✍️ Introduction (Hook):
If you’re stepping into the world of digital marketing or web analytics, Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is your best friend in 2025. Unlike the older Universal Analytics, GA4 is built for the future — tracking users across devices, using machine learning, and providing real-time insights.
In this guide, we’ll break down the basics of GA4 in simple terms. Whether you’re a student, marketer, or business owner, these fundamentals will help you understand your audience and website performance better.
📚 1. What is GA4? (Event-Based vs. Session-Based)
GA4 is Google’s next-generation analytics platform that focuses on event-based tracking.
🔹 Universal Analytics (UA) was session-based, meaning it grouped actions into a time-based session.
🔹 GA4 tracks events like clicks, scrolls, video plays, and form submissions individually — giving you more flexibility and detailed insights.
Real-Life Example:
Think of a user visiting your website as a journey. UA saw it as a round-trip ticket, but GA4 treats every stop and action as its own event — giving you more control.
🏗️ 2. Creating a GA4 Property
To start using GA4, you need to create a property inside your Google Analytics account.
You’ll define the website or app you want to track. This property becomes your data container.
🛠️ You’ll need:
- A Google account
- Access to your website’s backend or CMS
- GTM (Google Tag Manager) or gtag.js setup
🔌 3. Installing GA4 on Your Website
There are two main ways to install GA4:
- ✅ Manual installation using the
gtag.jscode directly in your site’s<head>tag - ✅ Google Tag Manager (GTM) — easier for marketers and allows for custom event tracking
Once installed, data starts flowing within minutes.
🧭 4. GA4 Interface Tour – What to Expect
When you first open GA4, the interface may feel overwhelming. But once you know where to look, it’s a goldmine of insights.
Key Sections:
- 📈 Reports (Life Cycle & User)
- 🧪 Explore (Advanced visualizations)
- ⚙️ Admin (Settings and configurations)
📏 5. Metrics & Dimensions in GA4
Metrics = Numbers (e.g., Users, Sessions, Events)
Dimensions = Attributes (e.g., Source, Country, Device)
For example:
- “Sessions by Country”
- “Events per Page”
GA4 gives you more flexible combinations using custom dimensions and metrics.
📊 6. Default Reports in GA4
GA4 gives you several ready-to-use reports:
- Acquisition – Where users came from
- Engagement – What users did
- Monetization – Purchases or conversions
- Retention – How often users return
Each report gives insights into how to improve your site, ads, and user experience.
