Even experienced marketers sometimes struggle with the new terminology and layout.
While terms like “bounce rate,” “sessions,” and “pageviews” might seem simple at first glance, understanding how they all interact requires a lot of learning.
Also, standard reports don’t always have the information you need. You’re forced to use custom reports if you want to track unique customer journeys or combine metrics in a meaningful way.
Google Analytics 4 custom reports
And creating custom reports in GA4 is quite complex. You need to know about dimensions, metrics, filters, and different report types.
Building custom reports in GA4
This kind of customization can quickly become overwhelming.
Because of these challenges, many users find themselves spending less time on their marketing efforts and more time figuring out their website data.
So how do you create simple Google Analytics reports that give you the information you need quickly?
Let’s find out.
The Easy Way to Create Simple Google Analytics Reports
Several tools have popped up on the market attempting to solve the complexity of Google Analytics 4. But in my opinion, many of them pose the same problems. Learning to use them often feels just as hard as using GA4 itself, requiring you to learn a whole new system and interface.
If you’re looking for a solution that doesn’t require learning a whole new platform, then OnePageGA is the answer. It’s designed to be intuitive and straightforward, without the learning curve of GA4 or other alternatives.
One page Google Analytics dashboard
OnePageGA is a one-page Google Analytics 4 dashboard that gives you simple, easy-to-understand reports about your website’s performance. Instead of GA4s complexity, you get all the essential insights you need in one place.
Here’s what makes OnePageGA different:
You won’t need training or tutorials to understand how to use it. It’s designed to be intuitive.
All your core metrics are available on a single page, removing the need to click through endless menus.
Get key reports like website visitors, popular pages, and traffic sources automatically.
You don’t need to be a technical expert to set it up or understand it.
If you need something different, you can easily create custom reports.
To get started with OnePageGA’s simpler reporting, follow these easy steps.
First, go to the OnePageGA website and click the button titled “Try for 14 days free”.
Try OnePageGA for free
This will prompt you to connect to the platform using your existing Google account.
Sign in to OnePageGA with Google
On the next screen, confirm your data sharing settings and click “Continue”.
Select what OnePageGA can access
Finally, you’ll head to your OnePageGA dashboard, where you can select a website to track.
Step 2. Add Your Website to OnePageGA
To add a new website to your account, click the “Add Site” button.
Adding a site to OnePageGA
Then, go ahead and select your Google Analytics property from the dropdown menu and click “Next”.
Select a property in OnePageGA
That’s all there is to it. OnePageGA will now take you to your single-page Google Analytics dashboard, where you can see your simplified reports.
Step 3. View Your Simple Google Analytics Reports
When you open your OnePageGA dashboard, you’ll immediately see a graph of your site’s performance. This includes key metrics like page views, sessions, how long people stay on your site, and your bounce rate.
OnePageGA overview report
All of this is in one simple view, so you can quickly see what is and isn’t working on your website.
Under this graph, you’ll see several other simple GA4 reports which tell you even more about your site’s performance, including:
Where your traffic comes from, so you know which channels are working best.
Which pages are most popular, helping you to optimize your content strategy.
Which locations and devices people are using, providing valuable insights into your audience.
Simple google analytics reports in OnePageGA
For example, in the pages report, you might see that your blog posts on a specific topic are attracting a lot of visitors. This means you can create more content around that topic to engage your readers.
OnePageGA Pages report
Customizing your reports is just as simple. Unlike the overly complex report builder in GA4, OnePageGA allows you to easily add custom filters, and change which metrics you see on your reports.
Let’s say I want to know which AI engines are sending traffic to my website. In that case, I’d use OnePageGA’s OR logic to filter by specific traffic source like chatgpt.com, google.gemini.com, and so on.
OR filters in OnePageGA
Similarly, you can choose which metrics to track by clicking the settings icon. Here, you can select up to 7 metrics to display that best fit your needs, including:
eCommerce purchases
Sessions per user
Engagement rate
And much more
Edit metrics in OnePageGA
With simple Google Analytics reports like these, you can spend less time on learning new platforms, and more on understanding your website data and how it affects your business.
As you can see from this guide, understanding your website data doesn’t have to be a headache.
With a simpler GA4 dashboard like OnePageGA, you can easily find the information you need, without the unnecessary complexity. You’ll be able to see what is and isn’t working and make smart decisions without feeling overwhelmed.
5 Types of Web Analytics Every Website Owner Should Know
Posted on -
Written By:
Stacey Corrin
Contents
When I launched my first website, I was completely lost. It honestly felt like I was throwing spaghetti at the wall, hoping something would stick.
Turns out, I wasn’t alone. Around 68% of businesses lack a clear strategy for getting people to take action on their site. Without knowing how visitors actually use your website, you’re essentially flying blind.
That’s precisely why web analytics is so crucial. It’s the process of gathering data about how people interact with your website, helping you understand what’s really going on and where you can improve.
In this guide, I’ll walk you through the various types of web analytics, which will ultimately help you make smarter, more informed decisions for your site.
What Is Web Analytics?
Web analytics is about tracking and learning from your website’s data to see how people use your site. It helps you measure things like how many people visit, what they click on, and if they buy anything. This helps you improve your website and reach your goals.
The data you use for web analytics comes in three main types:
Undertstanding Web Analytics
First, there’s quantitative data. This is all about the numbers, like how many visitors you have, which pages they look at, and how many sales you make.
Second, there’s qualitative data, which helps you understand why those numbers happen. This shows you how people move around your site, what they click on most, and what feedback they give. You get qualitative data from surveys, talking to users, getting their direct feedback, and from special tools that track their actions.
It’s also important to know about conversions. These are the actions you want people to take on your site, like buying something, filling out a form, or signing up for your email list.
When you use quantitative data and qualitative data together, you get a full picture of what’s happening on your website and, most importantly, why.
Why Do You Need Web Analytics for Your Business?
Without web analytics, you’re running your website blindfolded, like how I was at the very beginning. You won’t know if your marketing efforts are paying off, if visitors can find what they need, or why they might be leaving without making a purchase. Web analytics solves these problems by providing clear insights into your site’s performance.
Let me share a quick example from my own website. Although I don’t get a lot of traffic, through web analytics, I discovered that most of it was coming from direct sources.
Example of top traffic source in Google Analytics
This helped me understand that many visitors were typing my website address directly into their browser or using a bookmark. Without this data, I might have focused on other marketing efforts that weren’t as effective.
Web analytics helps you:
Track return on investment (ROI) from your marketing campaigns
Understand which content resonates with your audience
Identify and fix technical issues that frustrate visitors
Make data-backed decisions about website improvements
Measure progress toward your business goals
5 Types of Web Analytics
Every business will use web analytics differently. Many tools have similar measurements, like Google Analytics for traffic and conversions, and Hotjar for recordings and heatmaps.
To get the most out of web analytics, you need to understand the main types. So, let’s look at them to see how they compare.
1. Traditional Web Analytics
Traditional web analytics focuses on the numbers, like how many people visit your site, what they do there, and whether they take action.
These are the foundational analytics metrics that were among the first to be tracked on websites. They provide a basic understanding of your website’s performance.
The basic metrics you can track include:
Metric
What It Measures
Why It Matters
Pageviews
Total number of pages people look at
Shows overall site activity
Unique Users
Individual people visiting your site
Reveals true audience size
Sessions
Each time someone visits your site
Indicates visit frequency
Bounce Rate
Percentage who leave after one page
Shows content relevance and site design effectiveness
Time on Page
How long visitors stay on each page
Measures content engagement
Conversion Rate
How often visitors take desired actions
Shows if site achieves business goals
For example, if your website gets 100 visitors in a day and 5 of them buy something, your conversion rate is 5%. This measurement helps you track if your site is getting better at converting visitors into customers.
Traditional Web Analytics Tools
The most popular tool is Google Analytics, and it’s totally free.
Google Analytics Dashboard
While it offers detailed tracking, many find it overwhelming at first, particularly the newest version, GA4, which has a steep learning curve.
For website owners who want simple, clear data, OnePageGA offers an easy way to track these metrics.
