How to Setup and Install Google Analytics 4

In the fast-paced global of Digital Marketing, understanding the ins and outs of your website business is not just useful – it is crucial. Whether you own a digital marketing agency, a performance marketing agency, or are closely involved in brand strategy development, one reigning tool is Google Analytics 4.

This complete guide is designed to simply and concisely stroll you through the system of setting up and installing Google Analytics 4: no complex terminology, simply simple steps to help you harness the full capacity of this indispensable platform.

Google Analytics 4 opens up a treasure trove of insights for those guiding the ship in a Digital Marketing Agency.  It empowers you to degree the impact of your campaigns, song consumer conduct, and in the long run, create significant upgrades for your clients. Similarly, if you are part of a  performance marketing agency or brand strategy development, this tool could be your compass, guiding you to information-driven selections that increase campaign effectiveness and ROI.

Even in case you are targeted at brand strategy development, Google Analytics 4 is your ally. It presents the facts-backed insights needed to refine your techniques, ensuring alignment with your target audience. Understanding how customers interact with your brand online is crucial to developing an approach that now not only captures interest but also fosters lasting relationships.

In this article, we will go through the setup process step by step. Whether you have a robust experience in marketing or are just starting to explore the world, this guide or article is designed to cater to your needs. By the end, you will have an understanding of how to make the most out of GA4 or Google Analytics 4.

So, without wasting your precious time. Let us start our journey to set up and Install Google Analytics 4. 

Google Analytics 4 in a nutshell

Google Analytics, or GA, is a service for reporting developed by Google. The service tool comes with the ability to gather valuable insight into the traffic of websites and mobile applications. This service tool is frequently considered to be a basic service tool along with the Google Search Console that anyone can use for digital marketing agency and SEO or search engine optimization. 

Till now, there are three versions of GA or Google Analytics tool or service. The following are the details about the three versions of Google Analytics:

• Universal Analytics: Universal Analytics, also known as UA, is the older version of Google Analytics. This version was released in 2005. However, this version stopped processing data on 1 July 2023 to force people to shift to Google Analytics 4.

• Google Analytics 4:  Google Analytics 4 or GA4 is the latest and most recent version of Google Analytics. This version was officially released in 2020. This version is entirely free. It means that you can measure the traffic and engagement in your mobile app and website without spending a penny. 

This documentation provides implementation instruction and material for reference gathered towards the audience of developers. This tool uses event-based data and can describe the journey of customers in a better manner. This service tool also comes with more substantial support for reporting of cross-device.  Remember, GA4 is the default version of Google Analytics. Now, it is the only option for tracking analytics. 

•  Google Analytics 360: Google Analytics 360 is a paid version of Google Analytics. This version is aimed at organizations or businesses at the enterprise level. The properties of this version of Google Analytics get a one-time processing extension. Moreover, these property extensions are to end on 1 July 2024.

We hope that all your doubts about Google Analytics 4 have ended now. Remember, this service tool is among the best tools for analytics in brand strategy development. 

Reasons to use Google Analytics 4

Google Analytics 4 is among the most powerful tools that can be used to get valuable insight for performance marketing agencies. However, some people are still confused about whether they should use this analytics tool or not. If you are among those, then you must read the following reasons that will clarify all your doubts about why you should use Google Analytics 4 or GA4:

• The most significant reason to use GA4 or Google Analytics 4 is the service tool is completely free and fully automated. Even if you have a brand new website, then this service tool will begin monitoring and gathering information instantly after connecting to your website. 

• It shows how people come to your website. Yes, you read it right. Google Analytics 4 comes with the capability to demonstrate the way users come to your website. The service tool can monitor how many users of websites comes from search results, paid ads, third-party website, and other sources. 

• The service tool also comes with the ability to tell who the people visiting your website. It means that you can see their demographics, their interests, and even the device and browser that they are using to visit your website. Apart from these insights, you can see other similar things or facts with the help of this service tool.

• The service tool can also help you to know what people are doing on your website. Yes, you guessed it right. You will have the capability to find out what action they take, which page they visit, how much time they spend on your website page, and more.

