Activity 3 - Foundations of Google Analytics 4 + Setup

1. What is Google Analytics 4 ?

Before you start collecting, configuring, or analyzing data, you must understand what GA4 is, why it exists, and how it thinks.

This activity introduces the conceptual foundations of Google Analytics 4, explaining:

• why GA4 replaced Universal Analytics,

• how GA4 measures user behavior,

• and how it supports modern, privacy-first marketing.

👉 Think of this activity as learning the language of GA4 before you speak it.

Complete all steps in the order below.
This is a conceptual module, but it directly prepares you for hands-on configuration in the next chapters.

Step 1: Read – What Is Google Analytics 4? (Required)

Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is the latest generation of Google's web analytics platform. In terms of modernization, Google Analytics 4 has undergone various modifications. Today, it is a tool for modern analytics used by many marketing agencies as well as individuals. Through GA4, we can create comprehensive and extensive analyses, measurements, and reports that serve to optimize various marketing activities of companies. Based on the data, we can track the customer lifecycle, adapt channels, content, and communication in each phase, and thus not only retain customers but also attract new ones. The platform has undergone many changes and modifications, especially since its previous version called "Universal Analytics." Today, its features meet the changing needs of the market and marketers, as well as market regulations, personal data protection, and the like. Compared to the previous UA model, GA4 is more event-based, more detailed, and more flexible in terms of user tracking. It allows marketers to set their own parameters and events, enabling them to adapt to clients and capture all important data. Automatically collected events such as first visit, demographics, and session start remain even with personalized settings. The main advantage is that no manual configuration or intervention in the website code is required. This makes it suitable even for those with less programming skills, while still allowing marketing agencies to identify weaknesses and remedy them. (Support.google.com, 2025)

Step 2: Listen – “The Invisible Conversation Behind Every Click”

🎧 Listen to the audio recording

Audio: The Invisible conversation behind every click

Instructions for students:
Answer the following questions based only on the audio recording.
Do not use the textbook, slides, or external sources.

1. According to the audio, why is a single click never “just a click” in modern digital analytics?
2. Why is understanding context more important than counting individual actions?
3. What role does data play in revealing patterns that are not visible to marketers at first glance.
4. Why does the audio suggest that intuition alone is no longer sufficient for marketing decisions?
5. How does the audio justify the shift from pageviews to interaction-based measurement?
6. What types of user interactions does the audio suggest are often overlooked but highly valuable?

7. Based on the audio, what is the main risk of collecting data without understanding its meaning?

Step 3: Understand GA4’s Core Objectives

The primary goal of GA4 is to provide a unified view of the customer journey.

• Predictive Insights: Using AI to forecast user behavior (e.g., churn probability or potential revenue).

• Privacy-First Tracking: Adapting to a world with fewer cookies and stricter regulations (GDPR/CCPA).

• Holistic Measurement: Merging data from mobile apps and websites so you can see if a user browses on their phone and buys on their laptop.
  
  

  Feature	✅ Advantages	❌ Disadvantages
  Data Model	Event-based: Extremely flexible; tracks every interaction (click, scroll, file download) as a unique event.	Learning Curve: It’s a total shift from the old session-based model, making it confusing for long-time users.
  Privacy	Cookieless & Compliant: Built-in IP anonymization and better consent management tools.	Data Thresholding: To protect privacy, Google may "hide" data in reports if user counts are too low.
  Integrations	Free BigQuery Export: Previously a paid feature, anyone can now export raw data for advanced analysis.	Interface: Many find the standard reports "empty" compared to UA; you often have to build your own.
  AI/ML	Predictive Metrics: Can predict which users are likely to purchase or stop visiting.	Data Delays: Standard reports can take 24–48 hours to fully process and display accurate data.
  Retention	Cross-Device: Excellent at "stitching" together a single user across different devices.	Short Storage: By default, exploration data is only kept for 2 months (must be manually changed to 14).

To successfully complete this activity, you must:

✔ Read the GA4 introduction text
✔ Listen to the full audio recording
✔ Understand GA4’s purpose, logic, and positioning
✔ Be able to explain (in your own words):

• Why GA4 is event-based

• Why privacy is central to its design

⚠️ No submission is required yet — this knowledge will be tested and applied later.

2. Practical Implementation of GA4

In this section, you will set up the foundation of your GA4 measurement system.
This is a technical but strategic process — decisions made here will directly affect data quality, reporting accuracy, and future analysis.

