Google Analytics 4 for Small Business Websites
Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is free and tells you where visitors come from and what they do on your site. Installed but left on its defaults, though, it rarely answers the question that matters: is the website bringing in enquiries and sales? This guide covers the setup that does, from creating the property to tracking form enquiries, consent and the Search Console link, using Google's own Analytics Help and Tag Platform documentation.
Account, property and web stream
GA4 is organised in three levels. Google's setup guide walks through them:
- Account. Create one at analytics.google.com, ideally signed in with a business Google account the company controls, not a personal one or your developer's.
- Property. This holds the data for one website or business. You choose the reporting time zone and currency here. Google notes that a time zone change only affects data from then on, so set it correctly at the start.
- Web data stream. Add your website's address and a name. The stream gives you a Measurement ID starting with G-, and this is where you switch enhanced measurement on or off.
Add your developer or agency as a user with the access level they need, rather than sharing your login. Setup tasks need the Editor role.
Installing the Google tag
The stream's Measurement ID connects your site to the property. Google describes two ways to add it:
- through a built-in Google Analytics field in your website builder or CMS, such as WordPress, Shopify or HubSpot, often via a plugin or integration;
- by pasting the Google tag code immediately after the
<head>tag on every page, or adding it through Google Tag Manager.
Use one method only, or every visit may be counted twice. Google says data can take up to 30 minutes to start appearing; the Realtime report shows whether your own visit is being recorded.
What GA4 records on its own
With enhanced measurement on, GA4 records page views, scrolls to 90% of a page, clicks on links to other websites, site searches, engagement with embedded YouTube videos, file downloads and form interactions, without extra code. The form events are form_start, the first time someone uses a form in a session, and form_submit, when they submit it.
That is a useful start, but a form_submit event means only that a form was submitted, not that the enquiry went through. A visitor who hits a validation error, or a spam bot, can also trigger it. For the numbers you will judge the website by, set up your own event (see below).
Key events: the actions that matter
GA4 now calls the actions that matter to your business key events. Google's page on conversions vs. key events explains that the word "conversion" is now kept for actions used to measure and bid in Google Ads campaigns, so that Analytics and Ads measure them the same way. If you see older guides talking about GA4 conversions, they mean what is now a key event.
To mark an event as a key event, go to Admin, then Data display, then Events, and click the star next to the event. A standard property can have up to 30 key events. For a typical service business, a short list is enough:
- a successful enquiry or quote form;
- clicks on your phone number or email address;
- bookings or purchases, if the site takes them.
Reports can then show which channels, campaigns and pages lead to enquiries, not just to visits.
Tracking form enquiries properly
Google's list of recommended events includes generate_lead, for when a visitor "submits a form online or submits information offline". Using Google's recommended name, rather than one you invent, lets GA4 fill its lead reports.
The important part is when it fires. Send generate_lead only once the form has really been accepted: when the thank-you page loads, or when your form tool reports success. A click on the submit button is not an enquiry. Then mark generate_lead as a key event. Test it by sending a real enquiry and checking that one event, and only one, appears in the Realtime report.
For phone and email clicks, an event on clicks of tel: and mailto: links does the same job. A developer can add these through the Google tag or Tag Manager.
Consent and consent mode
Analytics sets cookies, so privacy law may require visitors' consent first, especially in the UK and EU. Our privacy and cookie consent guide covers the legal side. GA4's part is consent mode, which passes the visitor's choice to Google's tags through four settings: analytics_storage and ad_storage for cookies, and ad_user_data and ad_personalization for sending data to Google for advertising and for personalised ads.
- Basic consent mode blocks Google's tags until the visitor makes a choice, so nothing is sent before consent.
- Advanced consent mode loads the tags with consent denied by default and sends measurements without cookies until the visitor agrees, which Google uses for more detailed modelling of the missing data.
Google's EEA consent mode update says that to keep using its measurement, ad personalisation and remarketing features for visitors in the European Economic Area, you must collect their consent and pass consent signals to Google. Many cookie banner tools send these signals for you. Check that yours does, and that tags respect a refusal.
Linking Search Console
GA4 shows what visitors do; Search Console shows the Google searches that brought them. Google's linking guide needs the Editor role in GA4 and verified ownership of the site in Search Console. A Search Console property can link to only one web data stream. Once linked, two reports become available, Google organic search queries and Google organic search traffic, and Search Console data reaches Analytics 48 hours after Search Console collects it.
Two settings to change on day one
- Data retention. In Admin, under the property's data settings, Data retention defaults to 2 months; standard properties can choose 14 months. It only affects explorations and funnel reports, not the standard reports, but 2 months is too short for year-on-year comparisons. Check that the longer period fits your privacy policy.
- Filter out your own visits, so staff testing the site do not count as enquiries. Ask your developer to exclude internal traffic, and use a test mode when trying forms.
When you launch or rebuild a site, add these checks to your launch checklist, and check after a month that the numbers look plausible.
Frequently asked questions
Is Google Analytics 4 free?
Yes, the standard version is free. Google also sells Analytics 360 for large organisations, with higher limits and longer data retention.
What happened to conversions in GA4?
Google renamed them key events. The word conversion is now used for actions measured and bid on in Google Ads, so that Analytics and Ads count them the same way.
Why does GA4 show fewer enquiries than I actually receive?
Common causes are visitors who refuse analytics cookies, ad blockers, and a form event that does not fire on every successful submission. Compare GA4 with your inbox or CRM for the same period, and test the form event.
Do I need a cookie banner for Google Analytics?
In the UK and EU you generally need consent before setting analytics cookies, and Google requires consent signals for EEA visitors to use some of its features. Rules differ elsewhere, so check what applies to your visitors.
Can I see which Google searches bring visitors?
Yes, by linking Search Console to your GA4 web stream. Two reports then show organic search queries and landing pages, with Search Console data arriving after about 48 hours.
Want analytics that show what your website brings in? We set up tracking, key events and consent as part of our website development and website maintenance work. See all our services, or email info@creahive.com.