Google Analytics 4 for beginners: what to look at first

Analytics tells you what happens after people arrive at your site. Without it, you are guessing.

Set it up

1. Create a Google Analytics 4 property and get your Measurement ID, which starts with G-.
2. Add it to your site, or to the setting your site provides for it.
3. Confirm visits appear in the real-time report.

Five things to look at

• Users: how many people visit.
• Where they come from: search, social, direct, ads.
• Top pages: what people actually read.
• Device split: phones vs computers.
• Key events: actions that matter, such as a WhatsApp click or form submission.

Track the actions that matter

Visits are not the goal, enquiries are. Mark WhatsApp clicks, form submissions and call taps as key events, then see which pages and sources produce them.

Use Search Console too

Google Search Console shows the searches people used to find you, and any issues Google found on your site.

Use tagged links

Add campaign tags to links you share on Instagram, WhatsApp or in print QR codes, so the source is clear.

Check monthly

A fifteen-minute monthly review is enough: what grew, what dropped and what to do next.

Privacy

Mention analytics in your privacy policy.

See our Search Console and Analytics Setup.