google analytics for wordpress

November 3, 2022

GA4 vs Universal Analytics: What’s the Difference

Are you wondering what’s the difference between Google Analytics 4 and Universal Analytics?

GA4 is the latest version of Google Analytics and will soon replace Universal Analytics. In the new version, you get new reports, metrics, tracking systems, and more.

In this article, we’ll compare GA4 vs Universal Analytics and show you what the real difference is between the two platforms.

Difference between Google Analytics 4 and Universal Analytics

GA4 vs Universal Analytics: A Brief Overview

Google Analytics 4 is the new generation of Google’s famous analytics platform. It is designed to track your WordPress website and apps in the same property. Previously you’d have to track your apps and websites separately in Universal Analytics.

With Google Analytics 4, you get a better picture of your customer’s journey across multiple channels and devices. GA4 also offers better data privacy for users.

On the other hand, Universal Analytics (UA) is the previous version of Google Analytics. It was introduced in 2012 and is probably the version many websites use today for tracking their website traffic.

However, Universal Analytics will sunset on July 1, 2023. This means that it will no longer track your visitors after the sunset date, and Google will not support or introduce new features for it.

That’s why it is important that you switch to Google Analytics 4 as soon as possible. This way, you’ll protect your data and have historical records to compare to when UA shuts down.

Let’s look at some significant differences between GA4 and Universal Analytics. You can click any of the links below to be taken to the section for that specific feature.

A Changed Reporting Interface
New Data Measurement Model in GA4
No Bounce Rate and New Reporting Metrics
Google Analytics 4 Doesn’t Track Form Conversions
Universal Analytics Goals Are Replaced with Events
Perform Advanced Analysis in Google Analytics 4

A Changed Reporting Interface

The first difference you’ll notice between Google Analytics 4 vs Universal Analytics is the new reporting interface.

In GA4, most of the reports have been replaced or renamed. One of the reasons for this is that the latest analytics version uses a different measurement model compared to Universal Analytics.

For example, you’ll see new reports such as Engagement, Monetization, and Retention in GA4.

On the other hand, Universal Analytics has a completely different reporting interface.

For example, all the reports are grouped together under 5 main categories.

Realtime
Audience
Acquisition
Behavior
Conversions.

You can find each of these in the left-hand menu on your main GA4 dashboard.

That said, it can be overwhelming for beginners to understand these reports and uncover insights about their website traffic.

An easier way to get the information you need for decision-making is by using MonsterInsights. It is the best Google Analytics plugin for WordPress and offers a beginner-friendly reporting interface.

You get to see important data inside your WordPress dashboard without worrying about navigating the complex Google Analytics reports.

If you haven’t set up analytics on your website, then please see our guide on how to install Google Analytics in WordPress.

New Data Measurement Model in GA4

Another major difference between GA4 vs Universal Analytics is how they work when collecting and processing your website data. Universal Analytics uses a measurement model based on sessions and pageviews. Whereas, GA4 uses an event-based model to track your data.

Sessions can link data to a single individual and track them specifically as they interact with your site. Event data is anonymous, and the importance is placed on specific actions taken instead of specific users taking those actions.

This allows you to track complex buyer journeys across multiple devices accurately.

It also makes it easier to enable enhanced measurement features in Google Analytics 4. For example, you can set up outbound link click and scroll depth tracking with a click of a switch in GA4.

With Universal Analytics, on the other hand, you’d have to perform a complex setup or tweak the tracking code to configure that kind of link click-tracking or scroll-tracking.

No Bounce Rate and New Reporting Metrics

With Google Analytics 4, you get new metrics along with new reports. Right off the bat, you’ll notice that there is no bounce rate metric in Google Analytics 4.

Bounce rate tells you the number of users that left your website without interacting, like clicking a link, signing up for a newsletter, or purchasing a product.

Instead, GA4 shows a new metric called ‘Engaged sessions per user.’ It shows how many people interacted with your content. This includes a session where a user stays on a page for 10 seconds or more, triggers 1 or more events, or a user views 2 or more pages.

Besides that, GA4 also offers more new metrics in the Engagement report. For instance, there is an average engagement time metric, which used to be the average session duration in Universal Analytics.

Another new metric you’ll find in Google Analytics 4 is the Pages and screens. It shows the pages and app screens that get the most traffic on your website.

