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Analytics

GA4 essentials: the reports that actually matter

Author
Lumna Team
Published
1 min read

G oogle Analytics 4 replaced Universal Analytics in 2023, and many businesses still find it harder to read. The good news is that you do not need every report. You need clean data and a few views that answer clear questions.

Start with the questions

Write down what you want to know: where enquiries come from, which pages persuade people, which campaigns pay back. Every event, conversion and report you set up should help answer one of those questions.

Configure key events properly

Mark the actions that represent real value, such as form submissions, purchases, calls or bookings, as key events. Name events consistently and test them in DebugView before relying on the numbers.

The reports worth checking regularly

  • Traffic acquisition: which channels bring engaged visitors
  • Landing pages: where sessions start and how they convert
  • Key events by source: what actually drives results
  • Pages and screens: what people read and where they drop off

Respect consent and privacy

In the UK and EU, analytics cookies generally require consent. Use a proper consent banner and Google’s consent mode so your measurement respects visitors’ choices and stays compliant.

Turn data into decisions

A simple dashboard, for example in Looker Studio, that shows a few agreed metrics over time is more useful than dozens of unread reports. Review it on a regular schedule and record the actions you take as a result.

Lumna Team

Lumna is a London digital agency working across SEO, web design, social media, advertising, apps and analytics. We write about what we learn on client work so you can apply it to your own brand.

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