[FAQ]

I’ve successfully installed Google Analytics 4 on my new website, and now I’m trying to figure out how to actually use it. The GA4 interface is quite different from what I’ve seen in older tutorials, and I’m not sure where to look for the most important data.

As a new website owner, what are the specific reports I should be looking at regularly to understand my initial traffic and audience? I’m really trying to answer basic questions like where people are coming from and what pages they’re looking at.

Trying to make sense of all the data. Any guidance would be a huge help!

[Jeff Bullas]

The Google Analytics 4 (GA4) interface is very powerful, but for a new website, you can get most of the actionable insights you need by focusing on a handful of key reports.

First, after setting it up, you can use the Realtime report. While it is not for deep analysis, it is the best way to confirm that your tracking is working correctly. It shows you activity on your site as it happens, which is useful for testing.

Second, one of the most important reports is the Traffic acquisition report. You can find this under the “Acquisition” section. This report answers the fundamental question: “Where are my visitors coming from?”. It breaks down your traffic into channels such as Organic Search (from search engines like Google), Direct (people typing your URL directly), Referral (from links on other websites), and Social. This tells you which of your marketing efforts are beginning to work.

Third, you should regularly view the Pages and screens report, which is found under the “Engagement” section. This report answers the question: “What content are my visitors looking at?”. It shows you which of your pages get the most views and have the highest user engagement. This is critical for understanding what topics resonate with your audience so you can create more of what works.

Fourth, look at the Demographic details report. This is found under the “User Attributes” section and helps you answer the question: “Who is my audience?”. It provides data on your visitors’ country, city, age, and gender. This is very useful for confirming that you are reaching the audience you intended to target.

And fifth, the Tech details report, also under “User Attributes,” answers the question: “What devices are people using to visit my site?”. It shows you the breakdown of your users by device category – desktop, mobile, and tablet. For a new site, it is crucial to ensure your website provides an excellent experience on the device your audience uses most.

For a new website, the most important questions to answer are “How are people finding me?” and “What do they look at when they arrive?”. The Traffic Acquisition and the Pages and Screens reports will give you the clearest answers to these questions.

Do not feel pressured to understand every single feature of GA4 at the start. By regularly checking these key reports, you will gain the most valuable insights needed to guide your initial content and marketing strategy.

Cheers,

Jeff

[Author]

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