You can find this data in UA under the top landing pages report. If you’re using MonsterInsights, then the plugin will show your most important pages inside the WordPress dashboard.

Google Analytics 4 Doesn’t Track Form Conversions

The next difference you’ll notice when comparing GA4 vs Universal Analytics is that of form conversions.

Forms are really useful for any business. They allow users to get in touch with you, provide feedback, and resolve their queries. Tracking your WordPress form in Google Analytics helps you see which form performs better.

However, setting up form conversion tracking in Google Analytics 4 requires adding custom code. This can be very tricky if you’re not a developer. The slightest mistake can mess up your tracking and break your website.

That said, MonsterInsights helps you track forms out of the box. You don’t have to edit code or hire a developer. Plus, it shows a report inside your WordPress admin area with impressions, conversions, and conversion rates for each form.

Universal Analytics Goals Are Replaced with Events

In Universal Analytics, you can record different user interactions using goals. You get 4 types of goals in UA, which include:

Destination – You can set a destination goal to track when a user arrives on a specific page, like a thank you page or a product landing page.
Duration – This goal helps you see how long people stay on your website before exiting.
Pages per Visit – Using the pages per visit goals allows you to uncover the number of pages a visitor views before leaving your site.
Event – With the help of events, you can track user interactions on your site that Universal Analytics doesn’t track by default.

However, Google Analytics 4 replaces these goals with events. For example, if you have an online store, then you can enable events to track interactions and how many people enter payment details and shipment information.

Perform Advanced Analysis in Google Analytics 4

Another difference between both analytics platforms is the level of advanced analysis you can perform in Google Analytics 4.

In Universal Analytics, you can create custom reports and use secondary dimensions to uncover insights. However, GA4 takes it a step further with its Exploration reports.

You get prebuilt templates for different analyses you’d like to perform or if you’d like to set up a custom report.

For example, you can use the ‘Funnel’ exploration template to see your customers’ journey before purchasing.

Besides that, GA4 exploration reports also offer multiple options to add different segments, dimensions, and metrics to your custom reports.

On a side note, using Exploration reports can be tricky for beginners. These reports are mainly for power users or people with advanced Google Analytics knowledge.

An easier way of uncovering insights is by using MonsterInsights. It shows a stats dashboard inside your WordPress dashboard. You can quickly see how your site performs, which pages people view the most, and much more without creating a complex custom report in Google Analytics.

We hope that this article helped you learn about the difference between GA4 vs Universal Analytics. You can also see our guide on the best WordPress plugins and the ultimate guide to WordPress SEO.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post GA4 vs Universal Analytics: What’s the Difference first appeared on WPBeginner.

September 21, 2022

The Ultimate Guide to GA4 in WordPress for Beginners

Do you want to use Google Analytics 4 (GA4) but are unsure how to start?

Google Analytics 4 is the latest version of Google’s analytics platform. It has many changes, like a new reporting system and metrics. The way GA4 collects and processes data is also different from the previous version known as Universal Analytics (UA).

In this article, we’ll cover everything about GA4 in WordPress and help you get started.

What is Google Analytics 4?

Google Analytics 4, also called GA4, is the new version of Google’s stats dashboard, and it lets you track your website and apps in the same account. It is designed to protect users’ privacy and provide more accurate reports than previous versions.

With Google Analytics 4, you’ll first notice that it has a new interface. It also categorizes some of the old reports differently, as well as adds all-new reports and metrics.

Behind the scenes, GA4 works in a new way for collecting and processing your website data. It records data as event-based instead of using page hits.

For example, when your visitors click a link, view a page, play a video, or download a file, all these website interactions will count as events.

This way, your website performance is measured more accurately, as the event-based model can better track user behavior.

It also makes it easier to enable enhanced measurement features like tracking outbound clicks and scroll depth. You can enable these options with a click of a button instead of performing a complicated setup process.

That said, let’s see why you should use Google Analytics 4 instead of the previous Universal Analytics.

Why Switch from Universal Analytics to Google Analytics 4?

If you haven’t created a GA4 property yet, then you should know that Google will sunset the old Universal Analytics on July 1, 2023.

This means that Universal Analytics will no longer record data from your WordPress site after the sunset date. You’ll still be able to view your old data for at least 6 months after the sunset date, but Universal Analytics won’t track your site’s traffic.

