GA4
Google Analytics 4GA4, Google Analytics 4, is Google’s free analytics tool that measures website and app usage on an event model. It tells you where visitors come from, what they do and which channels produce conversions.
Good to know
GA4’s event model means everything measured is an event: a page view, a click, a form submission, a sale. The most important events are marked as key events, making them conversions in reports and in ad platform optimisation.
The default installation measures basics, not your business: conversions, values and channel splits need configuration, typically through Tag Manager. Without a proper setup GA4 shows visitor counts you cannot make decisions with. Budget half a day for a proper configuration; it repays itself with the first budget decision.
IN PRACTICE
GA4’s most important reports
Traffic acquisition
Where visitors come from: organic, paid, social, direct. Compare channels on conversions, not sessions.
Engagement and paths
What happens on the pages, where people drop off. The funnel report exposes the leaks in the purchase path.
Conversions by source
Which channel, campaign and content produces sales. This report repays the whole effort of analytics.
PITFALLS
Two GA4 mistakes
The tool is installed, the data unused
Analytics without a monthly routine is dead capital. Agree on three questions the data answers every month.
Numbers compared to old Analytics
GA4 counts sessions and bounces differently from its predecessor. Comparability starts from the beginning of your GA4 history.
FREQUENTLY ASKED
Frequently asked questions
Is GA4 free?+
Yes: the free version covers almost every SME. Paid Analytics 360 is an enterprise tool for bigger volumes and guarantees.
What are key events?+
GA4’s conversions: events you mark as important, such as a sale or a contact. They report separately and feed Google Ads optimisation.
Does GA4 need consent?+
Yes: cookie-based measurement requires user consent. In Consent Mode GA4 roughly models the share who declined.
Why do GA4 and the ad platform show different numbers?+
Different attribution models and windows: the platform counts its own touches broadly, GA4 splits credit across channels. Each is consistent within its own logic.
What belongs alongside GA4?+
Search Console for organic visibility and Tag Manager for managing measurement. The trio covers an SME’s measurement needs without licence costs.
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Maintained by the VSCY editorial team · Updated 6 Aug 2026 · Part of the marketing glossary (99 terms)
