Top tips for getting the greatest benefit from your Google Analytics budget

Google Analytics 4 (GA4) has become an essential tool for SMEs looking to understand their online presence and make informed decisions about their marketing spend. As the successor to Universal Analytics, GA4 offers a wealth of new features and capabilities. However, maximising its potential requires a strategic approach. Here are some top tips to help you get the most out of your GA4 investment.

Understand the event-based model

GA4 uses an event-based data model, which is a significant departure from the session-based approach of Universal Analytics.

Event-centric tracking: In GA4, every user interaction is tracked as an event. This includes page views, clicks, form submissions and custom events specific to your business. This approach provides a more granular view of user behaviour, allowing you to track and analyse specific actions that users take on your website or app. For example, you can track how many users click on a particular button, how long they watch a video or at what point they abandon a checkout process.

Flexible parameters: Each event can have up to 25 parameters, allowing for more detailed and customised tracking of user behaviour. These parameters can include information such as product ID, price, category or any other relevant data. This flexibility enables you to capture rich, contextual information about each event, providing deeper insights into user behaviour and preferences. For instance, you could track not just the fact that a user added an item to their cart but also what the item was, its price, the category it belongs to and whether it was at a full or discounted price.

Set up and configure GA4 properly

A well-configured GA4 property is crucial for accurate data collection and analysis.

Create a GA4 property: If you haven't already, set up a GA4 property alongside your existing Universal Analytics property. This involves going to your Google Analytics account, clicking on "Admin" and then under the "Property" column, clicking on "Create Property". Choose "Web" as your platform and follow the prompts to set up your new GA4 property. It's recommended to run GA4 in parallel with Universal Analytics for a while to ensure you're capturing all necessary data before fully transitioning.

Install the GA4 tracking code: Place the GA4 tracking code on all pages of your website. This code should be placed in the section of your HTML, preferably as close to the opening tag as possible. This ensures that the code loads quickly and can track user behaviour from the moment they land on your page. If you're using a content management system such as WordPress, there are often plugins available that can help with this implementation.

Configure data streams: Set up data streams for each platform you want to track, such as your website, iOS app and Android app. In GA4, a data stream represents a flow of data from your website or app to Analytics. To set this up, go to your GA4 property, click on "Data Streams" under the property column and then click "Add Stream". Choose the appropriate platform (Web, iOS app or Android app) and follow the setup instructions. This allows you to collect data from multiple sources in one GA4 property, providing a unified view of user behaviour across different platforms.

Define meaningful events and conversions

GA4 allows you to track a wide range of events but it's important to focus on those that are most relevant to your business goals.

Identify key user actions: Determine which user interactions are most important for your business. For example, these could be product views, add-to-cart actions or newsletter sign-ups. Start by mapping out your user journey and identifying the key touchpoints where users interact with your business. Consider both micro-conversions (smaller actions that indicate interest) and macro-conversions (major goals such as purchases). For an e-commerce site, this might include product page views, add-to-cart actions, initiating checkout and completing a purchase. For a content site, it might include article views, time spent on page, social shares and newsletter sign-ups.

Set up custom events: Create custom events to track specific interactions that are unique to your website or app. To do this, go to your GA4 property, click on "Events" under the "Configure" section, then click "Create Event". You'll need to define the conditions that trigger the event. For example, you might create a custom event for when a user watches a video for more than 30 seconds or when they interact with a specific element on your page. Custom events allow you to tailor your analytics to your specific business needs and user journey.

Mark important events as conversions: In GA4, you can mark any event as a conversion, allowing you to focus on the metrics that matter most to your business. To do this, go to your GA4 property, click on "Events" under the "Configure" section, find the event you want to mark as a conversion and toggle the "Mark as conversion" switch. This flexibility allows you to define conversions that align closely with your business goals. For instance, if you're running a lead generation campaign, you might mark form submissions as conversions. If you're focusing on engagement, you might mark events like "time on page > 2 minutes" as conversions.