That’s why it is important to switch to a Google Analytics 4 as soon as possible. You won’t have to start from scratch when Universal Analytics stops working and have historical data in GA4 for comparison. Plus, you’ll get all the new features and improvements with Google Analytics 4.

The best way of setting up GA4 is using MonsterInsights and its dual tracking feature. Dual tracking allows you to use Universal Analytics while simultaneously sending data to the GA4 property.

There’s also a free version of MonsterInsights that you can use if you’re just getting started.

For more details, please see our guide on how to switch to Google Analytics 4 in WordPress.

On the other hand, if you’ve just started a new website and want to set up analytics tracking code, then follow our guide on how to install Google Analytics in WordPress.

Now, let’s look at some of the changes you’ll notice in GA4.

What Has Changed in Google Analytics 4?

The new Google Analytics 4 brings a lot of changes to the analytics platform. While the most noticeable difference is how it works using events, here are a few more changes you’ll see in GA4:

1. A Completely New Reporting Interface

As we mentioned earlier, the first difference you’ll see is the new Google Analytics 4 interface. Many reports from Universal Analytics have been removed or renamed in GA4.

For example, you will see reports like Engagement, Monetization, and Retention in Google Analytics 4.

2. New Metrics in Google Analytics 4

In Google Analytics 4, you’ll find new metrics. Some metrics names in Universal Analytics have also changed in GA4.

For instance, the new engagement report helps measure your visitors’ interaction with your site, and it offers metrics for average engagement time. In Universal Analytics, this was called average session duration.

Another noticeable change is that there is no bounce rate metric in GA4.

Instead of seeing a percentage of how many people left your site without interacting, you’ll see metrics like Engaged sessions per user to see how people used your site and interacted with your content.

3. There are No Goals in GA4

If you had set up different goals in Universal Analytics, then you won’t find them in GA4. However, you get various GA4 events to help you track user interactions on your website.

For example the number of users who began the checkout process in your online store is an interaction event. You can also see events for anyone who reached different points in the checkout process.

That way, you can see which specific steps in the process people give up at.

4. Absence of Form Conversion Tracking

Tracking your WordPress forms is important in understanding how people use your website. Forms help gather leads, get user feedback, resolve queries, and more.

However, you won’t know which form performs best without tracking them in Google Analytics. With MonsterInsights, you can easily track forms out of the box and see a report inside your WordPress dashboard.

For even more control over the forms on your site, we recommend installing WPForms, the best form builder plugin for WordPress. It integrates with MonsterInsights, too, so you can get even more useful information out of Google Analytics.

5. Perform Advanced Analysis to Uncover Insights

One of the most powerful changes GA4 brings is the ability to perform advanced analysis and create multiple data visualizations.

You can head to the Explore tab and create custom reports. There are prebuilt templates you can use or use a blank template.

For example, you can perform a funnel analysis and see the steps customers take before purchasing. Similarly, the path exploration template helps you see which events users trigger as they visit your website.

However, this feature is for advanced or power users who are experienced with Google Analytics 4 and know their way around. It can be tricky for beginners since there is a steep learning curve.

As an alternate, you can use MonsterInsights to add a stats dashboard inside your WordPress site and see data that matters for your business.

How to Use Google Analytics 4 Reports

Now that you know what Google Analytics 4 is, how it works, and what’s the difference between GA4 and Universal Analytics, let’s see how to use different reports.

Realtime Report

The first report you can view is the real-time report in Google Analytics 4. It helps you monitor your website activity as it happens.

You can use the report to see if your analytics tracking code is working, track the performance of a campaign like a flash sale in real-time, see traffic from social media campaigns as it happens, and more.

If you’re using MonsterInsights, then you can quickly see the real-time reports inside your WordPress dashboard. You just need to go to Insights » Reports in your admin panel, and then just click on the ‘Realtime’ tab.

The plugin brings important data from Google Analytics and displays them in easy-to-understand reports. This way, you can quickly see data that matters for your business and check how your site performs.

For more details, please see our guide on how to show real-time online users in WordPress.

Acquisition Report

The acquisition report is part of GA4’s ‘Life cycle’ reports, and you’ll see where your visitors are coming from. It shows the channels that are driving traffic to your website.

