Time to Transition to Google Analytics 4
Google retired Universal Analytics and established Google Analytics 4 (GA4) as the new standard. At BUZ Yazılım, we actively perform GA4 integrations to strengthen our clients' digital marketing infrastructure. In this guide, we share the fundamentals of GA4 and the most efficient ways to use it.
What Is GA4 and Why Is It Important?
GA4 is Google's next-generation analytics platform. Key differences from Universal Analytics:
- Event-based tracking: Event-based data collection instead of pageview-based
- Cross-platform measurement: Combining web and app data in one place
- AI-powered insights: Automatic anomaly detection and predictions
- Privacy-focused design: Cookieless measurement and data gap modeling
- BigQuery integration: Free access to raw data
GA4 Setup Step by Step
1. Creating an Account and Property
- Create a new GA4 property at analytics.google.com
- Set your business information and reporting time zone
- Select the data stream type: Web, iOS, or Android
2. Adding the Measurement Code
There are several methods to add the GA4 measurement code to your site:
- Google Tag Manager (recommended): The most flexible and manageable method
- Direct gtag.js: Adding code to HTML
- CMS plugins: Ready-made plugins for platforms like WordPress, Shopify
3. Configuring Basic Settings
- Enable enhanced measurement (scrolls, file downloads, site search)
- Turn on Google Signals
- Set the data retention period to 14 months
- Create IP exclusion rules to filter internal traffic
Event-Based Tracking System
The heart of GA4 is the event-based data model. Every user interaction is recorded as an event.
Automatic Events
GA4 collects some events automatically:
- page_view: Page view
- session_start: Session start
- first_visit: First visit
- user_engagement: User engagement
Enhanced Measurement Events
Additional events are collected when enhanced measurement is enabled:
- scroll: Scrolling to 90% of the page
- click: Outbound link clicks
- file_download: File downloads
- video_start, video_progress, video_complete: Video interactions
Custom Events
You can define events specific to your business:
- form_submit: Form submissions
- add_to_cart: Add to cart
- purchase: Purchase
- contact_click: Contact click
Reporting and Analysis
GA4's reporting interface is quite different from Universal Analytics.
Standard Reports
- Real-time report: Instant user activity
- Acquisition reports: Where users come from
- Engagement reports: What users do on the site
- Monetization reports: E-commerce and monetization data
- Retention reports: User loyalty metrics
Explorations
One of GA4's most powerful features is the Explorations section:
- Free form: Custom report creation
- Funnel exploration: Conversion funnel analysis
- Path exploration: User journey mapping
- Segment overlap: Segment comparison
- Cohort analysis: Group-based analysis
Important Considerations for GA4
- Data may take 24-48 hours to appear in reports
- Universal Analytics data cannot be transferred to GA4; export your old data
- Make sure to configure conversion settings
- Choose the attribution model that fits your business
Conclusion
GA4 is an indispensable tool for your digital marketing strategy. At BUZ Yazılım, we provide GA4 setup and configuration support to over 100 clients.
Contact us for GA4 setup or optimization of your existing configuration.