GA4 Basics: What Google Analytics Does And How It Works

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Key Takeaways

• Google Analytics is Google’s no-cost tool for tracking and analysing website visitors, so a brand can understand user behaviour, measure marketing and improve the site on evidence.
• It works through a JavaScript tag (the Measurement ID) on every page, which sends each visitor’s activity to Google’s servers for reporting in real time and over any past period.
• The current version is Google Analytics 4, which is event-based, measures across devices, and calls its goals “key events”.
• Its reports answer who the customers are, which channel brought them, which pages work, what each campaign returned, and where the user experience breaks.
• Installing GA4 takes five steps: create the account, set up the property, add a data stream, install the tag through Google Tag Manager or the site’s head section, and check the Realtime report.

As online marketing has grown in importance, brands need to analyse their website data to understand visitor behaviour: how many people arrive, how long they stay on average, and which parts of the site they click most, then use what they learn to make the website perform better. “Google Analytics” is one tool that makes this work easier, and it is where most website analytics begins.

This article explains what Google Analytics is and how it works, and introduces the key Google Analytics terms marketers should know, so the tool can be used smoothly and the reports read without a stumble.

What Is Google Analytics?

Google Analytics is a no-cost tool from Google that gives insight into how a website is used. It lets brand owners track and analyse website visits, user behaviour and the performance of online marketing campaigns. The data generally covers:

• Visitor numbers, both new visitors and returning ones
• Where visitors come from, such as a search engine, social media or a URL typed directly
• Behaviour and duration, how long users spend on the site and which pages they read
• Popular pages, the pages with the most visits and engagement
• Conversion rate, such as orders placed or forms submitted
• Return on investment (ROI), the value of the online marketing budget spent

How Google Analytics Works

Google Analytics works through a snippet of JavaScript (the tracking code, or Measurement ID) installed on every page of the website. When a user visits, the code records their activity and sends it back to Google’s servers.

Google then summarises the data and displays an overview on the dashboard as easy-to-read reports, which can be viewed in real time or for any past period, and custom reports can be built around the brand’s goals.

Key Google Analytics Terms Every Marketer Should Know

To read the reports fully, these are the basic terms that come up most.

• Sessions: a period in which a user interacts with your website. One session can cover several pages and ends after 30 minutes without activity.
• Users: the number of distinct visitors. Google Analytics uses cookies to identify each one.
• Pageviews: the total number of times a page is loaded, including reloads of the same page. In GA4 the metric is called Views.
• Bounce rate: the percentage of sessions in which the user left after viewing only one page, a sign that the content may not match what the visitor wanted. In GA4 it is defined as the share of sessions that were not engaged.
• Conversion: occurs when a visitor takes the action you want, such as subscribing to a newsletter or buying a product.
• Goal: the action you want visitors to take on the site, such as submitting a form or reaching a page. In GA4, goals are set as key events.
• Channel: the source of the visit, such as organic search, paid search, social or direct.
• Acquisition: data on how visitors found your website.
• Behaviour: data on what visitors did on your website. GA4 reports this under Engagement.
• Average session duration: the average time visitors spend on the site per session.
• Exit rate: the percentage of visitors who leave the site from a given page.
• New vs returning visitors: the share of first-time visitors against those who have been before.
• Landing page: the page built for a specific purpose, such as announcing news or closing an order; in analytics, the first page a visitor lands on.
• Exit page: the last page a visitor views before leaving.
• Referral: a source that sends visitors to your site, such as a link on another website.
• Segment: a subset of data analysed separately, such as mobile visitors or visitors from one country.
• Dimension: an attribute of the data, such as country, device or visit source.
• Metric: a measured number, such as sessions, bounce rate or revenue.
• Event: a specific action on the site, such as a button click or a video view.
• Conversion rate: the percentage of visitors who complete a goal you set, such as submitting a form, adding to basket or paying.

What Are The Benefits Of Google Analytics?

Installing and using the tool gives a brand an advantage on several fronts. The essentials are:

• Know who your customers really are. Accurate demographics, interests and the devices your audience uses.
• Know which channel customers come from. See whether SEO, Facebook ads, Google Ads or email marketing brings the most people to the site.
• Find the pages that work and the ones that need fixing. See at once which content is popular and which pages users close most often.
• Measure campaigns precisely. See the real orders or conversions each campaign produced, with no guessing.
• Spot new opportunities. Search and behaviour data can reveal demand for a new product or service.
• Improve user experience (UX) on evidence. Use the data to refine the site structure, copy or order button to match how users behave.

How To Install Google Analytics 4 Step By Step

For beginners installing Google Analytics 4 (GA4) on a website, follow these steps.

Step 1: Sign In And Create A Google Analytics Account

1. Go to the Google Analytics website and sign in with the Google account you want to manage the brand’s data.
2. Click Start measuring to begin the setup.
3. Enter an account name, such as the company, brand or project name, choose the data-sharing settings, and click Next.

Step 2: Set Up The Property

1. Enter a property name, such as your website’s name.
2. Set the reporting time zone to Thailand and the currency to Thai Baht (THB), so reports match the market and currency you work in.
3. Enter the business category and organisation size, click Create, and accept the terms of service.

Step 3: Set Up The Data Stream

1. On the next page, choose Web as the platform.
2. Enter the website URL, such as www.yourwebsite.com, and a stream name.
3. The system switches on Enhanced Measurement automatically, which collects certain data types with no extra setup. Click Create Stream.

Step 4: Install The Tag On The Website

Once the web stream is created, you receive a Measurement ID, usually beginning G-XXXXXXXXXX, with the installation code. There are two main ways to install it.

Method 1: Through Google Tag Manager

1. Copy the Measurement ID and open Google Tag Manager.
2. Create a new tag, choosing the Google tag type for Google Analytics 4.
3. Paste the Measurement ID, set the trigger to All Pages so it fires on every page, and click Publish.

Method 2: Paste The Code Into The Website’s Head Section

1. Copy the installation code for the web stream.
2. Paste it between the head tags of every page, or use a CMS plugin, such as one for WordPress, to install it more easily.

Step 5: Check That It Works

1. Back in Google Analytics, open Reports, then Realtime.
2. Open your website on a phone or a fresh browser to test the collection.
3. If the installation is correct, you should see a user in the Realtime report within a few minutes. It is not always instant.

Installing GA4 is not complicated when it runs in order: create the account, set up the property, create the data stream, install the tag and check the result, and the website starts collecting data correctly and is ready to use.

Using Google Analytics well, though, is more than reading and understanding the numbers. It means setting clear goals, analysing the data regularly, and applying the insight to the marketing approach and the website. So whether you own a small brand, market for a large company or work independently, Google Analytics is the essential tool for planning and improving your digital marketing. And if you are looking for a partner to analyse the data and lift the site’s visitor numbers significantly, Primal is a leading Thai marketing company and digital marketing agency with a CRO service that takes your brand to the goals you set. Fill in the form to contact us today.

Frequently Asked Questions About Google Analytics (FAQs)

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