For example, you can see whether people use search engines like Google and Bing, directly typing in your website URL in the browser, clicking on paid search ads, and more.

Using this report, you can figure out which channels to invest your resources in and get the maximum result. It also helps optimize your WordPress SEO and increase organic traffic to your website.

Engagement Report

The engagement report is a new report you’ll see in Google Analytics 4. It helps you track how many people are engaged with your website.

Under this report, you’ll find more sub-reports to track different events and conversions, as well as see your most important pages and app screens.

These reports are important in understanding how people use your website. For example, you can see which page is getting the most views. Using the data, you can create similar content to get more website traffic.

Monetization Report

If you run an eCommerce store, then you can view its performance in the Monetization report.

For instance, this report shows the total revenue, purchases, average purchase revenue per user, and other metrics.

You can also see the eCommerce purchases report to find out which products get the most sales in your store.

With MonsterInsights, you can easily see your top products inside your WordPress admin panel. Its eCommerce report shows an overview of your store’s performance along with the best-selling products.

MonsterInsights ecommerce report example

Using this information, you can display your popular products throughout the website, upsell other products, and offer bundles and discounts to boost sales.

For more details, please see our guide on how to set up eCommerce tracking in WordPress.

Retention Report

A retention report helps track how many new users visit your site compared to returning users.

You can use this data to bring back users to your site by getting them to sign up for your newsletter or follow you on social media. On the other hand, you can offer exclusive discounts or free resources like ebooks for returning visitors to get more conversions.

In the retention report, you can also see graphs for user engagement and user retention over time, lifetime value, and more.

Demographics Report

Under the User section of GA4, you will find your demographics data, where you can see which country your visitors are coming from.

This helps create geolocation marketing campaigns and personalized messages for users from different locations. For example, you can offer exclusive discounts for people coming from Singapore or come up with blog topics for users from India.

It even breaks down the language your users speak, so you can translate your website into the most popular languages.

With MonsterInsights, you can also view this data inside your WordPress dashboard. Plus, it also shows a device breakdown, top referrals, top countries, and new vs. returning visitors reports.

Device breakdown and top countries report

Tech Report

The last report you’ll see in Google Analytics 4 is the Tech report. It shows the device your visitors use to view your website, such as whether they are on desktop, mobile, or tablet.

Besides that, you can also see the operating system, browser, screen resolution, and app version people are using when visiting your site.

This report is especially useful when optimizing your site for multiple devices. You can provide a better user experience and ensure that people can easily read your content on any device.

We hope this article helped you learn about Google Analytics 4 in WordPress. You can also see our guide on how to increase your website traffic, and the must have WordPress plugins to grow your website.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post The Ultimate Guide to GA4 in WordPress for Beginners first appeared on WPBeginner.

August 28, 2022

How to Block WordPress Referrer Spam in Google Analytics

Do you want to block WordPress referrer spam in Google Analytics?

Referrer spam sends misleading data to your website to pollute your website’s analytics reports with spam links.

In this article, we’ll show you how to block WordPress referrer spam in Google Analytics effectively.

Blocking WordPress referrer spam in Google Analytics

What is Referrer Spam in WordPress and How Does It Affect Google Analytics?

Referrer spam in WordPress is a common spamming technique where fake traffic data is sent to a WordPress website.

This spam technique aims to pollute a website’s analytics data with spam URLs, keywords, and domain names.

It affects your Google Analytics reports as this data appears under Referral data and may affect your website’s overall page views, bounce rates, and session reports.

If you are seeing many suspicious-looking domains in your Referral reports, then they are most likely spam referrers.

Blocking these spam referrals will improve your Google Analytics reports and ensure that your data is not polluted by spam requests.

That being said, let’s take a look at how to easily block referrer spam in Google Analytics on a WordPress website.

Note: If you’re new and haven’t setup Google analytics properly, then we recommend using our guide on how to install Google Analytics in WordPress.

Block Referrer Spam in Google Analytics with Sucuri

This is the easiest way to block the most common referrer spam in Google Analytics.

For this you’ll need Sucuri. It is the best WordPress security plugin and comes with the best website firewall on the market.

It blocks most common website threats including referrer spam before they even reach your website.

Sucuri also comes with website monitoring, malware scanner, integrity check, and dozens of security features. This protects your website against hacking, malware, and brute force attacks.

