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March 5th, 2024 | 2 min. read
By Kim Kovelle
If you’re like many small- to mid-sized companies, you probably have Google Analytics, or GA4, linked to your website. But are you using it?
“About 95% of our clients have GA4 set up, but just the basics,” says Zoe Marketing & Communications analyst Carlos Figuera. “Usually, their web developer set it up; from there, they may only glance at it.”
That means key settings could be missing.
Luckily, it’s an easy fix. Here, we’ll explain why GA4 matters and cover four must-dos.
Google Analytics tracks who visits your site, how they found you and what they do.
“Without GA4 set up, you are blind,” Figuera says. “You don’t know what people are doing on your site or what they’re engaging with.”
It also measures how your marketing efforts perform, helping you spend strategically.
Be selective about who has access to GA4. If you’re unsure, check and clean it up.
In GA4, click the “Admin” gear icon (⚙️) → “Account access management.” You’ll see roles like:
“Use Administrator sparingly for trusted team members and your web developer,” Figuera says. “If you’re working with an agency, Analyst or Viewer access is usually enough.”
Most businesses that contact Zoe have GA4 synced to their site, but it’s worth double-checking.
To confirm:
Then, test it:
By default, GA4 only stores two months of data. “That makes tracking trends over time really difficult,” Figuera says.
To fix this:
“It’s not super obvious, and sometimes businesses miss it,” Figuera says, “but it’s super easy.”
Events track what users do on your site — like clicking a link, watching a video or submitting a form. These insights help you optimize content and conversions.
To see your tracked events:
“Often, I find that businesses only have basic events set up,” Figuera says.
To track more actions, enable enhanced events under “Admin” → “Data Streams” → “Enhanced measurement.”
These include:
For deeper tracking, GA4 offers recommended events like “Generate lead,” which tracks form submissions.
GA4 is a powerful tool, but it can feel overwhelming. We’ve covered four key areas to help: managing access, ensuring data flow, extending data retention and tracking events.
Need more help? Talk to us. Zoe Marketing & Communications works with clients to track GA4 results with custom events and detailed reporting.
To dig deeper into GA4, explore these resources:
As Zoe Marketing & Communications’ content manager, Kim Kovelle brings over 20 years of writing and editing experience in metro Detroit. She has strong roots in community journalism and a knack for making complicated topics make more sense.
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