5.1Web analytics: Google Analytics 4
The essentials in 30 seconds
- You manage what you measure: web analytics reveals who visits the site, where visitors come from and what converts them.
- GA4, free and event-based: every interaction is a measurable event, with the focus on conversions and the user journey.
- Three reports are enough: sources (acquisition), pages (strengths and leaks), conversions — without mastering everything.
Threaded mini-case — Sofia manages her online shop in Algiers on facts
Sofia handles marketing for an online-sales SME in Algiers. She guesses that "social networks work well" but knows neither where her buyers really come from nor on which pages they drop off. This section tells how she installs GA4, spots her traffic sources, her leaking pages and marks her order form as a conversion: she stops assuming and starts managing on facts.
This same case returns in the lesson, the diagram, the script and the 48h challenge — and continues in 5.2, 5.3, 5.4 and 5.5.
1. You manage what you measure
“You only manage well what you measure.” Web analytics analyses site traffic and visitor behaviour to guide decisions: who visits the site, where visitors come from, what they do there and what converts them.
Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is the free reference tool for turning site activity into actionable insights. Sofia installs it (tag / Google Tag) and checks that it collects data before reading anything.
2. An event-based logic
GA4 rests on an event-based logic: every interaction (page view, click, purchase) is a measurable event. The tool emphasizes conversions — the key events marking a goal reached (purchase, form, signup) — and the user journey.
No need to master everything: identifying your traffic sources, top pages and conversions already gives a solid basis for decisions — instead of assuming.
3. The three useful reports
Acquisition: which channels bring traffic (SEO, social, email, direct, advertising). Pages: the most viewed and the ones people leave — strengths and leaks. Conversions: mark key actions and track which ones progress.
Result: fact-based decisions — which channels work, what to improve. Reflex: configure consent (GDPR) for cookies (see 5.5).
🔎 Concrete example — The 3 useful reports
No need to master everything.
Acquisition: which channels bring traffic (SEO, social, email); pages: the most viewed, the ones people leave; conversions: key actions marked (form, purchase) and tracked.
Lesson: three reports give a solid decision basis — and cookie consent is configured from the start.
Section vocabulary
- Web analytics
- Analysing visitor traffic and behaviour to guide decisions.
Simple example: Sofia understands who visits her shop and where her buyers come from.
What it is not: guessing "networks work" without ever opening a report.
Reflex: do I know where my visitors come from, figures to prove it?
- Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
- The free reference tool, event-based, for measuring a site or app.
Simple example: Sofia installs the GA4 tag and checks collection before reading.
What it is not: wanting to master everything from day one instead of the three useful reports.
Reflex: is my GA4 already collecting data?
- Source / channel
- Where visitors come from: SEO, networks, email, direct, advertising.
Simple example: Sofia finds email brings few people but the best buyers.
What it is not: investing in the trendy channel without looking at acquisition.
Reflex: which channel really brings my traffic?
- Event
- Any measured interaction: page view, click, purchase.
Simple example: Sofia tracks clicks on "order" as events.
What it is not: confusing a measurement tool with a creation tool (ads, emails, visuals).
Reflex: which interactions do I need to measure?
- Conversion
- Key event = goal reached (purchase, form, signup).
Simple example: Sofia marks her order form as a conversion and tracks it.
What it is not: watching traffic without watching conversions.
Reflex: are my key actions marked as conversions?
In practice — Reading the essentials in GA4
- Make sure GA4 is installed on your site (tag / Google Tag) and collecting data.
- Identify your traffic SOURCES: which channels bring the most visitors (SEO, networks, email, direct)?
- Spot your most viewed pages and the ones visitors leave: where are strengths and leaks?
- Mark your key actions as conversions (form, purchase) and configure cookie consent (GDPR).
Ready-to-say script — asking for the GA4 essentials (1 min)
"Show me three things: where our visitors come from by channel, our most viewed pages and the ones people leave, and this month's conversions — forms and purchases. And let us check the cookie consent banner is in place. With that, we decide on facts."
Say to the provider or team; require the three written reports, not a general impression.
Copy-paste template — express GA4 reading
PERIOD: _______________
TOP 3 SOURCES (channel / visitors): _______________
TOP 3 VIEWED PAGES: _______________
LEAKING PAGES (where people leave): _______________
CONVERSIONS (form / purchase): _______________
COOKIE CONSENT OK?: _______________
DECISION TAKEN: _______________Showcase site
Sofia marks the quote request as a conversion: even with no online sales, the form shows what works.
Low traffic
Few visits: read trends (sources, leaks) instead of fragile conclusions — testing comes in 5.3.
Coming from Universal Analytics
The interface is confusing: restart from the three reports (acquisition, pages, conversions) instead of looking for old screens.
Compliance priority
Consent banner, retention periods, visitor information — or a privacy-friendly alternative (Matomo, Plausible).
✓ Best practices
- Focus on sources, pages and conversions.
- Mark your key actions as conversions.
- Configure consent (GDPR) for cookies.
✗ Common pitfalls
- Wanting to master everything in GA4 from day one.
- Ignoring GDPR (consent) setup.
- Watching traffic without watching conversions.
Key takeaways
- You only manage well what you measure: web analytics is essential.
- GA4 (free) measures traffic, sources, behaviours and conversions.
- GA4 works through events and emphasizes conversions.
- Sources + top pages + conversions = a solid decision basis.
48h challenge — apply tomorrow
Fill in the express GA4 reading template above for your site (top sources, pages, leaks, conversions) and note ONE decision these figures make you take. Cookie consent checked?
- I can name the three useful reports without hesitating.
- I explain the event logic and conversion in one sentence.
- My express GA4 reading is filled in with a decision.
Frequently asked questions
Is GA4 hard to learn?
Its interface is confusing at first, especially coming from the old Universal Analytics. But you don't need to master everything: a few reports (acquisition, pages, conversions) are enough to decide. Start with these basics, then explore gradually — and a simplified dashboard (see 5.2) helps track only the essentials.
Is GA4 GDPR-compliant?
Using it requires precautions: a cookie consent banner, respectful configuration (anonymisation, retention periods) and informing visitors. “Privacy-friendly” alternatives (Matomo, Plausible) exist if compliance is a strong priority. GDPR is covered in detail in 5.5 — with the local caution stated there.
Sofia installed GA4 but gets lost in the reports. Where should she start?