Why You Need Google Analytics 4 in 2026
Most people have no idea how visitors actually interact with their sites, who’s visiting, where they come from, how long they stay, or what makes them convert.
That’s where Google Analytics 4 (GA4) comes in. It’s your all-seeing digital assistant that tracks, analyzes, and reports every important movement on your website, helping you make better decisions backed by data.
At KaziBora Digital, we use GA4 to help clients understand their audiences, optimize their websites, and improve ROI from digital campaigns. In this guide, we’ll walk you through exactly how to set up GA4 even if you’ve never touched analytics before.
By the end, you’ll know how to:
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Create a new GA4 property
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Connect it to your website
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Verify it’s working
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Track events and conversions
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Monitor performance like a pro
🧩 Step 1: Create Your Google Analytics 4 Account
If you already have a Google Account (e.g., Gmail), you can create a GA4 property in minutes.
1️⃣ Go to analytics.google.com
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Sign in with your Google account.
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Click “Start measuring” to create your account.
2️⃣ Set Up an Account Name
Use something simple like your business name:
Example: KaziBora Digital Analytics or Kenya Insurance Analytics.
3️⃣ Configure Property Details
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Property name: Your business or website name.
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Reporting time zone: Select your country/time zone (e.g., Kenya GMT +3).
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Currency: Kenyan Shillings (KES) or your preferred currency.
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Click Next and complete your business info.
4️⃣ Set Up a Data Stream
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Choose “Web” (since we’re tracking a website).
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Enter your website URL (e.g.,
https://kaziboradigital.com) -
Stream name: Main Website Stream
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Click Create Stream.
You’ll now see a Measurement ID that looks like this: G-XXXXXXXXXX.
⚙️ Step 2: Add the GA4 Tag to Your Website
This step connects your GA4 property to your website.
Option 1: If You Use a CMS (WordPress, Squarespace, Wix)
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Look for a setting labeled “Google Analytics” or “Tracking ID.”
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Paste your Measurement ID (
G-XXXXXXXXXX) there. -
Save changes.
Option 2: If You Have Access to the Website Code
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Copy the Global Site Tag (gtag.js) code snippet from your Data Stream page.
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Paste it inside the
<head>section of every page (before the closing</head>tag). -
Save and publish.
That’s it. GA4 is now linked to your site.
🔍 Step 3: Verify That GA4 Is Working
Here’s how to confirm that your data is being collected correctly:
Method 1: Use Google’s Tag Assistant
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Install Tag Assistant Legacy (by Google) Chrome extension.
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Visit your website, open the extension, and check that your GA4 Measurement ID shows up.
Method 2: Check Realtime Reports in GA4
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Go to Reports → Realtime in your Analytics dashboard.
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Open your website in another browser tab.
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You should see at least 1 active user (that’s you!).
If you see page views appearing, congratulations, your GA4 setup is live 🎉
📊 Step 4: Understand GA4’s Core Metrics
GA4 tracks events instead of just page views.
Here are a few key metrics you’ll find useful:
| Metric | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Users | Number of people who visited your site |
| Sessions | Visits — a single user can have multiple sessions |
| Engaged Sessions | Sessions that lasted more than 10 seconds or included an interaction |
| Events | Actions users take (e.g., click, scroll, form submit) |
| Conversions | Key actions that represent value (e.g., booking, inquiry, signup) |
🧠 Step 5: Set Up Conversion Events (What Matters Most)
Conversions tell you what’s working on your website.
You’ll want to track meaningful interactions, not just traffic.
Here’s how to create custom events manually inside GA4 (no plugins or Tag Manager required):
Example 1: Track Contact Form Submissions
If your contact form button says “Submit” or “Send Message”:
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Go to Admin → Data Streams → Web → Configure tag settings → Create event.
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Name your event:
contact_form_submit. -
Set matching conditions:
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event_name→click -
link_text→ contains “Submit”
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Save the event.
Example 2: Track Calendly Bookings
For consultation bookings:
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Create a new event named
consultation_booking. -
Matching conditions:
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event_name→click -
link_url→ contains “calendly.com”
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Save.
Example 3: Track Deep Page Engagement
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Create an event called
deep_scroll. -
Condition:
event_name→scroll. -
Save.
Mark Events as Conversions
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Go to Admin → Events.
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Toggle “Mark as key event” next to your custom events.
These are now your conversion metrics.
📍 Step 6: Set Up Location and Traffic Source Tracking
To understand where visitors come from:
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Go to Reports → Demographics → Demographic details.
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You’ll see data by country, city, and region.
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Go to Reports → Acquisition → Traffic acquisition.
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You’ll see sources like Google Search, Direct, Social Media, etc.
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These help you understand whether users find you via organic search, paid campaigns, or referrals.
⚡ Step 7: Build Reports You Actually Understand
Instead of getting lost in data, focus on what matters:
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Realtime Overview: Who’s on your site right now
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Engagement Overview: What pages users love
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Acquisition Overview: Where your traffic comes from
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Conversions: Who’s taking action
You can also create custom dashboards that show only your key metrics.
🧰 Tools & Resources for Your GA4 Setup
Here are the free tools we recommend at KaziBora Digital to make your analytics setup easier and more powerful:
| Tool | Purpose | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Google Analytics 4 | Core analytics platform | analytics.google.com |
| Tag Assistant (Chrome) | Verifies if GA tags are firing correctly | Chrome Extension |
| Google Tag Manager | Advanced event tracking (optional) | tagmanager.google.com |
| Google Search Console | SEO performance insights | search.google.com/search-console |
| Looker Studio | Build custom analytics dashboards | datastudio.google.com |
If you want a full walkthrough on how to connect GA4 with Search Console and visualize your traffic sources, check out our SEO Course for detailed lessons on analytics-driven optimization.
🧩 Step 8: Interpret & Optimize Your Data
Once GA4 is running, give it a few days to gather enough data.
Then start analyzing:
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Which traffic sources drive conversions?
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Which pages have the highest bounce rates?
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Where do users spend the most time?
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Which service pages (like Business Insurance or Professional Indemnity) attract the most visitors?
Use these insights to improve your website content, marketing campaigns, and customer journey.
🚀 Step 9: Combine GA4 with SEO & Marketing Insights
GA4 data becomes truly powerful when used alongside your SEO strategy.
For example:
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Use Search Console to identify keywords bringing organic traffic.
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Check in GA4 which pages those visitors view most.
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Update those pages with more engaging CTAs and internal links to your services.
If you’re not sure how to align your analytics with an SEO plan, our team at KaziBora Digital can help you build a fully connected system, from data tracking to lead conversion.
💡 Pro Tips for GA4 Success
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Always filter internal traffic (so your team visits don’t skew data).
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Review your Conversions report weekly.
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Regularly test your contact forms and booking links to ensure event tracking is active.
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Create a simple Looker Studio dashboard to visualize your key metrics in one view.
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Most importantly, act on your data.
🏁 Conclusion: You’re Now Data-Ready
Setting up GA4 is about understanding how people interact with your business online.
With your new analytics property live, you can now:
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Measure real engagement
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See where your audience comes from
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Know which marketing efforts pay off
At KaziBora Digital, we believe every business, no matter how small, should be empowered by data.
If you’d like help auditing your GA4 setup, building custom reports, or connecting analytics with your marketing campaigns, reach out to us through our Contact Page or explore our SEO Course for deeper insights.