OnePageGA – Simple Google Analytics Dashboard
It’s aimed at website owners who want clear insights without the complexity. You get important metrics in a simple way, which is especially helpful for smaller websites and businesses.
2. Behavioral Web Analytics
Behavioral analytics looks at how people actually use your website – where they click, how they move around, and what actions they take. It helps you understand your visitors’ journey through your site.
Heatmapping for behavior analytics
Here’s what behavioral analytics tracks:
Metric
What It Measures
Why It Matters
Click Patterns
Where visitors click on your pages
Shows what attracts attention
Mouse Movement
How visitors move their cursor
Reveals what people look at
Scroll Depth
How far down pages people scroll
Indicates content engagement
Navigation Paths
Routes people take through your site
Shows how people explore
Form Usage
How people interact with forms
Identifies form problems
Exit Points
Where people leave your site
Highlights potential issues
For example, if you notice most people leave your checkout page at the shipping form, you might need to simplify your shipping options or make the form easier to fill out.
Behavior Analytics Tools
Hotjar is a popular choice that shows heatmaps and records visitor sessions. It’s easy to use and gives you visual insights into how people use your site.
CrazyEgg focuses on click tracking and scroll maps. It’s good for testing different layouts and seeing which elements get the most attention.
Microsoft Clarity is free and offers basic behavioral tracking. While it’s newer than other tools, it provides helpful insights for beginners.
3. Customer Journey Web Analytics
Customer journey web analytics looks at how people move through your website, from their first visit to completing a purchase or goal. It helps you understand what works, fix issues, and improve the user experience.
A journey analytics tool measures:
Metric
What It Measures
Why It Matters
Touch Points
Where customers interact with your brand
Shows key conversion moments
Path Length
Steps taken before conversion
Reveals buying process length
Drop-off Points
Where customers stop engaging
Identifies friction points
Channel Impact
How different channels work together
Shows marketing effectiveness
Time to Convert
How long conversion takes
Helps set expectations
Return Rate
How often customers come back
Shows customer loyalty
Imagine seeing that most customers read three blog posts before signing up for your service. This insight could help you create more relevant content to guide people toward conversion.
Customer Journey Analytics Tools
Google Analytics offers powerful journey tracking features. While it’s free and detailed, setting up proper journey tracking requires some technical knowledge.
Basic user purchase journey in GA4
Mixpanel is popular for its user-friendly interface and detailed path analysis. It works well for both websites and apps but comes with a monthly fee.
Amplitude provides advanced journey mapping and prediction features. Though expensive, it’s particularly good for large businesses tracking complex customer paths.
4. Content Analysis
Content analysis helps you understand what content works best and where to focus your efforts. It combines search data with performance metrics to guide your content strategy.
Key content metrics include:
Metric
What It Measures
Why It Matters
Page Performance
How well each page works
Shows content value
Reading Time
How long content holds attention
Indicates content quality
Social Shares
How often content gets shared
Shows content reach
Comments
Reader engagement level
Reveals audience interest
Content Gaps
Missing or needed content
Guides content planning
Search Rankings
How content performs in search
Shows content visibility
Take a blog post that gets many comments and shares but few conversions. This might mean you need a stronger call-to-action or better connection to your products.
Content Analysis Tools
LowFruits helps find easy-to-rank keywords and content opportunities. It’s affordable and particularly useful for new websites building their content strategy.
LowFruits keyword analysis
SEMrush provides detailed content and keyword analysis. While it’s more expensive, it offers comprehensive tools for content research, tracking, and optimization.
Ahrefs shows content performance in search results and competitor analysis. It’s a premium tool that helps track rankings and find content opportunities.
5. SEO Analytics
SEO analytics measures how well your site performs in search engines. It tracks your rankings, shows which keywords bring traffic, and helps identify ways to improve your search visibility.
With SEO analytics tools, you can typically track:
Metric
What It Measures
Why It Matters
Keyword Rankings
Position in search results
Shows search visibility
Organic Traffic
Visitors from search engines
Indicates SEO success
Click-Through Rate
How often people click your results
Shows title/description effectiveness
Backlinks
Sites linking to yours
Reveals site authority
Technical Issues
SEO problems on your site
Highlights needed fixes
Core Web Vitals
Site speed and performance
Affects search rankings
For instance, if your click-through rate is low despite high rankings, you might need to improve your page titles and descriptions to attract more clicks.
SEO Analytics Tools
Google Search Console provides direct data from Google about your site’s search performance. It’s free and shows exactly how Google sees your site, including technical issues and search queries.
Google Search Console Overview
All in One SEO helps optimize your WordPress site directly. While primarily a WordPress plugin, it includes helpful analytics features for tracking SEO performance and making improvements.
Moz combines rank tracking with site auditing features. It’s particularly good for beginners due to its user-friendly interface and educational resources.
Choosing the Right Web Analytics Tools
Not every business needs every type of analytics tool. Your choice should depend on your goals, budget, and how you’ll use the data.
Consider these factors:
Business Size – How big is your business? Bigger companies usually need more complex tools.
Goals – What do you want to track? Make sure your tools can measure what matters to you.
Skills – How comfortable are you with data? Choose tools that match your experience level.
Budget – How much can you spend? Free tools work for some, but paid ones often offer more features.
Time – How much time can you spend learning new tools? Complex tools need more time to master.
Integrations – What other tools do you use? Make sure everything works together.
It’s important to remember that one tool rarely provides a complete picture. Most businesses use a combination of tools to get a complete picture.
For example, you might use Google Analytics to track visitor numbers while using heatmaps to see how people interact with your pages. This combination helps you understand both what users do and why they do it.
Setting Up Web Analytics
Google Analytics is considered the industry standard and a popular place for website owners to begin. Setting it up is straightforward:
If Google Analytics is too much to start with, there are many options to get started, such as OnePageGA. It’s a single page dashboard that works alongside Google Analytics, giving you clear, actionable insights about your website.
OnePageGA dashboard
Instead of digging through multiple Google Analytics reports and complex menus, you’ll see all your key metrics in one place – traffic, top content, conversion rates, and more. This makes it easier to spot trends and make decisions without getting lost in the data.
OnePageGA custom reports
Get Started With Easy Web Analytics
Web analytics is essential for making smart decisions about your website, and is something all website owners should do. Choose the tools that best fit your needs and focus on the metrics that matter to your business.
Start simple, learn what works, and add more features as you grow. No matter what tool you use, getting started is the most important thing.
Are you wondering if your website is actually working? Do you know who’s visiting and what they’re doing?
Tracking website visitors lets you see what’s performing well and what’s not, giving you the power to make smart decisions that grow your business.
According to a recent report by HubSpot, 61% of marketers say generating traffic and leads is their biggest challenge.
Let’s be real, though, Google Analytics 4 (GA4) can be a lot. It’s powerful, sure, but all that data can be overwhelming and leave you feeling lost.
This guide makes it easier. I’ll show you how to track website visitors with simple, actionable steps you can take right away.
Can I Track Visitors to My Website?
Tracking visitors to your website is possible and easier than you might think. You don’t need to be an expert to understand what’s happening on your site.
The most common method is using a web analytics tool, like Google Analytics. This involves adding a small piece of code to your website, which then collects data about your visitors. You’ll get valuable insights into where people are coming from, what pages they visit, and how long they stay.
Beyond Google Analytics, there are other tools that offer simpler ways to track your visitors. Many focus on specific aspects of website analytics or provide a more user-friendly interface (more on these options later).
Why Track Website Visitors?
So, now you know you can track visitors, but why should you? Simply put, tracking your website visitors allows you to understand how people are interacting with your online presence. As a result, you get insights that can help you improve your website and your overall strategy.
Here’s why it’s so important:
Understand User Behavior: By tracking visitors, you can see how they navigate through your site. Which pages are they landing on? Where are they clicking? How long are they staying on each page? This data shows how people are actually using your website.
Improve Website Performance: With this data, you can see what’s working and what’s not. If you notice people are leaving a specific page, it might need attention. You can spot areas for improvement and make your website more user-friendly.
