Google Tag Manager
Google Tag Manager setup with a data layer, an organized container, Consent Mode v2 and, where it pays off, server-side tagging.
Explore
Analytics and measurement
GA4 Audit and Setup Services (Google Analytics 4)
GA4 collects data as events rather than pageviews and sessions. That flexibility pays off with a good event plan; without one, a property turns into a mess: the same sale arrives under two names, form submissions never arrive and revenue shows as zero. Every GA4 audit or setup we run starts with a written plan of which event measures what, with which parameters.
Purpose and appearance
What do we use this service for?
We use GA4 to count conversions on the site, such as sales, forms and WhatsApp contacts, accurately by channel. Properly configured key events give reliable signals both to budget decisions and to Google Ads Smart Bidding, and we can follow returning customers' behavior in the same property.
Funnel stages it serves
- Awareness
- Consideration
- Conversion
- Loyalty
GA4 setup: building the event plan and ecommerce tracking
Enhanced measurement automatically collects events such as page views, scrolls, outbound clicks and file downloads. Most of the events that matter, however, are defined manually, and here we use Google's recommended event names: generate_lead, sign_up, add_to_cart, purchase. Custom names work too, but GA4's built-in ecommerce reports and the Google Ads import recognize the recommended names.
In ecommerce the sequence runs view_item, add_to_cart, begin_checkout, add_payment_info and purchase. The purchase event requires transaction_id, and the currency parameter must be sent along with value. If the currency is missing, GA4 cannot calculate revenue and the report shows zero. For sites in Türkiye we send it as TRY; for multi-currency sites we send the order's actual currency.
What a GA4 audit usually finds: the five most common errors
None of the errors below trigger a warning in the GA4 interface; the reports keep looking full and tidy. We find them by comparing GA4 sales with the records in the order dashboard, or by following a test order step by step in DebugView. On the sites we audit, many of them in Türkiye, these five errors make up most of the list, whatever the platform:
- Users returning from the payment provider's 3D Secure page start a new session and the sale is credited to the 'referral' channel; the fix is to add the payment domains to the unwanted referrals list
- On sites that take orders or quote requests via WhatsApp, clicks on the WhatsApp button aren't defined as an event
- The purchase event fires again when the thank-you page is refreshed
- Data retention is still set to 2 months, so explorations can't compare with the same period last year
- Office and agency traffic isn't separated with an internal traffic filter
GA4 key events, attribution and Google Ads import
We mark only events that genuinely contribute to the business as key events. In November 2023, GA4 removed the first-click, linear, time-decay and position-based models; today the data-driven model and two last-click models remain. We read channel decisions through the data-driven model.
We can import key events into Google Ads for bidding in Search campaigns. If the same sale is also measured with the Google Ads tag, only one of the two can be the primary conversion; otherwise Smart Bidding counts every sale twice. We manage tags through Google Tag Manager and export raw event data to BigQuery.
Google Analytics 4: when do we recommend it?
We recommend it
- Properties migrated from Universal Analytics in a hurry, with no event plan
- Ecommerce sites with a clear gap between GA4 sales and the order system
- Service brands that want to see lead form, phone and WhatsApp conversions separately
We don't recommend it
- Opening a second or third GA4 property for the same site; a correct data flow in one property is worth more
- Collecting every click as an event; the custom dimension limit fills up quickly and reports become unreadable
How we manage Google Analytics 4
- Property settingsWe extend data retention to 14 months and define internal traffic and unwanted referrals.
- Event plan documentWe record each event's name, parameters and trigger point in a table.
- Ecommerce validationUsing test orders, we check transaction_id, value, currency and the items array in DebugView.
- IntegrationsWe set up the Google Ads, Search Console and BigQuery links.
- ReconciliationFor two weeks after launch, we compare purchase counts and revenue with the order dashboard daily.
Google Analytics 4: metrics and requirements
Metrics we track
- Key events
- Revenue and number of purchases
- Session key event rate
- Revenue by channel group
- Engaged sessions
What you need to get started
- Administrator role on the GA4 property
- Access to the Google Tag Manager container
- An environment where we can place test orders, or the option to cancel orders
- A list of payment provider domains and subdomains
Official sources
The Brand Move Measurement Team
Contact us nowTo learn more about Google Analytics 4 or other measurement services, contact The Brand Move Measurement team today.
Explore further
Analytics and Measurement overview
Other Analytics and Measurement services
BigQuery
A data warehouse that joins raw GA4 event data with CRM, returns and ad cost to show real profit and lead quality.
ExploreData Studio (Looker Studio)
A fast-loading Looker Studio (Data Studio) marketing dashboard with written metric definitions, so management and marketing read the same numbers.
ExploreFrequently asked questions
Google Analytics 4: frequently asked questions
What does a GA4 audit include?
We review property settings (data retention, internal traffic, unwanted referrals), the event plan and parameters, key events, ecommerce events from view_item to purchase, and the Google Ads, Search Console and BigQuery links. Then we follow test orders in DebugView and compare GA4 sales with your order data.
Why is the number of sales in GA4 lower than in our order dashboard?
Users who decline cookie consent, ad blockers and orders that never return to the thank-you page after payment are the usual reasons. A small gap is expected. If the gap is large, the cause is usually a purchase event that doesn't fire every time or a session break on the 3D Secure return.
Why does GA4 show zero revenue for purchases?
Most often the currency parameter is missing. The purchase event needs transaction_id, and currency has to be sent with value; without it, GA4 can't calculate revenue. We send the order's real currency, for example TRY for sites in Türkiye.
Can we move our old Universal Analytics data into GA4?
No. Universal Analytics data can't be imported into GA4, and access to old properties ended in 2024. If you exported a dump earlier, we can load it into BigQuery and report on it alongside the new data; because metric definitions differ, we treat comparisons with caution.
If GA4 shows few sales from Meta ads, does that mean Meta isn't working?
Not necessarily. In its own reporting Meta can also credit view-through sales, while GA4 looks for a click and session trail. When we evaluate Meta Advantage+ Sales campaigns, we put the two reports side by side and track the direction of the gap over several weeks.
Let's run a first Google Analytics 4 review together.
In a free call we review your analytics property and tag setup, then show you in writing where data is missing or double-counted.
Book a growth call
No sales pressure. Just findings.