Google Analytics 4 Setup Guide for Small Business

GA4 Setup Done Right

Google Analytics 4 requires different setup than Universal Analytics. Here is a practical guide for small businesses.

Basic Setup

• Create GA4 property in Google Analytics
• Install GA4 tag via Google Tag Manager
• Enable enhanced measurement
• Set up data streams

Essential Events to Track

• Page views (automatic)
• Scroll depth (automatic)
• Form submissions (custom event)
• Button clicks (custom event)
• Video engagement (automatic with YouTube)

Conversions

Mark these as conversions: - Contact form submissions - Phone number clicks - Chat initiations - Purchase completions

Reports to Create

• Traffic by source/medium
• Top pages by engagement
• Conversion path analysis
• User demographics

Common Mistakes

• Not setting up conversions
• Ignoring debug view during setup
• Missing cross-domain tracking
• Not connecting to Search Console