What is Google Analytics 4?

GA4 was rebuilt for a privacy-first, cross-platform world. Instead of session-based tracking, it's event-based, every action is an event. It's designed to work with or without cookies and across websites and apps. The interface and concepts changed significantly.

At minimum: page views (automatic), form submissions, phone clicks, and key button clicks as custom events. Mark important events as conversions. Most service businesses need 3-5 key conversion events: contact form, call, chat, maybe newsletter signup.

Google's free GA4 Certification course covers basics. Start by understanding events, conversions, and the main reports. Explore explorations for custom analysis. Accept that there's a learning curve, even experts needed time to adjust from Universal Analytics.

Reasonably accurate but not perfect. Ad blockers, consent requirements, and privacy measures mean not all visitors are tracked. Expect 10-20% undercounting depending on your audience. Use GA4 for trends and comparisons, not absolute numbers.

For basic setup, you can follow guides. For proper conversion tracking, custom events, and e-commerce tracking, professional help ensures accuracy. Bad data leads to bad decisions. A few hundred dollars for proper setup is worth it.