Enhance Marketing Efforts: You can also see where your visitors are coming from, like social media, search engines, or other sites. This helps you see which marketing channels drive the most traffic and engagement. If a campaign isn’t working, you can adjust your strategy based on real data.
Ultimately, tracking your visitors provides the data you need to make informed decisions. This allows you to improve your website’s design, content, and marketing for a bigger impact on your business goals.
This isn’t just theoretical; a study by McKinsey found that companies that leverage customer behavioral insights outperform peers by 85% in sales growth.
How to Track Website Visitors With Google Analytics
For this guide, I’ll focus on using Google Analytics 4 (GA4), the latest version of Google’s web analytics platform. While there are other options, GA4 is the most popular and widely used method for tracking website data. It’s also completely free.
GA4 helps you get insights into your website’s traffic and user behavior. You can see how people find your site, what pages they visit, how long they stay, and a lot more.
In fact, GA4’s popularity is undeniable. With a staggering 88.7% market share, it’s the go-to analytics solution for most website owners. It’s also used by over 32 million live websites on the internet.
Google Analytics usage statistics
While GA4 is powerful, it’s not without its quirks. To get a more in-depth understanding of its strengths and weaknesses, you can check out my article on the pros and cons of Google Analytics.
Step 1. Set Up a Google Analytics Account and Property
To begin tracking your website with GA4, you’ll need to set up a Google Analytics account and create a property. It’s pretty straightforward.
Start by making sure you have a Google account, then go to the Google Analytics website to sign up. The setup process will guide you through creating a property—this is where your website’s data will be stored.
Creating a Google Analytics Property
Next, select “web” as your platform and set up a data stream using your website’s URL.
Step 2. Add the Google Analytics Tracking Code to Your Website
Now it’s time to connect Google Analytics to your website by adding the tracking code. This code is a small snippet of JavaScript the platform uses to collect data about your visitors.
Google Analytics Tracking Code
The method for adding this code will vary depending on how your website is built. If you’re using a platform like WordPress, Shopify, or Squarespace, the process is generally straightforward.
Most of these platforms offer a specific place in their settings where you can paste the code. However, if you have a custom-built website, you may need to add the code directly to your site’s HTML.
Don’t worry; no matter what platform you’re using, I have you covered. I’ve put together a detailed guide on how to add Google Analytics to your website, which covers all the major platforms.
Once you’ve added the tracking code, GA4 will start collecting data about your website visitors. This is where things start to get exciting because you’ll be able to see how people are actually using your website.
Step 3. Understand Key Metrics While GA4 Collects Data
Now that you’ve added the tracking code, allow Google Analytics some time to gather data. It might take a few hours or even a day before you see everything, so patience is key here.
While GA4 is collecting information, let’s look at some of the main metrics you’ll be tracking. Understanding these will help you make sense of your data:
Users: This is the number of unique individuals who visited your site. GA4 uses identifiers to determine new and returning users.
Sessions: A session is a single visit to your site. It starts when someone arrives and ends after a period of inactivity. If they leave and come back, that’s a new session.
Pageviews: This is how many times a page on your site has been viewed. If you have an app, it’s the number of screen views. This metric shows which content is most popular.
Engagement Rate: This is the percentage of sessions where people engaged with your content. It’s based on how long they stay, how many pages they visit, and if they interact with things on the page. A higher rate means your content resonates with your visitors.
Events & Conversions: Events are specific actions on your site, like clicking a button or watching a video. When these events help your business goals, they’re called conversions.
Traffic Sources: Acquisition reports show you where your visitors are coming from – search engines, social media, etc. This helps you see what marketing is working.
Step 4. Analyze Your Website Traffic with Google Analytics
Now that GA4 is set up and collecting data, let’s look at the reports and see what’s happening on your website. Navigating GA4 can be a little tricky, but I’ll show you the important areas.
To see your reports, log into Google Analytics. On the left side, click “Reports.”
Google Analytics Reports
You’ll see categories like “Acquisition,” “Engagement,” and “Monetization.” These reports help you understand how your website is doing.
GA4 reports categories
If you want to create custom reports, GA4 offers “Explorations.”
GA4 Exploration Reports
Click “Explore” on the left side and use the drag-and-drop tool to build your own reports.
Creating a custom report in GA4
When you analyze your traffic, look for trends. For example:
Is your social media traffic going up or down?
Which pages are getting the most attention?
Are people leaving certain pages quickly?
Based on this data, you can make changes. For example, you might:
Update content: If a page isn’t getting many views, you could update it or make it more interesting.
Improve mobile: If lots of mobile users are leaving, you need to make your site more mobile-friendly.
Change marketing: If a marketing campaign isn’t working, you can adjust it.
The main goal is to use this data to make your website better for your visitors, so you can reach your business goals.
How to Simplify Your GA4 Data
Let’s be honest: GA4 can be complicated. It’s easy to feel lost in all that data, and it can be hard to find the information you need.
Analyzing data in GA4 can also take a lot of time. You often have to make custom reports to find the metrics you want. And even then, understanding the data can be difficult.
That’s why we created OnePageGA. It gives you a simple, easy-to-use view of your GA4 data, without all the confusion.
OnePageGA simple Google Analytics dashboard
OnePageGA connects to your GA4 account with a few clicks, so you don’t need to add any extra code to your website. It just uses the data GA4 is already collecting.
With OnePageGA you can:
View important metrics on one easy-to-understand page. You don’t have to click through different reports.
See those metrics presented in a way that’s easy to understand and use to improve your business.
Discover insights much faster so you can focus on other areas of your business.
Get started quickly, even if you’ve never used GA4 before.
Setting up OnePageGA is also easy. Just connect your GA4 account, and OnePageGA will show your data on a single page.
Setting up OnePageGA
How to Track Website Visitors in OnePageGA
When you open your OnePageGA dashboard, you’ll see a graph of your site’s performance. This includes page views, sessions, how long people stay, and your bounce rate.
OnePageGA site performance
All of this is in one simple view, so you can quickly understand what is and isn’t working.
It’s designed to give you the information that matters, right when you need it. And if you need more details, you can easily drill down and filter by different data points.
Want to see how your website performs over time? Just click ‘Compare’ in the date picker, and you can see a visual comparison.
Comparing date ranges in OnePageGA
OnePageGA also lets you design your own custom reports.
Creating custom reports in OnePageGA
You can choose which metrics to track, including:
New users.
How engaged your users are.
How much revenue you’re making.
If you run an online store, it’s just as easy to track your eCommerce data, including revenue and transactions.
eCommerce transactions in OnePageGA
You can also set up custom sales funnels to track visitors from when they land on your site until they become subscribers or customers.
Creating funnels in OnePageGA
Besides this, OnePageGA also lets you:
Track multiple websites from one dashboard.
Add notes to your reports to see how specific actions affect your traffic.
Track unlimited pageviews without extra fees.
Toggle on dark mode to browse comfortably at night.
With OnePageGA, you can easily see your website’s performance, quickly find areas to improve, and make informed decisions to grow your business.
Turn Visitor Data into Real Results
Ultimately, learning how to track website visitors is the best way to understand how they use your site, so you can improve it. GA4 is great for collecting the data, but it’s complex. That’s where OnePageGA shines. It takes your GA4 data and puts it on one simple page, so you can understand what’s happening without the headache.
Think of it this way: GA4 gives you the raw numbers, and OnePageGA helps you quickly make sense of them. Using both is the most effective approach.
What Is a Metric in Google Analytics (And What to Track)
Posted on -
Written By:
Stacey Corrin
Contents
What are metrics in Google Analytics, and why are so many website owners struggling to use them properly? A recent study found that 85% of business leaders second-guess their decisions due to data uncertainty.
Well, I’m here to provide some clarity. In this guide, I’ll explain what Google Analytics metrics are and how to use them for better website results.
What is Google Analytics?
Google Analytics is a web analytics tool that shows how people use your website. It tracks visits, pages viewed, and how users find your site, giving you the insights you need to improve your online presence.
In fact, with over 88.7% market share, it’s the most popular choice for website analytics.
