How to set up Google Analytics and start analyzing your traffic
Google Analytics 4 is free and takes 20-30 minutes to install, but most sites configure it wrong — counting visits instead of the actions that make money.
Creating an account and data stream
Register at analytics.google.com, create a GA4 property, and add a web stream with your site's address. The system issues a Measurement ID in the form G-XXXXXXX, needed for the next step.
Install the code through Google Tag Manager rather than directly in the site code — it lets you add new events and pixels (like the Meta Pixel) later without touching a developer every time.
Configuring goals instead of visits
Installing the tracker alone tells you nothing — what matters is configuring conversion events: submitting a lead form, clicking the phone number, clicking the Telegram button, adding to cart, and completing checkout for an online store.
In GA4, configure events under Events, then mark the one you need as a 'key event' (formerly 'conversion'). Without this step you see traffic but not which of it produces leads.
Linking Search Console
Link GA4 to Search Console in property settings — this surfaces the search queries people use to find your site directly inside the analytics interface, no switching between tools.
Check that GA4 and Search Console traffic figures are in the same ballpark. A gap of several times over signals a broken or duplicated tracking tag.
The first reports worth checking
In week one, watch three reports: traffic sources (where visitors come from), the conversion path across key events (how many reach a lead), and the bounce rate on ad landing pages (how relevant the page is to the traffic).
Don't draw conclusions from data younger than two weeks — traffic swings by day of week and needs volume for statistical significance, especially on lower-traffic sites.
Common setup mistakes
Installing the code twice — through a plugin and manually at once — doubles the visit count. Use the Google Tag Assistant extension to verify the tag fires once per page.
Not filtering out your own IP address — staff visits testing the site pollute the numbers. Exclude internal traffic under Data Settings → Channel Groups.