How to Set Up GA4 Properly: A Step-by-Step Guide for Small Businesses
Why a Proper GA4 Setup Matters
Setting up Google Analytics 4 (GA4) properly is one of the most important steps a small business can take to improve its marketing performance. Whether you're running Google Ads, investing in SEO, or simply trying to understand how customers behave on your website, a clean GA4 setup ensures you are collecting accurate, meaningful data.
Many businesses rush through GA4 installation and end up with missing data, duplicate events, or broken conversions. If you are just starting out, it helps to understand the foundational concepts in The Ultimate Guide to GA4 and Web Analytics for Small Businesses. With an incorrect setup, you can't trust your numbers. This leads to poor decisions, wasted ad spend, and inaccurate reporting.
A proper GA4 setup ensures you can track:
- Real conversions (form submissions, phone calls, bookings)
- User behaviour across devices
- Marketing channel performance
- Engagement metrics that actually matter
- Lead quality and customer journey insights
If you're a service-based business in Edmonton, accurate tracking is essential for understanding which campaigns bring in real leads, not just traffic.
Step 1: Create Your GA4 Property
If you haven't already, start by creating a GA4 property inside your Google Analytics account. Google now defaults to GA4, but older accounts may still require manual setup.
Once created, GA4 will generate a Measurement ID that looks like: G-XXXXXXX
You'll use this ID to connect GA4 to your website through Google Tag Manager.
Step 2: Install GA4 Using Google Tag Manager
Google Tag Manager (GTM) is the recommended way to install GA4 because it gives you more flexibility and control over tracking. For a detailed breakdown of this platform, see our Google Tag Manager Setup for Beginners.
Inside GTM:
- Create a new GA4 Configuration Tag
- Paste your Measurement ID
- Set the trigger to All Pages
- Publish your container
This ensures GA4 loads on every page of your website.
Step 3: Enable Enhanced Measurement
GA4 includes built-in tracking for common interactions such as:
- Scroll depth
- Outbound link clicks
- File downloads
- Video engagement
- Site search
To turn these on, head to the GA4 interface. Under Data Streams, head to Web, then select Enhanced Measurement.
These automatic events give you valuable insights without any extra setup.
Step 4: Set Up Key Events (The Actions That Matter)
Enhanced measurement is helpful, but it doesn't track your most important business actions. You'll want to create custom events for actions that lead to revenue. A common priority for local service providers is learning How to Track Form Submissions in GA4.
Using GTM, you can create triggers for these actions and send them to GA4 as events. This is where your analytics setup becomes truly valuable.
Step 5: Mark Your Conversions
In GA4, any event can be marked as a conversion. This is a major improvement over Universal Analytics.
Inside GA4:
- Go to Admin, then head to Events
- Next, find your key events
- Now toggle Mark as Conversion
This tells GA4 which actions represent real business value.
For Edmonton businesses running Google Ads, these conversions can also be imported into Google Ads for smarter bidding and better ROI.
Step 6: Connect GA4 to Google Ads
If you're running paid ads, this is an essential step.
Connecting GA4 to Google Ads allows you to:
- Import conversions
- Improve bidding accuracy
- Build remarketing audiences
- Track cross-channel performance
You'll find this under Admin. Head to Product Links and go to Google Ads.
Step 7: Test Everything
Before relying on your data, test your setup using:
- GA4 DebugView
- Google Tag Manager Preview Mode
Make sure:
- Events fire correctly
- Conversions register
- No duplicates appear
- Phone calls and forms track properly
A few minutes of testing now prevents months of inaccurate reporting later.
Step 8: Build a Simple Dashboard
GA4's interface can feel overwhelming, so many businesses use Looker Studio to create a clean, easy-to-read dashboard. A basic dashboard should include:
- Total traffic
- Top pages
- Conversions
- Conversion rate
- Lead sources
- Device breakdown
This gives you a clear snapshot of your performance at a glance.
Final Thoughts
A proper GA4 setup is one of the highest ROI tasks a small business can complete. With accurate tracking, you can finally understand what's working, what's not, and where to invest your marketing budget. For Edmonton businesses competing in crowded markets, this clarity can be a game-changer.
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