Metrics in Google Analytics are numbers that measure specific aspects of your website’s performance. They’re like the gauges on a car’s dashboard, showing you how your website is running.
For example, “pageviews” is a metric that counts how many times people look at your web pages. “Average time on page” measures how long visitors typically spend on a page.
Metrics work alongside dimensions, which provide context. If metrics are the “what,” dimensions are the “where” or “which.”
For instance:
Metric: Number of sessions (visits to your site)
Dimension: Source (where those visits came from, like Google or Facebook)
Metrics and Dimensions in Google Analytics 4
Understanding both metrics and dimensions helps you dig deeper into your data. For example, knowing your overall bounce rate isn’t as useful as knowing the bounce rate for specific landing pages. This information helps you focus on improving the right parts of your website.
Google Analytics offers many metrics to help you understand your website. To make sense of this data, it’s helpful to group them into categories. Let’s look at the main types of metrics you’ll see and how they can help you improve your site.
User Metrics
User metrics help you understand who’s visiting your site and how they’re interacting with it. These numbers give you a clearer picture of your audience and how well your site is performing.
Here are the key user metrics to watch:
Metric
What it Means
Why it Matters
Number of Users
How many people visited your site
Shows if your audience is growing
New Users
People visiting your site for the first time
Tells you if you’re attracting new visitors
Sessions
Each visit to your site
Shows how often people come to your site
Session Duration
How long people stay on your site
Longer visits usually mean people like your content
Bounce Rate
How often people leave after seeing just one page
High rate might mean your site needs improvement
By keeping an eye on these metrics, you can track your site’s growth, see how engaging your content is, and spot areas that might need improvement.
Acquisition Metrics
Acquisition metrics reveal which of your marketing efforts are paying off and where you might want to focus more attention.
Let’s break down the main ways people arrive at your site:
Metric
What it Means
Why it Matters
Organic Traffic
People who find your site through search engines
Shows how well your site ranks in search results
Paid Traffic
Visitors who come from paid ads
Tells you if your ad campaigns are working
Referral Traffic
People who click links to your site from other websites
Helps you see which other sites are sending you visitors
Direct Traffic
People who type your URL directly or use bookmarks
Indicates brand awareness and loyalty
Social Traffic
Visitors from social media platforms
Shows how well your social media efforts are working
These metrics paint a picture of your most effective traffic sources, helping you fine-tune your marketing strategy.
Behavior Metrics
Once visitors land on your site, what do they do? Behavior metrics shed light on how people interact with your content and navigate your pages.
Here are the key indicators to keep an eye on:
Metric
What it Shows
Why it’s Valuable
Pageviews
Total number of pages viewed
Highlights your most popular content
Pages/Session
Number of pages visited in one session
Indicates how engaging your site is overall
Average Time on Page
How long visitors stay on each page
Suggests which content resonates most
Unique Pageviews
Individual page visits
Differentiates between new and repeat views
Exit Rate
Where people tend to leave your site
Points out potential weak spots in your content
By understanding these metrics, you can identify your top-performing content and spot areas that might need a boost.
Conversion Metrics
Conversion metrics are all about results. They show you when visitors take the actions you want them to, like making a purchase or signing up for a newsletter.
Here’s a look at the key conversion metrics:
Metric
What it Measures
Why it’s Crucial
Goal Completions
How often visitors complete specific actions
Shows if your site is achieving its objectives
Conversion Rate
Percentage of visitors who complete a goal
Indicates how effective your site is at driving desired actions
Revenue
Money earned from conversions
Directly ties your website performance to business results
Average Order Value
Typical amount spent per transaction
Helps you understand customer spending habits
Cost per Conversion
How much you spend to get each conversion
Allows you to assess the efficiency of your marketing efforts
Understanding these metrics helps you see how well your site turns visitors into customers or leads. By improving your conversion metrics, you can boost your website’s impact on your bottom line.
How to Use Metrics in Google Analytics
Now that you know what metrics to look for, let’s see how to find and use them in Google Analytics.
Once you’re in, look on the left side of the screen. You’ll see a sidebar with different options. Click on “Reports”.
Google Analytics Reports
Next, you’ll see several report categories. These include things like “Acquisition”, “Engagement”, and “Monetization”.
GA4 Reports Categories
To see more detailed information, click on any of these categories. Inside each report, you’ll find various metrics. These are usually shown as charts and tables.
Let’s say you want to find out where your website visitors are coming from. To do this, look at the left sidebar and click on “Acquisition”.
GA4 Acquisition Reports
In the dropdown menu, select “Traffic acquisition”. Now, in the main part of the screen, you’ll see a breakdown of your traffic sources.
GA4 Acquisition Report Data
If you ever need to find something quickly, remember there’s a search bar at the top of the page. You can use this to find specific metrics or reports.
Setting Up Custom Reports in GA4
Sometimes, the standard reports in Google Analytics don’t show exactly what you need. That’s where custom reports are helpful. They let you pick the metrics you want to see together.
To create a custom report in Google Analytics, click on “Explore” in the left sidebar. This takes you to a page where you can build custom reports.
Explore Free Form Report in GA4
On the Explore page, choose “Free form”. This gives you some initial data to start with, making it easier to build your report.
Next, select the date range for your report. It’s set to the last 30 days by default, but you can change this to any time you want.
GA4 Free Form Report Date Range
Now, start adding different parts to your report:
Segments: These group your traffic into categories. For example, mobile users or users who made a purchase.
Dimensions: These are the categories you want to analyze, like “Event name” or “Page location”.
Metrics: These are the numbers you want to see, such as “Users”, “Pageviews”, or “Revenue”.
Custom Segments, Dimensions, and Metrics in GA4
With the data sources in place, you can build your report using drag and drop:
Drag segments to the “Segment Comparisons” box to compare different groups.
Add dimensions to rows or columns. If you’re new to this, start with just rows.
Drag metrics to the “Values” section. This is where the numbers will show up.
GA4 Custom report data sources
Remember, creating custom reports takes practice. Don’t be afraid to try different combinations to find what works best for you.
Custom report in GA4
Pro Tip: When creating custom reports, focus on metrics that directly relate to your business goals. Don’t worry if this seems overwhelming – later, I’ll show you how to get easy Google Analytics reports that make understanding your data much easier.
Creating User Segments in GA4
Segments help you look at specific groups of users or sessions. This lets you dig deeper into your data and understand different parts of your audience.
You can create segments based on many factors:
Demographics: Age, gender, or location.
Behavior: Pages visited, time spent on site, or purchases made.
Technology: Device type, browser, or operating system.
Traffic source: Where users came from (like Google search or social media).
To create a segment, first, look at the top of your report and click on the “Add segment” button. This will open up a new window with segment options.
Add a new segment to GA4 custom report
From here, choose “Create a segment” to start building your own custom segment.
Create a new GA4 segment
Next, give your segment a name that describes the group you’re focusing on. Then, pick the conditions for your segment.
GA4 Segment: US Users
For example, you might select users from a specific country or those who visited a certain page on your site. You can add multiple conditions to narrow down your segment further.
Once you’re happy with your segment setup, click “Apply” to finish. Your new segment is now ready to use in your reports.
Analyzing Segment Data
Once you’ve created segments, you can use them to compare different groups. This helps you understand your audience better. Here are some ways to use segments:
Compare mobile vs. desktop users: This can show if people use your site differently on phones than on computers. For example, you might find that mobile users spend less time on your site or visit fewer pages.
Look at new vs. returning visitors: This helps you see how people behave when they first visit your site compared to when they come back. You might find that returning visitors buy more or spend more time on your site.
Check purchasers vs. non-purchasers: This can help you understand what makes someone more likely to buy from you. You might find that purchasers tend to visit certain pages more or come from specific traffic sources.
How to analyze audience segments
To analyze your segment data, apply your segments to any report you’re looking at. You can do this by clicking on the segment at the top of the report.
Next, look at how the metrics are different between your segments. For example, do mobile users have a higher bounce rate than desktop users?
Finally, think about why these differences exist and what they mean for your business. If mobile users aren’t staying on your site as long, maybe your mobile site needs to be easier to use.
