Google Analytics 4 Guide - Getting Started

Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is the latest version of Google's web analytics tool that fully replaced Universal Analytics as of July 2023. If you're just starting with traffic analysis on your site or transitioning from the old version, this guide will walk you through everything you need to know to start with GA4 in 2026.

What is Google Analytics 4

Google Analytics 4 is a completely new approach to web analytics that differs from the previous version (Universal Analytics) at a fundamental level. Instead of relying on sessions and pageviews, GA4 uses an event-based model. Every user interaction with your site is recorded as an event - page view, button click, scroll, file download, purchase. This approach provides much more detailed insight into user behavior.

GA4 also better tracks users across different devices and platforms. If the same user visits your site from a phone in the morning and a laptop in the afternoon, GA4 can recognize them as the same person (if signed in). Also, GA4 is designed with privacy in mind - it works better in a world without third-party cookies and uses machine learning to fill gaps in data.

How to set up GA4 on your site

To start with GA4, you need a Google account. Go to analytics.google.com and click "Start measuring". Enter your account name (can be your company name), then create a new property with your site name. Choose the time zone and currency that match your market (for example, Europe/London, EUR).

After creating the property, you'll get a Measurement ID that looks like "G-XXXXXXXXXX". You need to embed this ID into your site. The easiest way is to use Google Tag Manager (GTM) - create a new tag with the type "Google Analytics: GA4 Configuration", enter the Measurement ID, and set it to fire on all pages.

If you don't want to use GTM, you can directly embed the GA4 code on your site. Add the following code in the head section of every page, replacing G-XXXXXXXXXX with your Measurement ID. For WordPress, use a plugin like "Site Kit by Google" which automatically configures everything without touching code.

After embedding the code, wait 24-48 hours for GA4 to start collecting data. You can verify the code works correctly using the Realtime report in GA4 - open your site in a new tab and check whether an active user appears in the Realtime report.

Key reports in GA4

GA4 organizes reports into several main sections. The Realtime report shows what's happening on your site right now - how many users are active, where they come from, which pages they view, and which events they trigger. This is useful for checking whether newly published content is getting attention or whether a marketing campaign is driving traffic.

The Acquisition report shows how users arrive at your site. You can see how much traffic comes from organic search. Improve organic traffic with our SEO beginner's guide, from social networks, direct access, email campaigns, or paid ads. This helps you understand which marketing channels are most effective and where to invest more resources.

The Engagement report is perhaps the most important in GA4. Here you see how much time users spend on your site, which pages they visit most, what the bounce rate is, and which events they trigger. Engagement rate in GA4 replaces bounce rate from Universal Analytics and gives a better picture of whether users actually engage with your content.

The Monetization report is important for e-commerce sites because it shows revenue, top-selling products, average order value, and purchase conversions. Even if you don't sell online, you can set conversion values for contact forms, phone calls, and other goals to measure your site's ROI.

The Retention report shows how many users return to your site. This is a key metric for blogs and sites that rely on regular visitors. You can see what percentage of users return after the first day, week, or month and compare different periods.

Events in GA4

Events are the heart of the GA4 system. Every interaction is an event, and there are four categories. Automatically collected events are recorded without any configuration - these are page_view, first_visit, session_start, and user_engagement. Enhanced measurement events are automatically collected if you enable this option - scroll, outbound clicks, site search, video engagement, and file downloads.

Recommended events are standardized events Google recommends for certain industries. For e-commerce these are add_to_cart, begin_checkout, purchase. For lead generation these are generate_lead and sign_up. Using standard event names allows GA4 to automatically generate relevant reports.

Custom events are events you define for specific interactions on your site. For example, you can create an event for clicking a "Request a quote" button, for playing a video, or for filling out a contact form. You can create custom events through GTM or directly in the GA4 interface using the "Create events" option.

Conversions in GA4

Conversions in GA4 are events you've marked as important for your business. Unlike Universal Analytics where you defined goals with complex configuration, in GA4 you simply mark any event as a conversion with one click. Go to Admin > Events, find the event you want to track as a conversion, and toggle "Mark as conversion".

Typical conversions for business sites are completed contact forms, phone calls, document downloads, newsletter signups, and purchases. For each conversion you can set a value - for example, if you know each contact form lead is worth on average €42, you can set that value to measure the total conversion value.

GA4 also offers advanced attribution models that show you which marketing channels contribute to conversions. Data-driven attribution uses machine learning to determine how much credit belongs to each touchpoint in the user's journey to conversion. This is much more accurate than the old "last click" model where all credit went to the last channel.

Differences between GA4 and Universal Analytics

If you used Universal Analytics, you've probably noticed GA4 looks completely different. The most important difference is the move from a session-based model to an event-based model. In Universal Analytics, the session was the basic unit of measurement. In GA4, every interaction is an event, and the session is just one of the parameters.

Bounce rate in GA4 is different. In Universal Analytics, a bounce was a visit with only one page view. In GA4, an engaged session is a session that lasts more than 10 seconds, has a conversion, or has two or more page views. Bounce rate is the percentage of sessions that are not engaged. This means a user who reads an entire article for 5 minutes but doesn't go to another page is no longer a bounce in GA4.

GA4 has no Views like Universal Analytics. Instead, it uses Data Streams that can combine data from a web site and mobile app in one property. Also, GA4 has no sampling for standard reports in the free version, which means you always see exact data without approximations.

Useful tips for beginners

Connect GA4 with Google Search Console to see which searches your site appears for and how many clicks you get. This is done in Admin > Product Links > Search Console. Also, connect with Google Ads if you use paid advertising to track conversions from ads.

Create custom reports in the Explore section for analysis not covered by standard reports. For example, Funnel exploration shows where users drop off in the purchase process, and Path exploration shows typical user paths through your site.

Set up Audiences for segmenting users. For example, you can create an audience of users who visited the pricing page but didn't make a purchase - you can use this audience for remarketing in Google Ads. GA4 allows up to 100 audiences per property.

Conclusion

Google Analytics 4 is a powerful tool that gives you detailed insight into the behavior of your site's visitors. Use it together with the Search Console tool for a complete picture. Start with the basic setup, mark key events as conversions, and regularly monitor Acquisition and Engagement reports. Over time, explore advanced features like custom reports and audiences. For help setting up GA4 on your site, the BeoHosting team is at your disposal.