Blog category
Google Analytics Guides
GA4 and Tag Manager set up so the numbers can be trusted. 12 guides, written by me from project work.
12 Google Tag Manager Best Practices for a Container That LastsThe Google Tag Manager best practices that matter most are boring ones: a data layer before tags, one naming pattern, consent checks on every tag, task-named workspaces, a note on every version and publish rights for very few people.7 min readGA4 Audit Checklist: 25 Checks Before You Trust the NumbersThis GA4 audit checklist covers 25 checks in five groups, from property settings to reconciling key events with your CRM. Work through them in order and you will know which numbers to trust and what to fix first.10 min readGA4 Custom Dimensions: How to Create Them in 6 StepsGA4 custom dimensions turn the event parameters and user properties you send into fields you can report on. Send the parameter first, register it in Admin under Custom definitions, then wait 24 to 48 hours before it appears in reports.6 min readGA4 Data Retention: What the Setting Does and What to ChooseGA4 data retention decides how long Google keeps user-level and event-level data for explorations and funnel reports. Standard properties can choose 2 or 14 months. Standard reports are not affected, so most businesses should pick 14 months and move on.6 min readGA4 Engagement Rate Explained, and What Happened to Bounce RateGA4 engagement rate is the percentage of sessions that were engaged sessions: visits that lasted longer than 10 seconds, included a key event or had at least two page views. Bounce rate still exists in GA4, but it is now simply the inverse.6 min readGoogle Tag Manager vs Google Analytics: What Each One DoesGoogle Tag Manager is a delivery system: it loads tracking code on your site. Google Analytics is a measurement tool: it receives that data and turns it into reports. They are not rivals, and most sites that grow past a single tracking script end up using both.9 min readHow to Debug Google Tag Manager Step by StepTo debug Google Tag Manager, start Preview mode, repeat the action that should fire your tag, then read Tag Assistant from that event: which tags fired, which did not, why the trigger failed, and whether the data reached GA4.7 min readHow to Set Up Cross-Domain Tracking in GA4 (7 Steps)To set up cross-domain tracking in GA4, put the same Google tag on every domain, add each domain under Configure your domains in your web stream's tag settings, then test that links between them carry the _gl parameter.7 min readHow to Set Up Key Events in GA4 (6 Steps)To set up key events in GA4, pick the few outcomes that matter, make sure each event fires only when that outcome really happens, mark it as a key event in Admin, then test it in DebugView against a real enquiry or order.7 min readHow to Write a GA4 Measurement Plan (7 Steps)A GA4 measurement plan is a short document that links each business question to the event, parameters and report that will answer it. Write it before anyone touches a tag, and keep it updated after launch.7 min readThe Google Tag Manager Data Layer ExplainedThe Google Tag Manager data layer is a JavaScript array, usually called dataLayer, that your site uses to tell Tag Manager what just happened and pass the details along. Tags then fire on those messages instead of guessing from the page.8 min readWhy GA4 Data Does Not Match Your Other ToolsGA4 data does not match other tools because each one counts something different, on a different date, under different rules. A gap is normal. A gap that suddenly changes size is the one to investigate.6 min read
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GA4 implementation from a written measurement plan: property design, events, key events, settings and product links, all documented so the setup outlasts whoever built it.
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