A Clearer View of Your Website Metrics
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the data in GA4, you’re not alone. Even I struggled at first, which is why we developed OnePageGA. We needed a way to simplify GA4 data and present it in a way that made sense.
OnePageGA – One Page Google Analytics Dashboard
OnePageGA is a simple, yet powerful tool that shows your GA4 information on a single, easy-to-read page. No more clicking through multiple reports – you see all key metrics at a glance, saving time and making it easier to spot important trends.
We’ve cut through the clutter to show only the most critical data points. Whether you’re a beginner or not, you’ll find the dashboard easy to navigate and customizable to fit your needs.
For example, you might quickly notice that your website traffic increased alongside more frequent social media posts, leading you to focus more on your social media strategy.
One Page GA4 Report
As you can see, OnePageGA presents your data in a clean, easy-to-understand format with simple Google Analytics reports. At a glance, you can see metrics like visitor numbers, top pages, and traffic sources without switching between screens or reports.
If you’ve been struggling with Google Analytics 4, OnePageGA could be just what you need. It gives you insights without complexity, helping you make data-driven decisions efficiently and take action with confidence.
Turn Your Data Into Results
The metrics in Google Analytics offer a powerful way to understand your website by showing you what is and isn’t working. But numbers alone aren’t enough. The real value comes from using them to improve your visitors’ experience and achieve your business goals.
If you’re finding Google Analytics overwhelming, OnePageGA can help. It simplifies your data, allowing you to focus on what matters most – growing your online presence and connecting with your audience.
How to Add Google Analytics to Your Website (5 Platforms)
Posted on -
Written By:
Stacey Corrin
Contents
Ever wondered how many people visit your website? Or where they come from? Google Analytics 4 (GA4) has all the answers, but many find it tricky to set up.
In this guide, I’ll show you how to add Google Analytics to your website, no matter what platform you’re using. You’ll learn how to set it up, what it can do for you, and how to start getting valuable insights about your visitors.
Why Add Google Analytics to Your Website?
If you’re wondering if Google Analytics is worth the effort, trust me, it is. Here’s why:
Make Smarter Decisions: GA4 gives you real data to guide your choices. No more guesswork.
Understand Your Visitors: Find out where they’re coming from, what pages they visit, and how long they stay.
Track What Works: See which marketing campaigns are bringing in visitors and sales. For example, you might discover that Instagram followers are your best customers.
Improve Your Website: Spot problem areas quickly. If visitors always leave on a certain page, you know it needs work.
Stay Privacy-Friendly: GA4 is designed with privacy in mind, helping you comply with laws like GDPR.
Let’s imagine you run an online store. GA4 shows you that mobile users make up 70% of your traffic but only 30% of your sales. That’s a clear sign your mobile experience needs improvement.
The best part? Google Analytics is free. It’s like giving your business superpowers without spending a dime.
Once you’ve set up GA4, you might feel overwhelmed by all the data. Don’t worry – I’ll break it down for you.
Here are some key reports you’ll want to check out:
Realtime Report
Google Analytics 4 Realtime Report
This shows you what’s happening on your site right now. It’s great for seeing immediate results from a new post or campaign.
Audience Overview
Google Analytics Audiences Report
This report gives you a snapshot of who’s visiting your site. You can see details like where they’re from, what devices they’re using, and how often they return.
Acquisition Reports
Google Analytics 4 Acquisition Report
These tell you how people are finding your site. Are they coming from Google searches, social media, or other websites?
Now, let’s look at how you can use this data:
See Top Traffic Sources: Find out which sites or platforms are sending you the most visitors. Maybe you’ll discover that Instagram is driving more traffic than you thought!
Understand User Behavior: See which pages people visit most and how long they stay. This can help you focus on your most popular content.
Track Conversions: Set up goals to track important actions on your site, like newsletter sign-ups or product purchases.
Measure Campaign Success: See how well your marketing efforts are paying off. You can track specific campaigns to see which ones bring in the most visitors or sales.
Remember, GA4 is powerful but can be complex. If you want to dive deeper, see our Easy Google Analytics 4 guide for a more detailed walkthrough.
And if you’re looking for a simpler way to see your key metrics at a glance, stay tuned – I’ve got a great solution coming up later in this article.
How to Add Google Analytics to Your Website
Now that you know why Google Analytics is so valuable, let’s get it set up on your website. Don’t worry – it’s easier than you might think.
Getting Your GA4 Tracking Information
Before we dive into adding the code to your site, you need to get two important pieces of information from Google Analytics:
Your Measurement ID: This is a unique identifier for your GA4 property. It always starts with “G-” followed by a series of numbers and letters (like G-XXXXXXXXXX).
The global site tag (gtag.js) code snippet: This is a small piece of JavaScript code that you’ll need to add to your website. It looks like this:
Now, in the Property column, click on “Data Streams” then, go ahead and select your website’s data stream.
Website data stream in GA4
Here, you’ll see your Measurement ID at the top of the page.
Google Analytics Measurement ID
To get the gtag.js code snippet, click on the “View tag instructions” option.
View tag instructions in GA4
From there, select “Install Manually”. You’ll see a box with some code, which is what you’ll need to add to your website.
Gtag JavaScript code
Adding the GA4 Tracking Information to Your Website
Now that you have your GA4 tracking information, it’s time to add it to your website.
The general process involves adding the global site tag (gtag.js) code to the <head> section of your website’s HTML. This ensures that Google Analytics can track all pageviews and events on your site.
The exact method for adding this code can vary depending on the platform you’re using for your website. In the following sections, we’ll walk through how to add Google Analytics to some of the most popular website platforms.
Enhanced Measurement in GA4
Google Analytics 4 offers an “Enhanced Measurement” feature that automatically tracks additional events on your website without requiring any extra code.
This feature includes tracking for:
Page views
Scrolling
Outbound clicks
Site search
Video engagement
File downloads
To ensure Enhanced Measurement is enabled, go to Admin » Data Streams and select your website.
Look for “Enhanced measurement” and make sure it’s turned on.
GA4 Enhanced Measurements Enabled
Enabling this feature ensures GA4 can track important events on your site automatically, giving you more detailed insights into user behavior.
How to Add GA4 to Popular Website Platforms
As I mentioned earlier, the exact method for adding this code can vary depending on the platform you’re using for your website. Let’s walk through how to add Google Analytics to some of the most popular website platforms:
WordPress powers over 43% of all websites, and for good reason: it’s versatile and user-friendly.
If you’re using WordPress, you’re in luck because adding Google Analytics 4 is a breeze, especially with plugins like MonsterInsights.
MonsterInsights WordPress Google Analytics plugin
With MonsterInsights:
You don’t need to touch any HTML or risk breaking your site.
The plugin keeps your GA4 integration up-to-date without you lifting a finger.
You get additional tracking options and easy-to-read reports right in your WordPress dashboard.
How to Add GA4 Using MonsterInsights
To get started, you’ll need to install MonsterInsights.
Head over to the Plugins section in your WordPress dashboard, click “Add New,” and search for “MonsterInsights.”
Install MonsterInsights plugin
Once you find it, just click “Install Now” and then “Activate.”
Activate MonsterInsights
After activation, you’ll see a welcome message with a “Launch the Wizard!” button. Click it to start the setup process.
MonsterInsights launch wizard
The wizard will guide you through choosing your website category and connecting to Google Analytics.
MonsterInsights setup wizard: Site Category
When you reach the connection step, click “Connect MonsterInsights” and select the Google account you use for Analytics.
Connect MonsterInsights to GA4
You’ll then be prompted to choose your GA4 property and the appropriate profile for your website.
Choose your GA4 property
As you complete the setup, you’ll have the option to enable recommended settings or customize them to your liking.
MonsterInsights recommended settings
Once you’ve finished, MonsterInsights will automatically add the necessary GA4 tracking code to all pages of your WordPress site.
To verify the connection, go to Insights » Settings in your WordPress dashboard. Under the “General” section, you should see your GA4 property listed.
GA4 and MonsterInsights connection success message
That’s all there is to it. You’ll start seeing data in your Google Analytics account within 24–48 hours.
