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How to Set Up Google Analytics for a Business

Google Analytics Configuration - Abstract Illustration

Google Analytics Matters

If you run a small business or a brand-new website, Google Analytics (GA) is your secret weapon. It tells you who’s visiting, how they found you, and what they’re doing on your site. Without it, you’re flying blind.

This guide will walk you through setting up Google Analytics 4 (GA4), from creating your account to tracking the data that matters most.

Table of Contents

Step 1: Create or Use a Google Account

Before anything else, you need a Google Account to access Google Analytics. If you already have one, great! If not, follow these steps:
  1. Go to Google Account Setup.
  2. Enter your email (or create a new Gmail address if you don’t have one).
  3. Follow the prompts to verify and complete your account setup.
Once this is done, you can access all Google properties, including Analytics, Search Console, and Ads.

Step 2: Create a Google Analytics Account

  1. Visit Google Analytics and sign in.
  2. Click Start Measuring.
  3. Enter an Account Name (e.g., “My Business Analytics”).
  4. Select your data-sharing settings (these control what information Google can use for its products and benchmarks).
  5. Click Next to proceed to property creation.

Step 3: Set Up Your GA4 Property & Data Stream

Creating Your Property

  1. Enter a Property Name (e.g., “My Website GA4”).
  2. Select your reporting time zone and currency. Some digital services only operate in PST, so if you change your time zone, certain data points may appear on the following day.
  3. Click Next, then choose your industry and business size.
  4. Select how you plan to use GA (e.g., measuring customer engagement, generating leads, etc.).
  5. Click Create.

 

Setting Up a Data Stream

A data stream is how Google Analytics collects visitor activity. You’ll have three options:

  • Web (your website)
  • iOS App
  • Android App

For a website, select Web and enter your site’s URL (include the https://). Name your stream something clear like “MyWebsite.com – Web” for better organization.

Google will generate a Measurement ID (starts with G-), which you’ll use to connect Analytics to your site.

Step 4: Configure Privacy & Consent Settings

With privacy laws like GDPR and CCPA, you need to configure your tracking settings properly:

  1. Go to Admin > Data Settings > Data Collection and review tracking options.
  2. Adjust Data Retention settings based on your needs. The default setting is 2 months, but you can extend it to 14 months for better historical analysis.
  3. Go to Data Collection and decide if you’d like Google to collect additional signals from users. This helps with ad personalization and adds additional demographic insights.
    1. If desired, turn ON Google signals data collection and user-provided data collection (enable optional settings).
    2. Expand the User Data Collection Acknowledgement and click I acknowledge. Be sure to update your privacy policy accordingly.

Step 5: Install Google Analytics on Your Website

To track visitors, you must install your GA4 tracking code (also called the “G-tag”) on your website. Here’s how to do it based on your platform:

WordPress

Using Google Site Kit Plugin

  1. Install and activate the Google Site Kit plugin.
  2. Connect your Google Account and enable Google Analytics.
  3. Verify data is flowing into your GA4 property.

Manual Method:

  1. Copy your Measurement ID from GA4.
  2. Paste it into your theme’s header.php file before </head>, or use a header/footer plugin.

Shopify

  1. Go to Online Store > Preferences.
  2. Paste your GA4 Measurement ID in the Google Analytics field.
  3. Save changes and test tracking.

Squarespace

  1. Go to Settings > Advanced > External API Keys.
  2. Paste your GA4 Measurement ID into the Google Analytics field.
  3. Save and publish changes.

Verify It’s Working

Once installed, go to Google Analytics > Reports > Real-Time and visit your site. If you see activity, your setup is successful.

Step 6: Connect GA4 to Google Search Console (GSC)

This integration helps you see SEO performance data inside GA4.

  1. Go to Admin > Property Settings > Data Streams.
  2. Click Search Console Links.
  3. Select your GSC account and verify ownership.

Note: If you’ve not yet created a GSC property for your site, you must do this first. Once verified, you will see the option to connect it with GA4.

Step 7: Connect GA4 to Google Ads

If you run paid campaigns, linking Google Ads to GA4 lets you see how well your ads perform.

  1. Go to Admin > Property Settings > Google Ads Links.
  2. Click New Link and choose your Google Ads account.
  3. Follow the prompts to complete the link.

Note: You will need to already have a Google Ads account created to make this link.

Step 8: Set Up Internal Traffic Filtering

To exclude your own visits from reports:

  1. Go to Admin > Data Streams > Configure Tag Settings.
  2. Click Define Internal Traffic and enter your IP address and the IP address of any colleagues.
  3. To find your IP address, go to WhatsMyIp.org or similar.
  4. Save changes.

Step 9: Set Up Key Events & Conversions

To track meaningful actions like form submissions or purchases:

  1. Go to Admin > Events.
  2. Find important events (e.g., purchase, form_submission).
  3. Toggle Mark as Conversion. These will now be noted as “Key Events” in GA’s reports and contribute to conversion and purchase metrics.
  4. For more advanced tracking, consider setting up additional conversion goals within GA4 or using Google Tag Manager (GTM) to track button clicks and other micro-conversions.

Step 10: Add Google Analytics Cookies to Your Privacy Policy

GA4 collects cookies for tracking. Your privacy policy should include details on:

  • What data is collected (e.g., user behavior, IP addresses, device information, interaction history)

  • How users can opt out (link to Google’s opt-out tool and include browser-based settings)

  • Any third-party sharing of data, including Google Ads remarketing and personalized advertising options

  • How long data is retained and how users can request data deletion

Step 11: Level Up Your Analytics

Once the basics are in place, take it further:

  • Create Custom Audiences: Segment users based on actions (e.g., people who abandoned checkout, people coming from a certain source, etc.). Google lets you create a set of and/or rules to segment and build new audiences.

  • Set Up Custom Events: Track additional interactions not pre-built by GA like full video plays, newsletter signups, specific interactions, or anything else. This can be done within GA4 for many instances, or connected to GTM (Google Tag Manager) for more robust setups.

  • Use Data Filters: Exclude spam traffic or test environments.

You Did It!

Google Analytics is a critical tool for any small business or website owner. Setting it up correctly ensures you collect accurate data to improve your marketing and website performance. With GA4’s powerful tracking, you’ll have everything you need to make informed decisions about what works and what doesn’t.

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