Manually Blocking Referrer Spam in Google Analytics With a Plugin

If you are not using Sucuri, then you can use this method to check referral traffic and block them.

First, you need to install and activate the Stop Referrer Spam plugin. For more details, see our step by step guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Upon activation, you need to visit the Settings » Referral Spam page to review plugin settings.

The plugin uses a referral spam blacklist published by Matomo (Formerly Piwik, an open source analytics software).

You can also enter any suspicious domains that are already spamming your Google Analytics reports.

Don’t forget to click on the Save button to store your settings.

Be careful when adding domains in the plugin settings, as it will block all traffic from that domain name, including sub-domains.

3. Filter Out Ghost Referrers in Google Analytics

The first two techniques mentioned above will block referrer traffic that arrives at your website.

However, spammers may sometimes not send referral requests to your website. Instead, they would target your Google Analytics tracking code to trick it into recording a spam request.

These attempts will bypass filters on your website and may still appear in your Google Analytics reports.

You can filter these ghost referral spam in your Google Analytics account.

1. Block Unwanted Referrals in GA4

If your website is using Google Analytics 4 (GA4), then you can use the following method to remove unwanted referrals.

Simply log in to your Google Analytics dashboard and switch to the Admin view.

From here, under the Property column, select the Data Streams option. This will bring the Data Streams connected to your Google Analytics property.

After selecting your data stream you’ll see different settings. Simply scroll down to the Advanced Settings section and then click on the ‘More Tagging Settings’ tab.

Next, click on the ‘List Unwanted Referrals tab.

This will bring you to the configuration screen.

Under Match Type, choose ‘Referral domain contains’, and then add the domain you want to block next to it.

Click on the Add condition button to add another domain if needed.

Once finished, click on the Save button at the top right corner of the screen to save your settings.

Google Analytics will now exclude these referrals from your reports.

2. Block Unwanted Referrers in Older Google Analytics

If you are still using older Google Analytics account that uses the Universal Analytics (UA Tracking) code, then you can use this method.

Simply switch to the Admin view under your Google Analytics account.

From here, you need to click on the Filters option under the ‘View’ column.

This will bring up the Filters screen. Go ahead and click on the Add Filter button.

On the next screen, you can configure your filter settings.

First, you need to switch the Filter Type to ‘Custom’ and choose the ‘Exclude’ method.

Filter spam referrers from Google Analytics reports

After that, click on the ‘Filter Field’ drop-down and select the ‘Campaign Source’ option (this is where your filter will look for the match).

Lastly, add the domains that you want to block under the Filter pattern box in the following Regex Expression format.

spamwebsite\.com|more-spam\.com|.*spammysubdomain\.com

Notice how the domain name and extension are separated by a backslash and a dot (\.), and each domain name is separated by a pipe sign (|).

The last domain in the list has a dot and asterisk (.*) before the domain name. This asterisk blocks not only the domain name but also all its subdomains.

Go ahead and click on the Save button to store your filter settings.

Google Analytics will now remove these spam referrers from your reports.

Filters don’t affect on how Google Analytics collects data on your website. They just customize reports you view in your Google Analytics dashboard.

If you need to, you can always return to the filters screen to edit or delete a filter.

Edit or delete a filter in Google Analytics

We hope this article helped you learn how to block referrer spam in Google Analytics effectively. You may also want to see our ultimate conversion tracking guide for beginners or how to properly setup eCommerce tracking on your website.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post How to Block WordPress Referrer Spam in Google Analytics first appeared on WPBeginner.

May 25, 2022

How to Switch to Google Analytics 4 in WordPress (The RIGHT Way)

Are you looking to switch to the latest Google Analytics version?

Google is now recommending website owners to move to the new Google Analytics 4 because they will be sunsetting the previous Universal Analytics on July 1, 2023. After the sunset day, you won’t be able to track data in the older version.

In this article, we’ll show you how to easily switch to Google Analytics 4 in WordPress.

Why Switch to Google Analytics 4?

Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is the latest version of Google Analytics. It lets you track your mobile apps and websites in the same account, and offers new metrics, reports, and tracking features.

If you haven’t created a GA4 property yet, then now is the best time to switch to the latest version. That’s because Google announced that it will be closing down the old Universal Analytics on July 1, 2023.

