Setting Up Google Analytics (GA4) Properly: A Step-by-Step Guide

Setting up Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is essential to track user interactions, optimize your website or app, and make data-driven decisions. In this blog, we'll walk through the detailed setup process of GA4 from scratch, explain each step in layman's terms, and highlight how to tailor the setup to your specific goals.

Why Setting Up GA4 Properly Matters

A well-configured GA4 account ensures:

Accurate tracking of user behavior
Proper event configuration and funnel analysis
Reliable data for marketing and business decisions
Compliance with privacy laws like GDPR

Step 1: Create a Google Analytics Account

Go to analytics.google.com
Sign in with your Google account (preferably a business email)
Click on "Admin" in the left-hand panel
Under "Account", click "+ Create Account"
Enter your account name (e.g., your company or brand name)
Choose data sharing settings as preferred

Step 2: Set Up a GA4 Property

In the Property section, click "+ Create Property"
Enter a property name (e.g., Website GA4 - 2025)
Select your reporting time zone and currency
Click Next and enter business details like industry category and size
Choose your objectives (e.g., generate leads, increase engagement)
Click Create to finish

Step 3: Set Up a Data Stream

Choose between Web, Android App, or iOS App:

For Website Tracking:

Select Web
Enter your website URL (https://yourwebsite.com)
Name your data stream (e.g., Main Website)
Enable enhanced measurement features like scroll tracking, file downloads, and video views
Click Create Stream

Step 4: Install the GA4 Tag on Your Website

There are multiple ways to do this:

A. Using Google Tag Manager (Recommended)

Go to tagmanager.google.com and set up a container
In the workspace, click Tags > New
Choose Tag Configuration > Google Analytics: GA4 Configuration
Paste your Measurement ID (starts with G-) from the GA4 Data Stream
Trigger it on All Pages
Save and publish the tag

B. Direct HTML Embed

Paste the provided GA4 tag snippet into the <head> section of your website's HTML:

<!-- Google tag (gtag.js) -->
<script async src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-XXXXXXXXXX"></script>
<script>
  window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || [];
  function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);}
  gtag('js', new Date());
  gtag('config', 'G-XXXXXXXXXX');
</script>

Replace G-XXXXXXXXXX with your measurement ID.

Step 5: Verify Installation

Open your website in a new tab
In GA4, go to Admin > DebugView
Use the Google Tag Assistant Chrome extension to validate if the tag is firing
You should see real-time data flowing into your GA4 dashboard

Step 6: Set Up Custom Events (Optional but Powerful)

Unlike UA, GA4 treats everything as an event. You can:

Track specific button clicks
Monitor form submissions
Follow shopping cart activity

Create Events in GA4:

Go to Admin > Events > Create Event
Define a custom event like button_click or checkout_initiated
Provide matching conditions (e.g., click_text contains "Subscribe")

Step 7: Link Google Products

For full functionality, connect GA4 to other Google tools:

Google Ads: Retargeting, conversion tracking
Google Search Console: SEO insights
BigQuery: Data warehousing for advanced users
Google Data Studio: Create custom reports and dashboards

Go to Admin > Product Links to establish these integrations.

Step 8: Configure Conversions

Define what constitutes a valuable action (e.g., purchase, sign-up):

Go to Admin > Conversions
Click New Conversion Event
Enter an event name you want to track as a conversion (e.g., form_submit)

This helps in ROI calculations and marketing effectiveness.

Step 9: Set Up Audiences for Better Targeting

Create user groups based on behavior:

High-value customers
Cart abandoners
Frequent blog readers

Go to Admin > Audiences > New Audience

Use these for remarketing in Google Ads or personalized content delivery.

Step 10: Review Data Retention and Privacy Settings

GA4 offers robust tools to stay compliant:

Set data retention to 14 months or less
Enable IP anonymization
Manage user consent settings

Navigate to Admin > Data Settings > Data Retention

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Not linking with Google Ads early
Ignoring enhanced measurement toggles
Forgetting to define conversions
Failing to test the setup with DebugView

Final Thoughts

Setting up GA4 properly is more than just installing a tag — it’s about customizing your analytics for meaningful insights. With this step-by-step guide, you're not just collecting data — you're preparing to make smarter, data-backed decisions.

In our next blog, we’ll explore how to use GA4 reports and dashboards effectively to interpret your data and take action.