How to use GA4 every day

Today, data is essential for decision-making. Google Analytics 4 is an indispensable tool for businesses. The successor to Universal Analytics, it offers a more flexible and powerful way of tracking and analyzing user behavior on your website or mobile app.

But how do you use GA4 on a day-to-day basis? What are the key elements to understand and the practices to adopt to transform data into usable information? In this article, we’ll show you how to integrate this tool into your daily routine. Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced user, you’ll find practical advice on how to get the most out of it.

Understanding the key concepts

Before using GA4 every day, it’s important to understand a few basic concepts. They will help you use the interface and analyze data efficiently.

Events

GA4 is all about events. Unlike Universal Analytics, which focused on sessions, it tracks every interaction as an event. For example, a click, a page view or a download are all events. This method provides a more detailed view of user behavior.

Properties and data flow

A property on google analytics represents your website or application. Data streams are the data sources connected to this property. For example, you could have one data stream for your website and another for your mobile application. This structure enables all data to be grouped together in a single location.

Explorations

Explorations are a powerful tool for detailed analysis. They can be used to create customized reports and explore data in depth. With explorations, you can analyze user paths, compare user groups and discover insights. It’s an essential tool for analysts and marketers.

Audience

GA4 lets you create customized audiences based on specific criteria. For example, you can create an audience of users who have added a product to their shopping cart without purchasing. These audiences may be used for targeted advertising campaigns or analyses.

Modeling and AI

The tool uses predictive modeling and artificial intelligence to deliver advanced insights. For example, it can predict the likelihood of a user making a purchase or returning to your site. These predictions help you make more informed decisions and optimize your marketing strategies.

Privacy policy

GA4 focuses on privacy protection. New privacy features, such as data permissions management and default IP anonymization, help comply with laws like the RGPD. It is important to understand these aspects in order to use user data ethically and legally.

Configure and customize your events

To get the most out of GA4, it’s important to configure and customize events. Events allow you to track specific interactions on your website or mobile application. Here’s how to set up and customize your events for accurate, useful data.

Automatic event tracking

GA4 offers automatic monitoring of current events. This includes page views, clicks, scrolls and downloads. To activate auto-tracking, make sure that the basic configuration has been carried out correctly. These automatic events provide a solid basis for analyzing user behavior without the need for additional configuration.

Create customized events

For specific needs, you may need to create custom events. Here’s how it works:

1. Google Tag Manager (GTM) :

   • Use GTM to create custom tags and triggers.
   • For example, you could create an event to track clicks on a purchase button.
   • Go to GTM, create a new tag, and define triggers based on the desired interaction.

2. GA4 Interface :

   • Go to the GA4 interface and click on “Configure”, then on “Events”.
   • Add a new event, providing a name and the necessary parameters.
   • You can also use the Event Import tool to import customized events en masse.

Advanced event tracking

For more advanced analyses, GA4 lets you configure additional event parameters. For example:

• Custom settings: Add custom parameters to track specific details, such as product category or user type.
• Conversions: Mark certain events as conversions to track key actions, such as purchases or registrations.

Event verification and debugging

Once you’ve set up your events, it’s important to check that they’re working properly:

1. GA4 debug mode :

   • Use GA4’s debug mode to test events in real time.
   • Access the GA4 interface, click on “Configure” and then on “Debug”.
   • Interact with your site or application and check that events are correctly recorded.

2. Google Tag Assistant :

   • Install the Google Tag Assistant extension for Chrome.
   • Use this tool to check tags and events on your site.

Analyze and use events

Once your events have been set up, you can begin analyzing the data collected:

• Event reports: Use event reports in GA4 to see how users interact with your site or application.
• Segments and audiences: Create event-based segments and audiences for more targeted analysis and personalized marketing campaigns.

Explore standard reports

GA4’s standard reports are essential for understanding user behavior and the performance of your website or application. They offer valuable information and are easy to use every day. Here’s how to use these reports.

Preview report

The overview report gives an overview of your key metrics. Use it daily to monitor the overall health of your site or application. You’ll find information on visitor numbers, session durations, conversions and much more.

Acquisition report

The acquisition report shows where your traffic comes from. It is divided into several sections:

• Channels: Displays the performance of different channels such as organic search, direct traffic and social networks.
• Sources/Media: Details specific sources such as Google, Facebook, or email campaigns.
• Referrers : Shows websites that refer visitors to your site.

Use this report to identify the best-performing traffic sources and adjust your marketing efforts.

Engagement report

The engagement report shows how users interact with your content. It includes information on :

• Pages/Screens: Displays the most consulted pages or screens.
• Events: Shows specific interactions such as button clicks or file downloads.
• Engagement time: Indicates how long users spend on your site or application.

