Difference between Universal Analytics and GA4

Universal Analytics (UA) has been widely used by many websites for tracking and analyzing data. However, starting from July 2023, GA4 (Google Analytics 4) is mandatory. GA4 offers enhanced tracking capabilities and insights compared to Universal Analytics.

How to Create an Account on Google Analytics

Step 1: Log in to Gmail

Ensure you are logged into your Gmail account before starting the setup process.

Step 2: Start Measuring

• Click on the "Start Measuring" button to begin the setup.

Account Setup

1. Account Name: You can choose any name you want here; it doesn't have to match your Gmail or website name.
2. Data Sharing Settings: Select the checkboxes according to your preferences.

Property Setup

1. Property Name: Enter the name of your website.
2. Reporting Time Zone: Set this to India (or your local time zone).
3. Currency: Choose the currency you prefer (e.g., USD or INR).

Advanced Options (Optional):

• By default, your account will be created on GA4. If you click on "Show Advanced Options," you can choose to create a Universal Analytics property or both GA4 and Universal Analytics properties.

About Your Business:

• Select the options that best describe your business.

Click "Create" to complete the setup.

Step 3: Admin Setup

1. In the Admin panel, you can find your tracking ID.
2. Account setup and property creation alone are not enough for website tracking.

Adding the HTML Tag:

1. Go to the Admin panel. If it doesn't open directly, you can access it from the left menu.
2. In the Admin panel, navigate to your account and property settings.
3. Click on "Tracking Info" -> "Tracking Code."
4. Copy the HTML tag provided.

Integrating the HTML Tag:

1. Add the HTML tag to the head section of your website's code.
2. Alternatively, you can use Google Tag Manager to manage the tag.

Conclusion

By following these steps, you can set up Google Analytics for your website and start tracking data efficiently. The transition to GA4 provides better analytics capabilities, ensuring you gain more insights into your website's performance.