• The service tool also comes with the ability to showcase how well your website performs its duty by tracking the conversion rate. For instance, you can see the number of visitors who filled out a form, subscribed to a newsletter, or even made a purchase. 

The list of reasons to use Google Analytics 4 has not ended here. Apart from these reasons, there are other reasons to use GA4. You can also enjoy these benefits by working with NJ Graphica because they have a team of experts that can perform numerous marketing tasks. Moreover, we can also help you to get the numbers that you want to see on Google Analytics 4 or GA4.

How to set up Google Analytics 4?

Setting up Google Analytics 4 or GA4 is among the most crucial things that you can perform to make your online journey a win-win situation. The following are the steps that you should follow to set up your GA4 or Google Analytics 4 for your digital marketing agency or other agencies or businesses: 

1. Create your account in Google Analytics 4

If you want to set up Google Analytics 4 or GA4 for your business or company, like a performance marketing agency, then you should create your account on Google Analytics 4 or GA4.

 We would recommend skipping this step if you already have an account with this service tool unless you want to create a separate or another account for the app or website for which you are setting up Google Analytics 4 or GA4. For example, you might want to create another account if this website or app belongs to a separate business.

Let us look at the steps that you should follow to create your account on Google Analytics 4 or GA4:

• Visit the official website of Google Analytics 4 or GA4 at https://analytics.google.com

• Now, you should head to the section of Admin. After visiting admin, you should click on Create. Now, you should choose the account button to begin creating your account. 

• Now, you should fill in the name of your account. After providing the name, configure the setting of data-sharing to control which type of data you want to share with Google.

• Now, click on the button next to begin creating your first property. 

2. Create a  property

After creating your account, you are required to create your first property. Remember, you need the editor role to include a property in your Google Analytics account for brand strategy development. However, if you have created this account yourself, you will automatically get the editor role. 

Below are the steps that you should follow to create your first property:

• Visit the Admin section and click on Create. Now, you should select Property. If you are continuing from the creating account step, then you should ignore this step.

• Enter the name of the property. Now, choose the reporting time zone and region. 

• Now click the “Next” button. Select the category of the industry and business size.

• Now, choose how you want to use this tool after clicking on the next button.

• Click the button Create. If you are setting up a new account, then you also have to accept the terms of services and the Data procession amendment of the Analytics. 

Remember, you are only allowed to create 2000 properties to an account of Google Analytics. However, if you want to increase the limit, then you should consult your support representative. 

3. Add a data stream.

A Data stream is a flow of data from a touchpoint of a customer or user. Websites, app, and more are a few touchpoints that a customer or user use. This is a source of information that is fed to the property of Google Analytics. The following are the steps that you should follow to add a data stream:

• Go to the section of Admin.

• Click data stream 

• Click iOS, Android app, or Web.

When you add a data stream to Google Analytics 4, then the GA4 or Google Analytics 4 will generate a snippet of code that you have to add to your website or mobile app. Adding that code to your website or mobile app will help you to collect data from those apps or websites.

That’s it! You have successfully created and set up Google Analytics 4 or GA4 for your website or app.  However, you will not be able to see data and insight into your Google Analytics 4 or GA4 property now. Suppose you want to see the data of your Google Analytics 4 or GA4 for businesses like performance marketing agencies. In that case, you should install Google Analytics 4 or GA4 on your website or mobile app. 

How to install Google Analytics 4?

As mentioned above, Google Analytics 4 or GA4 is among the most valuable tools for the owners of websites or apps. This service tool can provide you and other people, like performance marketing agencies, with numerous benefits. However, you must install this service tool on your website to get access to the benefits of this tool. There are three methods of installing Google Analytics 4 to your website or app. Let us understand all these methods of installing Google Analytics 4 in detail:

1. Install Google Analytics 4 with the help of plug-ins.

Installing Google Analytics with the help or assistance of plugins is among the best options for a famous content management system with built-in support for Google Analytics 4 or GA4 or plugins of GA4. WordPress, Shopify, Squarespace, and many more are examples of popular content management systems. 

