In this tutorial, we explore how to set up Google Analytics 4 (GA4) by using Google Tag Manager (GTM). Whether you are a complete novice at writing or would like to improve your abilities, then this can be a useful guide as to how to go about it.
First, to get started with GA4, start with logging into analytics.google.com and setting up your account and property. Next, go to this link tagmanager.google.com and get create or select account. Connect GA4 with GTM by sharing the Measurement ID of your GA4 property data stream and create a new tag in GTM.
Then, set up events by creating a new GA4 event tag on GTM and specifying the trigger for the event likely through button click. Kick the setup into debug mode to verify events as they are logged down are being recorded as expected. Finally, create your tags in GTM for you to be in a position to track your SEO and PPC campaigns as expected. It also makes it easier to do the web analytics of your site.
Mastering Web Analytics: Setting Up Google Analytics 4 Events with Google Tag Manager
Today, the assurance of your website performance through the use of analytics information is vital. Thanks to Google Analytics 4 (GA4), marketers and those who own web resources can learn more about users. In this blog post, we will provide a detailed explanation of how to create GA4 events by using GTM. Whether it’s your first time or you fancy updating your knowledge, this elaborate lesson covers the steps well.
Step 1: Setting Up Google Analytics 4
- Log In to Google Analytics: To get to it, you need to use analytics.google.com and enter your Google account’s login details.
- Access the Admin Section: On this page, next to the password field, users should search for the button ‘Admin’ placed in the bottom left corner of the screen. Clicking this leads to account settings Clicking this will take you to the account settings.
- Select or Create a Property: Next to ‘Account’, click on the small arrow and choose the account that you would like to employ. On the ‘Property’ column, you have the liberty of using any existing GA4 property or create a new one. If you choose to create a new property, follow the setup wizard: You should then name your property, choose your time zone and currency, and then finalise your property. That means the creation of the GA4 property can now begin collecting users’ interactions.
Step 2: Configure GTM: Versions Tab
In this example, let’s configure Google Tag Manager First on the versions tab, second on the container overview tab, third on the tags and variables tab and lastly on the preview and debug tab.
After that, you’ll be able to go through the process of configuring Google Tag Manager, when your GA4 property is ready.
- Log Into Google Tag Manager: You should go to tagmanager.google.com and then log in.
- Select or Create an Account: Select an existing Google Traits Marketing (GTM) account or create a new account. This is crucial to meet the efficacy when it comes to managing your tags. With GTM set up you can proceed to integrate it with your GA4 property.
Step 3: Linking GA4 to Tag Manager
Linking GA4 with GTM is a straightforward process:
- Access Your GA4 Property: Go back to your GA4 property and click on ‘Admin’ on the left side of your screen.
- Go to Data Streams: Next to the ‘Property’ column, there will be a link that says, ‘Data Streams’. Choose your web stream and look for the Measurement ID at the end of the line.
- Create a New Tag in GTM: Go back to GTM and click on ‘Tags” at the bottom of the screen on the left side bar. Next, to create a new tag click on ‘New’.
- Configure Your Tag: Under ‘Tag Configuration,’ select ‘Google Analytics: GA4 Configuration’. Insert the Measurement ID you have copied earlier in the given space.
This is it; you’ve now linked GA4 with Google Tag Manager and laid the groundwork for events.
Step 4: Tag Manager: How to Segment Events
Having your basic configuration in place, it is time to monitor concrete events on your site. Here’s how to do that:
- Create a New Tag for Events: In GTM, make another new tag of It should. Choose ‘Tag Configuration’ and select ‘Google Analytics: GA4 Event’.
- Enter Event Name: Define the event about which you want to get information (concerning the event, use string identifiers, for instance ‘button_click’, ‘form_submission’).
- Set Up Triggering Conditions: It is possible to click on ‘Triggering’ to indicate when this event should occur. For instance, in order to track the button click you need to choose the ‘All Elements’ or ‘Click’ as a trigger type with the optional conditions, for instance, Click Classes, Click ID.
- Add Additional Parameters: If you need, you can pass extra parameters in the event for the additional context or id (like the name of the button, URL of the page, and so on).
This step helps you be able to capture some moments of user interactions which act as a way to gain details on the user.
Step 5: Testing Your Setup
Before you are done with setting up, make sure to check everything to make sure everything is operational.
- Preview Your Changes: In GTM, use the click on ‘Preview’ to move to the debug mode. Type your website address to start the debug session.
- Interact with Your Site: In debug mode, take actions on your site which should ideally call the events that you defined (such as buttons and forms).
- Check for Event Recording: GTM is a powerful tool in debugging, ensure that the events in the debug panel are firing as planned and capture them rightly.
It is essential before deploying your tags to make sure you will be capturing the right data when your tags are out.
Step 6: Publishing Your Tags
When you are done setting up the tags and are happy with the results from your tests, you should then proceed to publish your tags.
- Submit Your Changes: Go back to GTM and on the bottom right corner, click on ‘Submit’ then the container will be published.
- Version Naming: At this point, you will be asked to provide information about what your version should be named and what it is about. This is useful in case of future edition, update or reverting back to a specific version of the data.
- Publish: After you come up with your version, choose the ‘Publish’ button to make your tags go live.
Congratulations! With Google Tag Manager you’ve configured Google Analytics 4 events as shown below.
Conclusion
It may sound a little complicated to setup GA4 event using Google Tag Manager but by strictly following these step, you will track users’ interactions on your website easily. If you track your events properly, then you can get a much better understanding of the user behavior, then this will help you to make better data concerning with digital marketing agency.
If your interest in web analytics is to go further, always bear in mind that testing and tweaking should be a never-ending process. To get the most out of your analytics and make sure your website is achieving your goals it is important to remain informed about the most recent additions to GA4 and GTM.