What this means is that Universal Analytics will no longer receive data from your WordPress website, and it will eventually stop working after the sunset date. That means that all your old analytics data will be lost.

Switching to Google Analytics 4 as soon as possible will protect you from starting from scratch with no historical data.

To do this right, a lot of smart website owners are using the dual tracking method which allows you to continue using the current Universal Analytics while start sending data to GA4.

This way, you can future-proof your data while giving yourself plenty of time to learn the new Google Analytics dashboard and features.

That being said, let’s see how you can switch to Google Analytics 4 in WordPress with dual tracking.

Creating a Google Analytics 4 Property

If you already have an existing Google Analytics account using the old version, then you can eaily create a new GA4 property and start sending stats to GA4.

First, you’ll need to visit the Google Analytics website and login to your account.

After that, head over to the ‘Admin’ settings page in the bottom left corner.

If you’re on classic Google analytics, then you’ll see the option to setup GA4.

Go ahead and click on ‘GA4 Setup Assistant’ under the Property column.

In the next step, the setup assistant will give you 2 options. You can create a new Google Analytics 4 property or connect an existing one.

Since we’re setting up a new property, simply click the Get Started button under the ‘I want to create a new Google Analytics 4 property’ option.

A popup will now appear with the details about the setup wizard.

If you’ve implemented your Universal Analytics using the Global Site Tag (gtag.js) code, then you’ll see an option to Enable data collection using existing tags.

This uses the existing tracking code on your site to collect information. That said, if you don’t already have the right tracking code on your website, we’ll show you how to add it to your WordPress blog below.

For now, you can go ahead and click the ‘Create property’ button.

The setup wizard will add a new GA4 property and copy the Universal Analytics property name, website URL, timezone, and currency settings.

You can now view your new Google Analytics 4 property in the GA4 Setup Assistant.

Next, you’ll need to click on the ‘See your GA4 property’ button to see your Google Analytics tracking code.

After clicking on the button, simply click on the ‘Tag installation’ option to retrieve your tracking code.

You should now see your new GA4 property under Data Streams.

Go ahead and click on your new property.

A new window will slide in from the right, and you’ll be able to see your web stream details.

Note: Google Analytics 4 uses both ‘data stream’ and ‘web stream’. These both simply mean the flow of analytics data that Google Analytics receives from your website.

Simply scroll down to Tagging Instructions section and click the Global site tag (gtag.js) option to expand the settings. You’ll now see your Google Analytics tracking code that needs to be added to your WordPress site.

One thing you need to know is that Google Analytics 4 reports are quite different than what you’re used to in Universal Analytics.

They have introduced new terminology, and many familiar metrics and reports are missing completely. Basically if you were using common reports like the Top Landing Pages report or others, then you’d have to recreate those from scratch in Google Analytics 4.

That’s why we recommend using MonsterInsights Pro or even the free version of MonsterInsights.

It will help you see all the familiar analytics reports right in your WordPress dashboard, and it also lets you use both Universal Analytics and Google Analytics 4 at the same time.

Not to mention, with MonsterInsights you get all the powerful tracking features such as outbound link tracking, author tracking, and more which can be enabled without writing any code.

Let’s take a look at how to easily set up Google Analytics 4 on your WordPress site with MonsterInsights.

Adding Google Analytics Tracking Code to WordPress Site

The best way to add Google Analytics tracking code to your WordPress website is by using MonsterInsights. This is the plugin that we use on WPBeginner.

MonsterInsights is the best Analytics solution for WordPress, and it’s trusted by over 3 million websites because it lets you easily setup advanced tracking without any coding skills.

You can use the MonsterInsights Lite version to set up Google Analytics in no time. There are also premium MonsterInsights plans that offer more features like custom dashboard reports, email summaries, scroll tracking, eCommerce tracking, premium integrations, and more.

MonsterInsights also offers dual tracking, meaning you can use both Universal Analytics and Google Analytics 4 at the same time. This is available in both the free version as well paid, and we highly recommend using this to ensure that your transition to GA4 goes smoothly.

First, you’ll need to install and activate the MonsterInsights plugin. For more details, please see our guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Upon activation, you’ll be taken to the MonsterInsights welcome screen in your WordPress dashboard. Simply click the ‘Launch the Wizard’ button to add Google Analytics to your site.