👉 Follow the steps exactly in the given order.
👉 Do not skip any step, even if it seems simple.

To implement GA4 correctly within your Strategic Analytics Plan, follow these four core steps:

Step 01: Sign in

What you do:

• Sign in to your Google account

• Start the Google Analytics measurement setup

Use a company-owned Google account, not a personal one, especially for long-term projects.
Make sure you have administrator rights, otherwise you won’t be able to complete later steps.

Step 02: Create a GA4 Account

What you do:

• Click Create account in Google Analytics

• Start creating a new GA4 account in your Analytics interface

One GA account can contain multiple properties (e.g. website, e-shop, mobile app).

Step 03: Set Property Details

What you do:

• Enter the Property Name

• Select Reporting Time Zone

• Choose the Currency

• Click Next

Time zone choice is critical — changing it later can break data continuity.
Always select the time zone where business decisions are made, not where the server is hosted.

Step 04: Business Information

What you do:

• Select Your Industry Category

• Choose Company Size

• Review entered information

• Click Next

Industry selection helps Google provide benchmarking and recommendations.

Step 05: Choose Business Goals

What you do:

• Select your Business Goals (e.g. generate leads, increase sales, examine user behavior)

These goals influence preconfigured reports in GA4.
You can change goals later, so this step is about convenience, not limitation.

Step 06: Accept Terms & GDPR Consent

What you do:

• Read the Google Analytics Terms of Service

• Accept GDPR data processing terms

• Confirm your consent

• Click “I agree” to proceed

This step is mandatory for legal compliance (GDPR) in the EU.

GA4 does not automatically make your site GDPR-compliant — consent management must still be handled on the website (e.g. cookie banner).

Completing these steps does NOT mean data is already being collected.

You have only created the measurement container.

👉 The next critical phase is:

• Creating a Data Stream

• Installing GA4 via:

  • gtag.js, or

  • Google Tag Manager
    

Continue to:

Activity 4 – Creating a Data Stream & Installing GA4

3. Continue to: Activity 4 – Creating a Data Stream & Installing GA4

Follow the steps in the exact order below.
Each step builds on the previous one and skipping steps may result in no data being collected.

Step 1: Admin settings

• In GA4, go to Admin → Data streams

• Click Add stream

• Select the platform:

  • Website

  • Android app

  • iOS app

👉 For this course, always select Website.

Step 2 – Setting Up a Web Data Stream

• Enter your Website URL

• Enter a clear Stream name (e.g. E-shop – test site)

• Click Create and continue

Step 2a – Enable Enhanced Measurement (Very Important)

• Make sure Enhanced measurement is switched ON

• Click the ⚙️ icon to review individual events

Enhanced measurement automatically tracks:

• Page views

• Scrolls

• Outbound clicks

• Site search

• Form interactions

• Video engagement

• File downloads

Step 3 – Your Unique Measurement ID (Key Concept)

On the Web stream details screen, you will find:

• Measurement ID (format: G-XXXXXXXXXX)

• Stream URL

• Stream name

What the Measurement ID Is

The Measurement ID is:

• a unique identifier for your GA4 data stream

• the “address” where your website sends data

Step 3a – Understanding the GA4 Script Code

GA4 provides a gtag.js tracking script, for example:

What This Code Does

• Loads Google Analytics tracking library

• Creates a data layer

• Sends page view and event data to GA4

• Connects data using your Measurement ID
  
  

Step 4 – Implementing GA4 on Different Platforms

GA4 can be implemented in different ways depending on the platform.

WordPress - Google Tag Manager plugin or GA4-specific plugin (e.g. Site Kit by Google)

Shopify - Use Shopify Google channel or insert GA4 via Google Tag Manager

Shoptet - GA4 Measurement ID can be added in Shoptet administration

Wix - GA4 can be connected via Marketing Integrations

Before considering this activity complete, you must verify that GA4 is actively collecting data. Open your website in a new browser tab and perform at least one action such as loading a page, clicking a link, or scrolling, then return to Google Analytics 4 and navigate to Reports → Real-time. If you see at least one active user and events appearing in real time, your implementation is working correctly; if not, check that the Measurement ID is correct, the tracking code is properly installed, analytics consent is enabled, and allow a few minutes for data to appear. Once real-time data is visible, your GA4 setup is successfully completed and the job is done—you are now ready to begin analyzing real user behavior.