Remember, MonsterInsights offers both free and paid versions. The free version is great for getting started, but the paid version offers more advanced features if you need them.
Setting up Google Analytics 4 in Shopify
Shopify
As an e-commerce powerhouse, Shopify knows the importance of good analytics. That’s why they’ve made adding Google Analytics 4 to your online store a straightforward process.
To get started, log in to your Shopify admin panel. Look for “Online Store” in the left sidebar and click on it, then select “Preferences.”
Scroll down the page until you spot the “Google Analytics” section. Here, click “Set up Google”.
Set up Google in Shopify
You’ll now need to install the Google app, so go ahead and click the “Install” button.
Install the Google app in Shopify
From there, connect the Google account you used to set up your Google Analytics profile.
Connect Google account to Shopify
After, scroll down to the “Google Analytics” section, and you should see a dropdown box where you can choose your Analytics property. Select the appropriate property and click “Connect”.
Connect Google Analytics property to Shopify
There you have it. You’ve successfully set up Google Analytics 4 on your Shopify store.
Shopify GA4 connection success message
Adding Google Analytics 4 to Squarespace
Squarespace
Squarespace is known for its sleek designs and user-friendly interface, and their approach to analytics integration is no different. Adding Google Analytics to your Squarespace site is a simple process that doesn’t require any coding.
First, log into your Squarespace account and navigate to the site you want to add GA4 to. Once you’re in, look for the “Settings” menu in the left sidebar.
Squarespace website settings menu
Click on it, and then find and click on “Developer Tools” in the menu that appears.
Squarespace external API keys
At the top of this page, click the “External API Keys” option.
Here’s where you’ll paste your GA4 Measurement ID. Remember, this is the one that starts with “G-”.
Add GA4 Measurement ID to Squaresapce
Squarespace will now start sending data to your GA4 property.
Once you’ve added your Measurement ID, don’t forget to enable Enhanced Measurement in your GA4 property, as explained earlier. This will ensure you’re getting the most out of your analytics setup.
And there you have it. You’ve successfully added Google Analytics 4 to your Squarespace site.
Remember, it might take a day or two before you start seeing data in your GA4 reports, so don’t panic if you don’t see immediate results.
Connecting Google Analytics 4 to Wix
Wix
Wix allows millions of users to create stunning websites, and you can improve yours with robust analytics. The process of adding Google Analytics Wix is refreshingly simple.
First, log into your Wix account and head to the Dashboard for the site you want to add GA4 to. Look for the “Marketing” menu in the left sidebar and click on it.
Then, find and the “Google Analytics” option and click on “Connect Google Analytics”.
Connect Google Analytics to Wix
Wix will ask you to connect your account. So click the “Add Google Analytics ID” button.
Add Google Analytics ID to Wix
Next, you’ll need to enter your GA4 Measurement ID. Paste your Measurement ID into the field and click “Save.”
Add GA4 Measurement ID to Wix
Wix will now verify the connection with Google Analytics. Once the connection is verified, you’ll see a success message.
And that’s it. Wix will now start sending data to your GA4 property.
Enabling Google Analytics 4 in Webflow
Webflow
For those who love design flexibility with the convenience of a visual interface, Webflow is a go-to platform. Adding Google Analytics 4 to your Webflow site is as smooth as the platform’s drag-and-drop interface.
First, log into your Webflow account and from your dashboard click the Settings icon on your chosen website project.
Webflow project settings
Next, click the “Apps & Integrations” option in the left-hand sidebar. On this page, find the Google Analytics heading.
Here, you’ll find a field labeled “Measurement ID.” So, go ahead and paste your Google Analytics Measurement ID into this box.
Add Measurement ID for GA4 to Webflow
Once you’ve added your ID, click “Save” at the top of the page. Webflow will now start sending data to your GA4 property.
And there you have it! You’ve successfully added Google Analytics 4 to your Webflow site.
Testing and Verifying Your GA4 Setup
Great job on setting up Google Analytics 4. But before you pop the champagne, let’s make sure everything’s working as it should.
First, head over to your GA4 property and click on “Reports” in the left sidebar.
Then, select “Realtime Overview” at the top. This report shows you what’s happening on your site right now.
GA4 Realtime Overview report
To test it out, open your website in a new tab and navigate around a bit. You should see your activity appear in the Real-time report within a few seconds.
If you do, congratulations. Your basic tracking is up and running.
But what if you’re not seeing any data? Don’t panic! Here are a few things to check:
Make sure you’re looking at the right property in GA4.
Double-check that you’ve added the correct Measurement ID to your website.
If you’re using a caching plugin on WordPress, try clearing the cache.
For more advanced setups, you’ll want to verify that your events and conversions are tracking correctly. You can do this by setting up some test events and checking if they appear in your Google Analytics reports.
If you’re looking to take your analytics game up a notch, Google Tag Manager (GTM) might be just what you need. It’s like a Swiss Army knife for website tracking, and it plays nicely with Google Analytics 4.
You might be wondering, “Why bother with another tool?” Well, GTM has some pretty cool benefits:
Code Management: Instead of cluttering your site with various tracking codes, GTM lets you manage all your tags in one place. It’s like having a tidy toolbox for all your analytics needs.
Advanced Tracking: Want to track specific button clicks or form submissions? GTM makes it easy to set up custom events without touching your website’s code.
Quick Updates: Need to add or change a tracking pixel? With GTM, you can do it in minutes, without waiting for your web developer to make changes.
Improved Site Speed: GTM is designed to load your tags efficiently, which can help keep your site running smoothly.
To get started, you’ll need to create a GTM account and container.
Create a Google Tag Manager Account
Think of the container as a bucket for all your tags.
Google Tag Manager Container setup
Once you’ve set up your container, you’ll add the GTM code to your website. This code goes on every page, similar to the GA4 tag.
Google Tag Manager code
Next, you’ll set up a GA4 configuration tag in GTM. This is where you’ll enter your GA4 Measurement ID.
Google Analytics tag configuration
Finally, you’ll create a trigger to fire your GA4 tag on all pages.
Trigger GTM on all pages
Once you’ve got GTM set up, you can start adding more advanced tracking. Want to see how far people scroll down your pages? Or track when people click on your “Contact Us” button? GTM makes all of this possible without needing to edit your website’s code directly.
If you’re interested in learning more about setting up GTM with GA4, Google has some great resources:
Remember, while GTM can be super powerful, it’s also more complex than a basic GA4 setup. If you’re just getting started with analytics, you might want to stick with the standard GA4 installation for now. You can always add GTM later when you’re ready to dive into more advanced tracking.
A Simpler Way to View Your GA4 Data
Congratulations on setting up Google Analytics 4. You’ve taken a big step towards understanding your website and audience better.
While GA4 is powerful, it can be overwhelming. This is where that solution I mentioned earlier comes in: OnePageGA.
OnePageGA Simple One Page GA4 Dashboard
It’s designed to simplify your GA4 data, presenting key metrics like total visitors, top traffic sources, and most popular pages on a single, easy-to-read dashboard.
OnePageGA Dashboard
Remember, the goal of analytics is to help you make smarter decisions about your website. Don’t get lost in complex features – focus on the data that matters most for your goals.
If you’re finding GA4 challenging or just want a more streamlined approach, give OnePageGA a try. It could be the tool you need to make sense of your data without the headache.
Are you looking for Google Analytics 4 pros and cons to see if it’s worth it? You’re not alone. It’s a scenario many website owners currently find themselves in.
GA4 is Google’s new way to track how people use your website. It’s a significant update from the previous version, but people are divided about it largely due to its complexity.
So, should you spend time learning GA4? Will it actually help your business?
In this guide, I’ll examine Google Analytics 4’s pros and cons and help you decide if it’s right for you.
What Is Google Analytics 4 (GA4) & Why’s It Different?
GA4 is an updated version of Google Analytics that allows you to track how people use your website and apps. It’s quite different from the old version, with several important changes.
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The new GA4 aims to give you a fuller picture of how people interact with your site. It uses new ways to collect data and understand user behavior, which can take some getting used to.
