How To Set Up a GA4 Account (And Finally Take Control of Your Website Data)

Ella Pybus | 16 October, 2025 | 4 minute read | Blog, Digital Marketing, PPC, SEO, Tracking and Analytics

If you’ve been wondering how to set up a GA4 account, you’re not alone. Thousands of businesses have made the switch from Universal Analytics, but are still unsure if their new setup is tracking the right things. 

That’s because GA4 isn’t just an update, it’s a completely new analytics platform built around event-based tracking, user journeys, and predictive insights. Many business owners and marketing teams are still trying to figure it out. You may be aware that GA4 is essential, but unclear about how to make it work for your website. 

Maybe you want to measure leads and conversions more accurately. Maybe you’re tired of “not provided” data in Google ads. Or perhaps you just want clearer, more reliable data to review your marketing strategy. 

This guide will show you exactly how to set up a GA4 account from scratch, so you can move from confusion to clarity and start using your data to make smarter business decisions.

Step 1: Create and Configure Your GA4 Property

When setting up a GA4 account, the first thing to understand is that GA4 uses properties and data streams rather than simple “views.”

1. Head to Google Analytics and log in with your Google account.
2. Click Admin → Create Property.
3. Enter your business name, time zone, and currency.
4. Select your data stream type: Web, iOS, or Android.

Each data stream sends event-based data into your property, giving you a more unified view of user activity across platforms.

Step 2: Add Your GA4 Tag to Your Website

You’ve created your property, now you need to collect data.

The GA4 tag is a snippet of JavaScript code that communicates user actions (events) to Google Analytics.

Using Google Tag Manager (recommended)

1. Open Tag Manager and click Add a New Tag.
2. Choose Google Analytics: GA4 Configuration.
3. Enter your Measurement ID (from your GA4 property).
4. Set your trigger to All Pages → Save → Publish.

Once installed, visit your site and check Real-time Reports in GA4. If you see your own visit appearing, you’ve done it right.

Are you wanting GA4 set up but don’t know where to start? Get in touch today or have a look at our GA4 setup service.

Step 3: Configure Events and Conversions

GA4 tracks everything as an event, from page views to button clicks and video plays. But to truly measure ROI, you’ll need to define key conversions that align with your goals.

Examples:

• Lead generation form submissions
• Purchases
• Phone clicks
• Newsletter signups

In GA4:

1. Navigate to Admin → Events.
2. Use Create Event to define new ones based on parameters (e.g. “page_location contains /thank-you”).
3. Mark these as Conversions by toggling the switch next to their name.

Step 4: Build Custom Reports and Insights

Now the fun begins, turning your data into decisions.

Under the Explore tab, GA4 lets you create custom reports that show where your best traffic comes from and how users move through your site.

Useful explorations include:

• Funnel Exploration: Track how users navigate from the landing page to conversion.
• Path Exploration: Understand common drop-off points.

Step 5: Test, Validate, and Iterate

Even a perfect setup needs testing. GA4 includes DebugView, which lets you see live event data.

Use it to confirm your key interactions are firing correctly:

• Pageviews
• Form submissions
• Click events
• Scroll depth

Our final thoughts

Learning how to set up a GA4 account may feel complex at first, but once configured correctly, it becomes one of the most powerful tools in your digital marketing strategy. You’ll move from guessing which campaigns work to knowing what drives performance, with cleaner, faster, and more privacy-compliant data.

GA4 isn’t just about reporting. It’s about insight, prediction, and strategic decision-making. With events, conversions, and custom reports properly set up, your team can make data-backed decisions that drive growth, not just traffic.

Want to see how this works in practice and discover more about how to set up a GA4 account? Schedule a Discovery Call or read our recent case studies.