Tracking Site Search in Google Analytics 4

Hi {NAME}, Himanshu here from OptimizeSmart. I hope you are doing well. I have couple of updates for you... # Get helpful tips on daily basis If you are the type of person who finds it helpful to receive short tips on building your website traffic, improving conversions, fixing attribution issues and learning about analytics in general, then follow me on LinkedIn. I post a few short tips each day. [Click here and follow me on LinkedIn.]( #1 [Understanding Referral Traffic and Referral Exclusion in GA4]( Referral traffic is a GA4 session that starts with a referrer being passed by the users’ web browser. When a GA4 session starts without a referrer being passed by the users’ web browser then that GA4 session is reported as ‘direct traffic‘. Technically speaking, traffic from any website to your website is referral traffic (as long as a referrer is being passed by a user’s web browser). But in the context of GA4, traffic from search engines and most PPC/CPM ads (like Google Ads), is not reported as referral traffic. GA4 allows you to set condition(s) that identifies unwanted referrals and prevent them from being reported as referral traffic via a feature called the ‘List unwanted referrals’. GA4 can automatically detect and fix self-referral issues (where your own domain appear as referral traffic) as long as certain conditions are met. #2 [Google Analytics 4 (GA4) vs Universal Analytics – What is the difference?]( One of the most frequently asked questions is what is the difference between GA4 and GA3 (aka Universal Analytics). You probably know that both GA3 and GA4 use different data models. GA3 data model is based on sessions and pageviews. In contrast, the GA4 data model is based on events and parameters. Thus both GA3 and GA4 can collect, process, and report the same data differently. However, that should not stop you from comparing GA3 and GA4 data. It is a good practice to do such comparisons. Following are the main benefits of comparing GA3 and GA4 data: 1) You can quickly detect anomalies in data collection. 2) You learn a lot about how GA4 works. 3) You can explain data discrepancies between GA3 and GA4 to your client/boss. For example, If GA3 reports 100 newsletter sign-ups, but GA4 reports only ten sign-ups during the same period, one of the GA versions is not collecting data correctly. Without such a comparison, you may never know whether your GA4 property is set up correctly. #3 Do you want better skills in digital analytics and marketing? If yes then register for the free_training. Hurry, seats are limited. Here’s what we’re going to cover… #1 Why digital analytics is the key to online business success. #2 The number 1 reason why most marketers are not able to scale their advertising and maximize sales. #3 Why Google and Facebook ads don’t work for most businesses & how to make them work. #4 Why you won’t get any competitive advantage in the marketplace just by knowing Google Analytics. #5 The number 1 reason why conversion optimization is not working for your business. #6 How to advertise on any marketing platform for FREE with an unlimited budget. #7 How to learn and master digital analytics and conversion optimization in record time. [Click here to register for this class]( Set Up Your Google Analytics 4 (GA4) Account Correctly And Fast Table of Contents GA4 Setup Planning GA4 Basic Setup 1) Upgrade to GA4 (Google Analytics 4) ​2) Set up Enhanced Measurement Tracking in GA4 ​3) Activate Google Signals for your GA4 property ​4) Exclude internal traffic in GA4 ​5) Connect your GA4 property with Google Ads ​6) Set Up Site Search Tracking in GA4 ​7) Set up Scroll Tracking in GA4 ​8) Import conversions from GA4 property to your Google Ads account ​9) Connect your GA4 property with Google Search Console ​10) Set up Cross Domain Tracking in GA4 11) Connect your GA4 property with BigQuery 12) Transfer GA3 (Universal Analytics) data into GA4 13) Save your Universal Analytics data from being deleted 14) Setup GA4 test property 15) Setup referral exclusion in GA4 16) Install Google Analytics 4 on Shopify GA4 Intermediate Setup 1) Set up GA4 Custom Events ​2) Rename Events in GA4 ​3) Use the debug view report in GA4 ​4) Set Up Goal Conversion Tracking in GA4 ​5) Setup Content Grouping in GA4 ​6) Create User properties in GA4 ​7) Create custom insights in GA4 ​8) Create remarketing audiences in GA4 ​9) Build comparisons (advanced segments) in GA4 10) Create custom audiences in GA4 11) Create Audience Triggers in GA4 12) Upload data from external data sources via GA4 Data Import GA4 Advanced Setup 1) Set up predictive metrics in GA4 2) Create Predictive Audiences in GA4 ​3) Set up Ecommerce Tracking in GA4 4) Set up Enhanced Ecommerce Tracking in GA4 5) Set up Sales funnels in GA4 6) Export data from GA4 to BigQuery 7) Track Single Page Apps in GA4 8) Setup GA4 via GTM Server Side Tagging Website Audit for Universal Analytics Set up Universal Analytics Account Level Setup Universal Analytics Property Level Setup Universal Analytics View Level Setup Other Universal Analytics Configurations Get_FREE_lifetime updates of this ebook So your checklist never gets out of date. I update this checklist every couple of months. FAQ: Do you show “How” to do each item on the checklist? If so, with screen shots? Yes. There are links to the articles with detailed step by step instructions. FAQ: Does this ebook cover GTM too? Yes. [Get the 62 points GA Checklist ebook (70 pages)]( Why understanding the data layer is the key to getting the most out of Google Tag Manager.... In the context of GTM, a data layer is a JavaScript array that is used to collect and store data from a website and then send that data to GTM (aka the container tag). Google recommends using data layers, for retrieving run time information. A data layer provides a safer and reliable way to pull data from your website and send it to GTM.  When you pull data directly from your website (by traversing the HTML DOM) and push it into your analytics and marketing tags (via GTM), you create an unreliable tracking setup. This happens because a typical website updates all the time. So any change in the HTML DOM (structure of HTML) can break your tracking set up any day, any time without any prior notice. To fix this problem, we create and use data layers, which stores all the information we want to collect about a web page.  Once we have set up the data layer, we pull data directly from the data layer instead of the HTML DOM of the page. That's why understanding the data layer is the key to getting the most out of Google Tag Manager. But you can create and use data layers only when you understand the JavaScript behind it. That's why I have written an entire book (100+ pages) on GTM data layers. What is so different about this book is that firstly it is only the book on data layers ever published. Second, it actually teaches you the JavaScript required to create a data layer. All other resources on data layers assume that you already know JavaScript or they simply tell you to figure it out on your own.  But you really cannot create, use or even understand data layers, if you do not understand the JavaScript behind it.   [Get the data layers ebook (100+ pages)]( I hope you find all these updates helpful. Talk soon, Himanshu Sharma Founder, OptimizeSmart.com You got this email because you subscribed to OptimizeSmart.com OptimizeSmart, Alford, Aberdeenshire, UK [Unsubscribe](