A step-by-step guide to measuring traffic properly (GA4 basics)
Measuring website traffic properly is the foundation of any effective growth work and GA4 introduces a different data model compared with the old Universal Analytics, so getting the basics right is important before you try to draw conclusions from numbers. This guide walks through practical setup and checks so you can trust the data you use for decisions, and it focuses on steps you can complete in a single session with access to the site and GA4 admin settings.
Step 1 is creating the right property and installing the tag so data is captured cleanly. In Google Analytics, create a GA4 property and add a web data stream for the site you want to measure. Copy the measurement ID and add it to your site either with the global site tag (gtag) or, preferably, via Google Tag Manager if you use that platform for other tags. Once installed, open Realtime and DebugView in GA4 while you visit the site to confirm page_view and basic events are arriving. If nothing appears in DebugView, check that your tag appears in the site source and that any ad blockers are disabled for your tests.
Step 2 is configuring events and conversions so the metrics match your commercial or content goals. GA4 includes Enhanced Measurement which can automatically collect page views, scrolls, outbound clicks, site search and file downloads, and you should enable the items that are relevant to your site. For user actions you must track manually, create custom events in the interface or send them from your Tag Manager, then mark high-value events as conversions so they appear in reports. Use the DebugView while performing each action to ensure the event names and parameters are correct before relying on them in reporting.
Step 3 is filtering and labelling data to exclude internal traffic and keep reporting consistent. GA4 does not use views like the old system, so set up an internal traffic rule in Admin > Data Streams > More Tagging Settings > Define internal traffic, using an IP range or a developer parameter, and then create a data filter to exclude or test that traffic. Also confirm the property time zone and currency settings match your reporting needs, and consider data retention settings for event-level data if you run long-term cohort analysis. These simple housekeeping tasks avoid common misinterpretations when a site owner and a marketing team look at the same numbers.
Step 4 covers campaign measurement and attribution so you can group traffic sources properly. Use consistent UTM parameters on campaign links for source, medium and campaign to ensure acquisition reports are meaningful, and document the conventions your team will use for naming. Check acquisition reports in GA4 and create audiences for key cohorts such as organic search, paid search and newsletter subscribers so you can compare engagement and conversion rates. If you run paid campaigns, ensure the ad platform is set to pass click identifiers or use the platform's auto-tagging where available to tie ad clicks back to behaviour in GA4.
Step 5 is validation and routine checks so measurement remains trustworthy as the site evolves. Regularly use Realtime and DebugView after significant deploys to confirm events still fire, and create simple Explorations to compare sessions by source, event counts and conversion rates over weekly and monthly windows. A helpful checklist for routine validation is below, and include an internal note with dates when you change tagging so past drops or spikes are easy to explain. For further practical articles on SEO and traffic measurement see our SEO & Growth label. For more builds and experiments, visit my main RC projects page.
- Confirm Realtime data and DebugView show expected events on deploys and edits.
- Verify conversions are recorded and match backend counts where appropriate.
- Check that internal and test traffic is excluded from reports.
- Review acquisition channels monthly for unexpected shifts and annotate changes.
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