Use enhanced measurement features

GA4 offers several enhanced measurement features that can provide valuable insights with minimal setup.

Automatic event tracking: GA4 can automatically track certain events such as page views, scrolls and outbound clicks. This feature saves time in setup and ensures you're capturing important user interactions without additional configuration. For example, GA4 can automatically track how far users scroll down your pages, which can provide insights into content engagement. It can also track outbound clicks, helping you understand which external links are most interesting to your users.

Enable enhanced measurement: Turn on enhanced measurement in your GA4 property settings to take advantage of these automatic tracking features. To do this, go to your GA4 property, click on "Data Streams", select your web stream and toggle on "Enhanced measurement". You can then customise which events you want to track automatically. This might include file downloads, video engagement or form interactions. By enabling these features, you can gather rich data about user behaviour without the need for complex custom tracking setups.

Use predictive metrics

One of GA4's most powerful features is its ability to use machine learning to predict future user behaviour.

Enable predictive metrics: In your GA4 property settings, you can enable predictive metrics to gain insights into potential customer actions. GA4 offers several predictive metrics, including purchase probability, churn probability and revenue prediction. To enable these, go to your GA4 property, click on "Configure", then "Conversions" and then toggle on the predictive metrics you want to use. These metrics can help you anticipate user behaviour and tailor your marketing strategies accordingly.

Use predictive audiences: Create audiences based on predictive metrics to target users who are likely to convert or churn. To do this, go to your GA4 property, click on "Configure", then "Audiences", then click "New audience". You can then create an audience based on predictive metrics, such as "Users likely to purchase in the next 7 days". These audiences can be used for targeted marketing campaigns, personalised content delivery or to inform customer retention strategies. For example, you might create a retargeting campaign for users with a high purchase probability or develop a special offer for users with a high churn probability.

Implement cross-platform tracking

If your business operates across multiple platforms, GA4's cross-platform tracking capabilities can provide a more holistic view of your user journey.

Set up User ID: Implement User ID tracking to connect user activity across different devices and platforms. This involves assigning a unique ID to each user when they log in or perform a specific action and then passing this ID to GA4 with each event. To set this up, go to your GA4 property, click on "Admin", then "Data Settings", then "Data Collection" and then enable User ID. You'll need to modify your tracking code to include the User ID with each event. This allows you to see how individual users interact with your business across different devices and sessions, providing a more complete picture of the customer journey.

Use Google Signals: Enable Google Signals to take advantage of Google's vast user data for more accurate cross-device tracking. To enable this, go to your GA4 property, click on "Admin", then "Data Settings", then "Data Collection" and then turn on Google Signals data collection. This feature uses Google's signed-in user data to provide more accurate demographic and interest reporting, as well as improved cross-device tracking. It can help you understand how users interact with your business across different devices, even when they're not logged in to your site or app.

Utilise the Analysis Hub

GA4's Analysis Hub offers powerful tools for deep-diving into your data.

Explore different analysis techniques: Familiarise yourself with the various analysis types available, such as exploration, funnel analysis and path analysis. Exploration reports allow you to drag and drop different dimensions and metrics to create custom visualisations. Funnel analysis helps you understand where users drop off in a specific process, such as a checkout flow. Path analysis shows the routes users take through your site or app. Each of these techniques can provide unique insights into user behaviour and help identify areas for improvement.

Create custom reports: Use the Analysis Hub to create tailored reports that answer your specific business questions. To do this, go to your GA4 property and click on "Analysis", then "Analysis Hub". From here, you can create a new analysis by selecting a technique and then customising the dimensions, metrics and segments. For example, you might create a custom report that shows the conversion rate for different traffic sources or a funnel analysis that tracks user progress through your on-boarding process. These custom reports allow you to focus on the metrics that matter most to your business and derive actionable insights from your data.

Keep data privacy in mind

With increasing focus on data privacy, GA4 offers several features to help you comply with regulations such as GDPR.

