What should I look at in Google Analytics 4?
Once a month, check four things in Google Analytics 4: how many people visited, which channels brought them, which pages they viewed and how many became leads. Compare with the same month last year to allow for seasons. Set up form submissions and phone taps as key events first, or the most useful number is missing.
The short version
- Make sure leads are tracked as key events before you read anything else.
- Monthly: users over time, traffic by channel, top pages, key events.
- Compare with the same month last year, not last week.
- Ignore small daily swings and reports you’ll never act on.
- To find visitor counts step by step, see our help guide.
What should I check each month?
This page is about which numbers to read and what they mean. If you just need to find your visitor count, the help guide on how to see how many people visit your site walks you through it.
1. Are leads tracked? Without lead tracking, GA4 tells you about visits but not business. Form submissions and phone taps should be set up as key events, Google’s name for actions that matter to your business. See how to tell if your site brings in calls and leads.
2. How many people visited. In Reports, look at users over time.
3. Where they came from. The traffic acquisition report groups visits into Google’s default channel groups, such as Organic Search, Direct, Referral, Organic Social and Paid Search. Google’s list now also includes an AI Assistant channel, which is worth a glance if you care about AI search.
4. Which pages they viewed. The pages and screens report ranks your most visited pages. Your main service pages should be near the top.
5. How many became leads. Look at key events by channel and by page. That’s what shows where business comes from.
Why does it matter?
GA4 can show hundreds of reports, which makes it easy to get lost. A few numbers, read the same way each month, tell you whether the site is earning its keep and which pages need work. Our glossary has a short definition of GA4.
What are the common mistakes?
- Reading visits as success. A page with lots of visits and no leads needs a clearer next step or a better form. See what fields your form should have.
- Counting your own office. Staff visits can inflate small sites’ numbers.
- Expecting exact numbers. Some visitors decline tracking or use blockers, so GA4 is a trend, not a headcount.
- Missing the privacy policy. GA4 collects visitor data, and your privacy policy should say so. This isn’t legal advice; if you have customers in places with strict privacy laws, ask a professional.
What if the numbers look wrong?
If there’s suddenly no data, check the GA4 tag is still on the site; a theme change or redesign can drop it. If traffic fell sharply, read why website traffic suddenly drops. Older reports may be gone for good: Google says standard Universal Analytics properties stopped processing data on July 1, 2023.
What does it cost, and how long does it take?
GA4 is free. A monthly check of these reports takes about fifteen minutes once you know where to look. Setting up key events takes longer the first time.
How does E-3 handle this?
We set up Google Search Console with E-3 added as a user, and tracking is part of our SEO and AI search service. Questions about your own numbers usually get a reply within one business day.
Related questions
Rather talk it through?
Call our team, or send a note and we’ll reply within one business day. No pressure and no jargon.