Analyze this data to improve the user experience and optimize your content.

Retention report

Retention is crucial to understanding how many of your users return to your site or application. The retention report shows:

• Cohort retention: Indicates the percentage of users returning after a certain period.
• Changes in retention: Shows variations in retention rates over time.

Use this information to improve user loyalty and adjust your re-engagement strategies.

Monetization report

If you have an e-commerce site or app with transactions, the monetization report is essential. It includes :

• Total revenue: Shows the revenue generated by your sales.
• Best-selling products: Lists the most popular products or services.
• Transaction details: Provides information on each transaction, including amount and products purchased.

Use this data to optimize your offers and increase your revenues.

Conversion report

The conversion report tracks the key actions you’ve defined as conversions, such as purchases, registrations or form submissions. It shows:

• Total conversions : The total number of conversions carried out.
• Conversion path: The steps taken by users before completing a conversion.
• Conversion rate: The percentage of visitors who convert.

This report is crucial for evaluating the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns and improving conversion rates.

Use explorations for advanced analysis

GA4 explorations are powerful tools for advanced analysis. They enable you to create customized reports, explore data in depth and uncover hidden insights. Here’s how to use explorations to optimize your analyses.

What is exploration?

An exploration is a customizable report that lets you examine data in detail. You can create different types of reports, using tables, graphs and segments to visualize your data.

Types of exploration

GA4 offers several types of exploration:

• Free exploration: Create customized reports with specific dimensions and metrics. You can use pivot tables to compare different variables.
• Navigation paths: Analyze user paths on your site or application. This type of exploration shows the steps taken by users before performing an action.
• Funnels: Visualize the steps users need to take to reach a goal. Identify friction points and optimize user paths.
• Entry/exit paths: Examine user entry and exit pages or screens. Use this information to understand how users navigate your site.
• Segment exploration: Compare different user segments to identify specific behaviors. For example, compare users who convert with those who don’t.

Create an exploration

To create an exploration, follow these steps :

1. Access the explorer: In the GA4 interface, click on “Explorer”.
2. Choose a type of exploration: Select the type of exploration that suits your needs.
3. Add dimensions and metrics: Drag and drop the dimensions and metrics you wish to analyze.
4. Use segments: Add segments to compare different user groups.
5. Customize visualizations: Choose tables, graphs or funnels to visualize your data.

Analyze the results

Once you have created an exploration, analyze the results for insights:

• Identify trends: Look for patterns in user behavior.
• Compare segments: Compare the performance of different segments to understand what works best.
• Optimize user paths: Use funnels and navigation paths to improve user paths and reduce friction points.

Use insights for action

Explorations provide you with valuable insights that you can use to make informed decisions. For example:

• Improve content: Identify the types of content that most engage users and create more similar content.
• Optimize marketing campaigns: Use insights to fine-tune your marketing campaigns and target the best-performing segments.
• Improve the user experience: Use path and funnel data to simplify user paths and improve the overall experience.

Conclusion

GA4 is a powerful tool for analyzing user behavior and improving the performance of your website or application. Using standard reports and advanced explorations, you can gain valuable insights and make decisions based on accurate data.

However, GA4 can seem complex, especially for beginners. Here are a few points that may be missing and require special attention:

• Data integration: Make sure GA4 is well integrated with all your platforms, such as Google Ads and Search Console.
• Privacy settings: configure GA4 to comply with data privacy regulations, such as the RGPD.
• Alerts and notifications: Set up alerts to be informed of important changes in your data, such as a drop in traffic or conversions.

Tips for maximizing the use of GA4

To make the most of this tool, here are a few practical tips:

1. Customize your reports: use explorations to create reports tailored to your needs. Experiment with different sizes and metrics.
2. Regular monitoring: Consult your reports regularly to stay up to date with the performance of your site or application. Weekly reviews can help you quickly identify trends and problems.
3. Segment analysis: Segment your users to understand different behaviors and tailor your strategies accordingly. For example, analyze new users separately from repeat users.
4. Continuous optimization: Use the insights gained to continually test and optimize your content, marketing campaigns and user paths.
5. Automation: Use automation tools to manage repetitive tasks and devote more time to strategic analysis. Customized alerts can help you stay informed without having to constantly check reports.
6. Collaboration: Share your insights with the different teams in your organization. Good communication between marketing, development and content management teams can lead to more effective overall optimization.

In conclusion, GA4 is a complete and versatile platform. With regular and strategic use, you can maximize the effectiveness of your digital marketing efforts and significantly improve the performance of your website or application. Invest in training and customization to exploit GA4’s full potential.