Use consent mode: Implement consent mode to respect user choices regarding data collection and ad personalisation. Consent mode allows you to adjust your GA4 and Google Ads tag behaviour based on user consent choices. To implement this, you'll need to modify your GA4 tracking code to include consent checks. When a user doesn't provide consent for analytics cookies, GA4 will still send pings to measure page views but with no cookies and with limited measurement. This helps you respect user privacy while still gathering some basic analytics data.

Leverage data retention controls: Configure data retention settings to align with your privacy policy and legal requirements. In GA4, go to "Admin", then "Data Settings", then "Data Retention" to set how long user and event data is kept before being automatically deleted. You can choose 2 months or 14 months or in the case of GA4 360, 26 months, 38 months, or 50 months. This feature helps you comply with data minimisation principles required by many privacy regulations. It's important to balance your need for historical data with your privacy obligations. Consider your reporting needs and legal requirements when setting this up.

Continuously learn and adapt

GA4 is a powerful tool but it requires ongoing learning and adaptation to use effectively.

Stay updated: Keep abreast of new features and updates to GA4 through Google's official documentation and reputable industry sources. Google regularly releases new features and improvements for GAFollow the Google Analytics blog, attend webinars and participate in industry forums to stay informed about these changes. This might include new report types, additional predictive metrics or improvements to existing features. Staying updated ensures you're always making the most of GA4's capabilities.

Experiment and iterate: Regularly review your GA4 setup and experiment with new features to find what works best for your business. This might involve testing different event setups, trying out new analysis techniques or adjusting your conversion definitions. For example, you might experiment with different audience definitions to see which lead to the most effective marketing campaigns or try different attribution models to better understand your customer journey. Regular experimentation and iteration help you continually refine your analytics strategy and extract more value from your data.

Consider professional help

While GA4 can be set up and used by those with good IT knowledge, getting the most out of it often requires specialised expertise.

Consult analytics experts: Consider working with GA4 specialists to help you set up advanced configurations, create custom reports and interpret complex data. These experts can help you implement advanced features such as custom dimensions and metrics, complex event tracking or integrations with other tools in your marketing stack. They can also provide insights into best practices for your specific industry and help you develop a comprehensive analytics strategy that aligns with your business goals.

Invest in training: Look into professional training courses for your team to build in-house GA4 expertise. Google offers free GA4 courses through its Analytics Academy, which can be a good starting point. There are also third-party training providers offering more in-depth GA4 courses. Transmedia is one such! Building in-house expertise can help you make better day-to-day decisions based on your analytics data and reduce reliance on external consultants. Consider creating a learning plan for your team, starting with basics and progressing to more advanced topics over time.

In conclusion, Google Analytics 4 offers SMEs powerful tools for understanding and optimising their online presence. By following these tips and continually refining your approach, you can extract maximum value from your GA4 investment. Remember, effective use of GA4 requires ongoing effort and learning. As the digital landscape evolves, so too will the strategies for leveraging GA4 to its fullest potential. Staying current with best practices and continuously adapting your approach will be key to maintaining a competitive edge in your analytics efforts.

Related Training Courses

Useful Resources

  • Google Analytics Help CenterOfficial resource from Google providing comprehensive guides, best practices, and troubleshooting tips for Google Analytics users.
  • Analytics ManiaA website dedicated to advanced Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager tutorials, written by a certified Google Analytics expert.
  • Occam's Razor by Avinash KaushikBlog by Avinash Kaushik, Digital Marketing Evangelist for Google, offering in-depth insights on web analytics and digital marketing.
  • Moz - Google AnalyticsRespected SEO company's blog section dedicated to Google Analytics, featuring expert advice and strategies.
  • ConversionXLData-driven marketing blog with a strong focus on analytics and conversion optimization.
  • Search Engine Journal - AnalyticsTrusted industry publication offering news, guides, and expert opinions on web analytics.
  • Google Analytics AcademyFree online courses directly from Google, designed to help users get the most out of Google Analytics.