But these new features also offer more detailed insights into how people interact with your site or app.
Now that we understand how GA4 differs, you might wonder if it’s right for you. To help answer that, I’ve been testing GA4 on my projects and have put together my findings.
What Are the Pros of Google Analytics 4?
First, I’ll look at the benefits of using GA4 on your business website.
One key advantage is seeing how people move between your website and app. This insight can shape your marketing strategy and help you improve each platform.
Another benefit is having all your data in one place. Gone are the days of juggling separate Google Analytics reports for your website and app. This not only saves time but also makes spotting trends easier.
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But how does this work in practice? Let’s look at a real example:
Imagine you run an online store. GA4 might show that customers using both your website and app spend more than those using just one. Armed with this information, you could encourage website-only customers to try your app, potentially boosting sales.
2. Deeper Engagement Insights
GA4 introduces new ways to measure how people interact with your site. Two key metrics are “engaged sessions” and “engagement rate.” These give you a better picture of how interested visitors are in your content.
An engaged session is when a user spends at least 10 seconds on your site, views more than one page, or completes a conversion event. This tells you more than just how many people visit your site – it shows who’s interested in what you offer.
The engagement rate is the percentage of sessions that were engaged. A high engagement rate means your content is capturing people’s attention.
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These new metrics can help you in several ways:
Improve your content: If certain pages have a low engagement rate, you might need to make them more interesting or useful.
Spot technical issues: A sudden drop in engagement could mean a problem with your site that’s turning visitors away.
Measure campaign success: Beyond counting clicks, you can see if your ads bring in engaged visitors who are likely to become customers.
For example, let’s say you run a blog. You might find that posts with videos have a much higher engagement rate than text-only posts. This could lead you to include more video content to keep visitors on your site longer.
3. AI-Powered Predictions
One of GA4’s more exciting features is its use of artificial intelligence (AI) to make predictions. This is helpful, especially because cookie restrictions make user tracking more difficult.
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GA4’s AI can fill in data gaps and even predict what users might do in the future by:
Filling in missing data: If some users don’t allow cookies, GA4 can estimate what they might have done based on similar users. This gives you a more complete picture of your site’s performance.
Predicting customer behavior: GA4 can predict things like which users will likely make a purchase in the next week. This helps you focus your marketing efforts on the right people.
Spotting trends early: The AI can identify patterns in your data that might be hard for a human to see. This can help you catch new trends before your competitors do.
For example, if you run an online store, GA4 might predict that customers who view a certain product are likely to purchase it within 3 days. You could use this information to send these customers a timely email reminder or special offer.
4. Free Analytics for Everyone
One of the best aspects of GA4 is that it offers powerful tools at no cost. This is great news, particularly for small businesses and new startups.
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GA4 gives you access to advanced tools that used to be only for big companies with lots of money. Now, whether you have a personal blog or a growing online store, you can use the same powerful analytics as major businesses.
This means you can make smart decisions based on data, without spending money. You can compete better with bigger businesses and grow your online presence using top-notch tools.
5. Flexible Event Tracking
GA4 makes it easier to track what people do on your website. Instead of just counting page views, it looks at “events.” An event can be anything a user does, like clicking a button, watching a video, or filling out a form.
The best part is how flexible this system is. GA4 automatically tracks some common events for you. But you can also create your own custom events to track exactly what matters to your business.
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For example, let’s say you have a music streaming website. You could create custom events to track when someone:
Plays a song
Creates a playlist
Shares a song with a friend
Upgrades to a premium account
GA4 lets you add extra information to these events, too. These are called “parameters.” For our music website example, you could add parameters like:
The genre of the song played
How long someone listened to a song
What time of day they usually listen
This system allows you to track almost anything on your site. It gives you a clearer picture of how people use your website, which helps you improve it.
6. Advanced Analysis with BigQuery
GA4 has another unique feature for people who want to dig deeper into their data. It connects easily with BigQuery, a tool for quickly analyzing huge amounts of data.
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Here’s how this can help your business:
More Data: With BigQuery, you can look at all your raw data, not just the summaries GA4 shows you. This means you can ask more detailed questions about how people use your site.
Custom Reports: You can create your own reports that show exactly what you want to know. This is great if GA4’s regular reports don’t quite fit your needs.
Combine Data: You can combine your GA4 data with other information, like sales or customer information, to get a complete picture of your business.
Historical Data: BigQuery lets you keep your data for longer than GA4 does. This is useful for looking at long-term trends.
It’s Free (to start): Google lets you export your GA4 data to BigQuery for free, up to a certain amount. However, you’ll need to pay if you use it a lot.
While BigQuery is more complex to use than regular GA4, it opens up a world of possibilities for better understanding your data. If you’re comfortable with data analysis or have someone on your team who is, BigQuery can be a game-changer.
7. Direct Marketing Integrations
GA4 works well with other marketing tools, especially Google Ads. This means you can easily use your website data to improve your ads.
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This connection between GA4 and your marketing tools allows for better ad targeting, helping your ads reach the right people more often. As a result, you can see how your ads are performing alongside your website data, making it easier to understand which ads bring in customers.
One of the most powerful features is the ability to create custom audiences. You can group people who’ve done specific things on your site and then show ads just to them. For instance, you could display a special offer to people who’ve visited your site but have yet to purchase.
While GA4 has many great features, it also has some problems. Having used it on various websites, I’ve run into some issues that you should know about.
These problems aren’t deal-breakers. They’re more like challenges you can overcome if you know how to handle them.
1. Steeper Learning Curve
One of the biggest challenges with GA4 is that it’s pretty different from the old Google Analytics. It looks at website data in a new way, which can be hard to get used to at first.
Instead of simply counting page views, GA4 tries to understand how people really use your site. It focuses on ‘events’ rather than just pageviews and sessions. While this can give you better insights about your visitors, you might have to relearn how to find the information you need.
The layout and reports are new, and even how you set up tracking has changed.
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In GA4, you need to think more about what specific actions you want to track on your site, which is tricky if you’re not used to it.
2. Limited Historical Data
Another challenge with GA4 is that you can’t see your old data from Universal Analytics. UA is gone, so you can’t look at your old numbers anymore.
This is difficult if you would like to compare this year’s data with last year’s. You can’t do that easily with GA4.
But there are ways to deal with this:
If you saved your old UA data before it disappeared, you can still use it. If not, you’ll have to start fresh with GA4.
Focus on collecting good data in GA4 from now on. You can’t get the old data back, but you can make sure you have good data going forward.
Think about what numbers really matter for your business. GA4 shows you some new things that UA didn’t.
Use your first year of GA4 data as a starting point. You can compare future years to this.
Losing your old data is tough, but GA4 gives you new ways to understand your website. As time passes and you collect more data in GA4, not having the old data will matter less.
3. Less Developed Reporting Interface
Many people find GA4’s reports harder to use than the old Google Analytics. The way GA4 shows data is quite different and can be confusing at first.
In the old Google Analytics, you could easily find common reports like pageviews or bounce rates. In GA4, these reports look different or might not exist in the same way. This means you have to dig around more to find the information you want.
Also, some standard reports in the old version are now “custom reports” in GA4. You have to set them up yourself, which can be tricky if you’re not used to it.
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But it’s not all bad news. Google is always working to make GA4 better. They’re adding new features and making things easier to use all the time. Plus, once you get used to it, GA4’s reports can give you more detailed information than the old version.
GA4 and Privacy: A Double-Edged Sword
GA4 takes a new approach to privacy, which can be both a pro and a con, depending on your perspective. According to the Google Analytics Data Controls Guide:
Rising consumer expectations and changing industry regulations have set higher standards for user privacy and data protection. This has led many businesses to revisit how they are managing data in their Google Analytics accounts.
One big change is that GA4 relies less on cookies. Cookies are small files that websites use to track users, but many people don’t like them because they feel invasive.
Instead, GA4 uses other ways to understand user behavior. It looks at what pages people visit, how long they stay on your site, and what actions they take (like clicking buttons or watching videos).