Remember, there are numerous different platforms or systems. So, it would be helpful to research whether your system or platform supports Google Analytics 4 or not. If not, then you should not worry about it because maybe your system supports third-party plugins that can be installed. 

So, the question is how to find out whether your system supports it or not. You can find it by googling “(your system name) Google Analytics 4”; for example, you can search “Wordpress  Google Analytics 4.” 

After getting the instructions on Google, you should follow them to integrate your website with Google Analytics 4. For example, there are numerous plugins, like GA4WP, on WordPress.  You should install any of those plugins.

After installing the plugin, you will be asked to provide a measurement ID. You can find the ID by visiting Google Analytics > Admin > Data Streams > choosing your web data stream. At last, you will find the ID that begins with G- at the right corner. Now, copy that ID and paste the same into the settings of the plugins. Now, save the change, and you are done with the installation via plugins.

2. Install Google Analysis 4 with the help of the native tracking code

If you are working with a website that does not support native GA4 integration or GA4 plugin support, then you can ask the developers of your website to install the native GA4 tracking code directly in the source of the website.

Visit GA4 Admin > Data Streams and choose your Web Data Stream. Then click View tag instructions. Now, select the option to install manually and copy the code. Now, you should give that code to a developer and ask him or her to integrate this code in the section of <head> of all pages of your website. Done; you have installed Google Analytics 4 on your website through the native tracking code.

3. Install Google Analytics 4 with the help of Google Tag Manager.

For those people who want more flexibility and control over managing tracking codes, a third installation, Google Tag Manager (GTM), is ideal. GTM empowers users to efficiently manage and apply tracking codes to their websites. Here is the step-by-step guide on how to configure Google Analytics 4 (GA4) using GTM:

1. Install Google Tag Manager

It would be best to start the installation of Google Analytics 4 by installing Google Tag Manager on your website. 

2. Access to the measurement code or ID

After installing Google Tag Manager, you are required to log in with your GA4 account, and then you have to go to "Admin" and select "Data Streams." now you have to select the web data stream that matches your network and copy the assigned measurement ID.

3. Enter Google Tag in GTM

you should visit the section of "Tags" in your Google Tag Manager container, then you are required to click on the "New" button. Now Select "Google Tag" from the list. At last, you have to choose or select the measurement ID you copied from the GA4 interface in the "Tag ID" field,

4. Enter triggering

In the section of "Triggering," choose "Initialization - All Pages." Consider naming this tag something like "Google Tag" to help you find it easily.

5. Try the configuration

It is important to make sure that your system works as expected. Click on the button "Preview" in the top right corner of the GTM interface. This enables the preview mode, allowing you to see the new Google tag among the highlighted tags.

With the help of these steps, you can easily add GA4 to your website using Google Tag Manager for brand strategy development. This approach not only gives you greater control over your tracking codes but also simplifies the management testing process, ultimately increasing your network analysis capabilities.

Installing Google Analytics 4 or GA4 is not only the key to success. You have to perform numerous marketing tasks to succeed in the online world. NJ Graphica comes with the ability to perform numerous digital marketing tasks. Moreover, we are also experts in brand strategy development.  We have a team of experienced professionals who can help you optimize your website, create engaging content, and increase your visibility online. We can also help you with conversion rate optimization and customer segmentation.

Recapitulation

It is crucial to set up Google Analytics 4 in today's marketing world. This guide aims to simplify the process, helping businesses and agencies get the most out of it. GA4 provides insights, for monitoring campaigns and analyzing consumer behavior. NJ Graphica specializes in advertising and logo strategy offering a solution, for achieving success. NJ Graphica offers a range of services related to Google Analytics 4. These include setting up GA4 on your website, helping you to analyze consumer behavior, monitoring campaigns, optimizing website performance, and creating engaging content. Our team of experienced professionals can help you maximize the potential of your website and drive more traffic to your business. We also offer custom solutions for brand strategy development and customer segmentation.