How to Add Google Analytics to Your Website

Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is essential for understanding your website's traffic, user behavior, and conversions. This guide walks you through adding GA4 to your website from scratch.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, you'll need:

A Google account
Access to your website's code or CMS
Admin access to add tracking scripts

Step 1: Create a Google Analytics Account

Go to analytics.google.com
Click "Start measuring" or "Create Account"
Enter your Account Name (e.g., your business name)
Configure data sharing settings (recommended: keep defaults)
Click "Next"

Step 2: Set Up a GA4 Property

Enter your Property Name (e.g., "My Website")
Select your Reporting Time Zone and Currency
Click "Next"
Choose your Industry Category and Business Size
Click "Create"

Step 3: Create a Data Stream

Select "Web" as your platform
Enter your Website URL (e.g., https://example.com)
Enter a Stream Name (e.g., "Main Website")
Click "Create Stream"

Step 4: Get Your Measurement ID

After creating your data stream, you'll see:

Measurement ID: Format G-XXXXXXXXXX
Stream URL: Your website URL
Stream ID: Internal identifier

Important: Copy your Measurement ID - you'll need this for the next step.

Step 5: Add the Tracking Code

Option A: Google Tag (Recommended)

Add this code to the <head> section of every page:

<!-- Google tag (gtag.js) -->
<script async src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-XXXXXXXXXX"></script>
<script>
  window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || [];
  function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);}
  gtag('js', new Date());
  gtag('config', 'G-XXXXXXXXXX');
</script>

Replace G-XXXXXXXXXX with your actual Measurement ID

Option B: Google Tag Manager

If you're using GTM:

Open your GTM container
Create a new Tag → Select "Google Analytics: GA4 Configuration"
Enter your Measurement ID
Set trigger to "All Pages"
Publish the container

Option C: CMS-Specific Setup

Platform	Method
WordPress	Install "Site Kit by Google" or "GA Google Analytics" plugin
Shopify	Settings → Online Store → Preferences → Google Analytics
Wix	Marketing Integrations → Google Analytics
Squarespace	Settings → Advanced → External Services
Webflow	Project Settings → Integrations → Google Analytics

Step 6: Verify Installation

Method 1: Real-Time Reports

Open your website in a new tab
In GA4, go to Reports → Realtime
You should see your visit appear within 30 seconds

Method 2: Google Tag Assistant

Install the Tag Assistant Chrome extension
Visit your website
Check that GA4 tag shows as "connected"

Method 3: Browser Developer Tools

Open DevTools (F12)
Go to Network tab
Filter by collect or google-analytics
Refresh the page and check for requests

Step 7: Configure Essential Settings

Once installed, configure these important settings:

Enable Enhanced Measurement

Go to Admin → Data Streams → Your Stream
Click Enhanced Measurement
Enable:
- ✅ Page views
- ✅ Scrolls
- ✅ Outbound clicks
- ✅ Site search
- ✅ Video engagement
- ✅ File downloads

Set Up Conversions

Go to Admin → Conversions
Click "New Conversion Event"
Enter event names like:
- purchase
- generate_lead
- sign_up
- contact_form_submit

Configure Data Retention

Go to Admin → Data Settings → Data Retention
Set retention to 14 months (maximum free)
Enable "Reset user data on new activity"

Connecting GA4 to Glarify

Once GA4 is installed and collecting data:

Go to Settings → Integrations in Glarify
Click "Sync Properties from Google"
Select your GA4 property from the list
Click "Connect"

Your GA4 data will now appear in:

Analytics Dashboard - Full GA4 reports
All-in-One View - Combined with GSC data
AI Insights - AI-powered analysis of your traffic

Troubleshooting

Issue	Solution
No data appearing	Wait 24-48 hours for data to populate
Realtime works but reports empty	Check date range includes today
Double-counting pageviews	Remove duplicate gtag code snippets
Bot traffic inflating numbers	Enable bot filtering in Admin → Data Settings
GA4 not showing in Glarify	Ensure your Google account has Viewer access

Best Practices

Don't install multiple GA4 codes - This causes double-counting
Use Google Tag Manager for complex setups - Easier to manage
Set up cross-domain tracking if you have multiple domains
Create custom events for important user actions
Link to Google Search Console for SEO insights

Documentation