This privacy-focused approach has some benefits and drawbacks:
Benefits of GA4’s Privacy Approach
Limitations of GA4’s Privacy Approach
Provides useful visitor information even without cookies
Less detailed information about individual users
Better compliance with new privacy laws
Harder to track specific user journeys
Gives users more control over their data, building trust
Some reports may not show data if there aren’t enough users
Slight differences in numbers between reports due to data estimation
To work with these limitations, you might need to focus more on overall trends rather than individual user behavior. You can also use GA4’s AI features to get insights that don’t rely on personal user data.
Do You Really Need All That Data?
GA4 provides a wealth of information, but are you really using all of it? Many website owners are drowning in data, trying to figure out how to use it effectively.
Most businesses only need a few key numbers to make good decisions. Do you really need to know every detail about your visitors? Or do you just need to know how many people visit your site, where they’re coming from, what they’re doing, and whether they’re converting?
OnePageGA simplifies GA4 data, giving you just the insights you need without the complexity:
See all your key metrics on one page
Focus on what really impacts your business
Quick setup and pre-built reports
No fluff: Just the data you need
With OnePageGA, you get the benefits of GA4’s data collection without the complex interface.
OnePageGA simple single page GA4 dashboard report
Is Google Analytics 4 Worth It for You?
We’ve looked at GA4’s strengths and weaknesses. It’s a powerful tool, but it can be challenging to use and takes a lot of time to understand.
If GA4 feels too complicated, OnePageGA might just be the choice for you. It takes GA4 data and makes it easy to understand, allowing you to get the important information without all the confusion.
If you want to simplify your analytics but still get the benefits of GA4, try OnePageGA free for 14 days to see if it works.
If you have questions or want to join the conversation, you can also find us on X.
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Easy Google Analytics 4: A Simple Guide on How It Works
Posted on -
Written By:
Stacey Corrin
Contents
Are you missing out on easy Google Analytics insights about your website traffic? Google Analytics 4 (GA4) has the answers, but many website owners find it too hard to use.
Luckily, you’ve come to the right place.
In this guide, I’ll make easy Google Analytics a reality. You’ll learn how it works, how to set it up, and how to quickly get the insights you need for your business website.
What Is Google Analytics 4?
Google Analytics 4 (GA4), used by over 14.2 million websites, is a powerful tool from Google that tracks user behavior on your website. It shows you where your visitors are coming from, what pages they’re looking at, and how long they stay.
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This information helps you understand what’s working and what isn’t so you can improve your website and get better results for your business.
What Exactly Does Google Analytics Do?
Google Analytics shows you what people are doing on your website. It tells you where they come from (like Google Search, Facebook, or other websites), what device they’re using (computer, phone, or tablet), and where they’re located.
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GA4 also tracks what pages they visit, how long they stay on each page, and if they do things like fill out a form or buy something. Basically, it helps you understand how people use your website so you can make it better.
How to Use Google Analytics 4
You’re probably wondering if Google Analytics is easy to use. The truth is many website owners find the amount of data in GA4 overwhelming. It’s a lot to take in, and even after 10+ years of using it, I still sometimes find it confusing.
However, with a little effort and the right tools, understanding Google Analytics is manageable. Once you know where to look and what to focus on, GA4 can be a valuable asset for your business. And that’s exactly what I’ll teach you in this tutorial.
Let’s dive in.
Step 1. Create a Google Analytics Account
First, you’ll need a Google account. If you already use Gmail, Drive, or any other Google service, you’re good to go. If not, head over to accounts.google.com and create one. It’s quick and free.
Another popular option is Google Tag Manager. This tool allows you to manage all your website tags (including your GA4 tracking code) in one place. It’s a bit more advanced, but it gives you greater flexibility and control.
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If you’re not using WordPress or prefer a more hands-on approach, you can add the tracking code directly to your website’s HTML. Google Analytics provides instructions for this, but it’s generally best for users comfortable editing code.
The tracking code needs to be added to every page you want to track, usually within the <head> section of your HTML. It’s a small snippet of code, but it’s essential for collecting data.
Step 3. Enable Conversion Tracking
If you want Google Analytics to tell you how many visitors are taking action on your website (like signing up for your newsletter, filling out a form, or buying a product), you need to set up conversion tracking.
GA4 can automatically track some of these things, like file downloads and video views, with its “Enhanced Measurement” feature. But there are a few limitations.
For example, the video tracking only works with YouTube videos, and the form tracking might have issues if you’re also using a Facebook Pixel.
To turn on Enhanced Measurement, click the Admin cog at the bottom left of your GA4 screen, then click the “Data Streams” option.
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Here, click on your website’s data stream.
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Then, you’ll see the “Enhanced Measurement” section. Make sure it’s switched on. You can even click the little cog icon to choose exactly what you want GA4 to track automatically.
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Now, you can tell GA4 which of these automatically tracked events you want to count as conversions. These are called “key events” in GA4.
To do this, go back to the Admin cog and click “Events”.
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Then click the toggle switch next to the events you want to mark as conversions.
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Now, whenever someone completes one of these actions, GA4 will count it as a conversion.
A Quick Guide to GA4 Reports
Once you’ve set up GA4, you can access its reports to understand your website’s performance. When you first log in, you’ll see the home dashboard, which gives you a quick overview of key metrics like users, new users, engagement time, and event count.
On the left-hand side, you’ll find the navigation menu. Click “Reports” to access a deeper dive into your website’s data.
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Realtime Report
This report shows you what’s happening on your website right now. How many people are on your site at this very moment? What pages are they looking at?
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This report is great for tracking the immediate impact of a new campaign or social media post.
Acquisition Report
This report tells you where your visitors are coming from (Google Search, social media, other websites, or direct traffic).
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This helps you understand the most effective marketing efforts and where to focus your resources. If you drill down into this report, you can see which specific sources drive the most traffic to your site.
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Engagement Report
This report shows you what people are doing on your website – which pages they visit, how long they stay, and if they complete specific actions (like filling out a form or adding a product to their cart).
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The Pages and Screens report is particularly useful here, showing you metrics for each page on your site.
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Monetization
If you sell products online, the monetization report tracks sales data, revenue, and other key e-commerce metrics. To use it effectively, you’ll need to set up e-commerce tracking.
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Demographics and Tech Reports
The Demographics report provides information about your audience, such as age, location, gender, and interests.
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Similarly, the tech report details the technology they use to access your website, such as the device type, browser, and operating system.
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With this information, you can tailor your content and marketing efforts to suit the type of audience interested in your business.
Now, this is a very simplified overview of how reporting works in GA4. You can find more information by digging into individual reports, parameters, and specific audiences.
However, this can quickly become confusing. That’s why, next, I’ll introduce an easier way to find the metrics that matter most to a growing business website.
Get Easy Google Analytics Reports
Many website owners wish there was a simpler way to see the most important metrics about their website’s performance without digging through complex reports and data they don’t understand. They want a clear, concise overview of what’s working and what’s not.
OnePageGA – Simple and easy to understand one page Google Analytics 4 dashboard.
It’s a simple, easy-to-use, one-page dashboard for Google Analytics 4 that brings back the simplicity and clarity of the old Google Analytics.
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With OnePageGA, you see all the key metrics on a single page at a glance. No more clicking through endless reports.
You’ll see only the metrics that truly matter for growing your business so you can quickly identify what needs attention.
Setting up OnePageGA is quick and easy. Just connect your GA4 account, and you’re ready to go in minutes. No complicated settings to configure.
Connecting OnePageGA to Google Analytics
You also get pre-built Google Analytics reports designed to give you instant, actionable insights. This saves you valuable time and effort, allowing you to focus on improving your website.
Get Started with Easy Google Analytics
We’ve covered a lot in this guide, from setting up your GA4 account to understanding its various reports. While GA4 can be powerful, it can also be overwhelming.
Remember, the goal is to use your website data to make informed decisions and grow your business. Don’t get bogged down in the complexity of GA4. Focus on the metrics that matter most to you.
If you’re looking for a simpler, more streamlined way to access and understand your Google Analytics data, give OnePageGA a try. It’s designed to make GA4 easy, even for beginners.
Ready to get easy Google Analytics and start seeing real results?