After clicking the button, the setup wizard will ask you to choose a category that best describes your website.

You can choose from a business website, publisher (blog), or online store. Once you’ve selected a category, click the ‘Save and Continue’ button.

In the next step, you’ll need to connect MonsterInsights with your WordPress site.

Go ahead and click the ‘Connect MonsterInsights’ button.

Once you click the button, you’ll need to sign in to your Google Account.

Simply select your account and click the ‘Next’ button.

Next, MonsterInsights will require access to your Google Analytics Account.

MonsterInsights App needs these permissions, so it can help you setup analytics properly and show you all the relevant stats right inside your WordPress dashboard.

You can click the ‘Allow’ button to continue.

After that, you’ll be redirected back to the MonsterInsights setup wizard.

To complete the connection, select your Google Analytics 4 property from the dropdown menu and click the ‘Complete Connection’ button.

Next, MonsterInsights will connect Google Analytics with your WordPress website.

On the next screen, you’ll see some recommended settings like file download tracking and affiliate link tracking.

You can use the default settings in the setup wizard. However, if you’re using an affiliate link plugin, then you’ll need to enter the path you use to cloak the affiliate links.

Next, you can scroll down and select who can see reports and add different WordPress user roles.

Once you’re done, click the ‘Save and continue’ button.

After that, MonsterInsights will show different tracking features that you can enable for your website.

You can scroll down and click the ‘Skip for Now’ button.

Choose which tracking features to enable

Next, you’ll see a checklist showing that you’ve successfully connected Google Analytics to your website.

For example, it will show that you’re successfully connected to Google Analytics, the tracking code is properly installed, and the data is being collected.

That’s it, you’ve added Google Analytics 4 property to your WordPress site.

Creating a Measurement Protocol API Secret

If you want to MonsterInsights to track eCommerce purchases, form conversions, and more advanced tracking in Google Analytics, then you’ll need to create a Measurement Protocol API Secret.

First, you’ll need to go back to your Google Analytics account and then go to Admin settings. Next, click on the ‘Data Streams’ option under Property column.

Then you’ll need to select the Google Analytics 4 property that we created earlier.

Go ahead and select your property under Data Streams.

After that, you can scroll down to the ‘Advanced Settings’ section.

Simply click the ‘Measurement Protocol API secrets’ option.

Select measurement protocol API secrets option

A new window will now slide in with your Measurement Protocol API secrets.

You will have to click the ‘Create’ button.

After that, enter a nickname for your API secret so it’s easily identifiable.

When you’re done, click the ‘Create’ button.

You should now see your Measurement Protocol API secret.

Simply copy the API secret under the ‘Secret value’ field.

After that, you can head back to your WordPress website and navigate to Insights » Settings from your dashboard.

Now click on the ‘General’ tab at the top.

Next, you will have to scroll down to the ‘Google Authentication’ section.

Go ahead and enter the Secret value you just copied in the Measurement Protocol API Secret field.

Enter measurement protocol API secret in MonsterInsights

You’ve successfully added Measurement Protocol API Secret in MonsterInsights.

Setting Up Universal Analytics Dual Tracking

Now that you have setup GA4, the next step is to enable dual tracking for Universal Analytics, so it can run alongside your Google Analytics 4 property in WordPress.

With MonsterInsights, you can easily set up dual tracking and simultaneously track both properties without writing code.

Note: If you already have Universal Analytics tracking code added to your WordPress website, then we recommend disabling it first. Otherwise, it could lead to double-tracking and can skew your data.

To start setting up dual tracking properly, you can head to Insights » Settings from your WordPress admin panel and then click on the ‘General’ tab.

Next, you’ll need to scroll down to the ‘Google Authentication’ section.

Now under the Dual Tracking Profile, enter your Universal Analytics (UA) code.

You can easily find your UA code in Google Analytics Admin settings.

Simply go to the Admin settings page in Google Analytics of your Universal Analytics property.

Then click on ‘Property Settings’ under the Property column.

You should see the Tracking Id, and it will look like this: UA-123856789-5

You’ve now successfully set up dual tracking on your WordPress website.

To see how your website is performing, simply go to Insights » Reports. Here you’ll find all the data you need to make the right decisions to grow your website.

We hope this article helped you learn how to switch to Google Analytics 4 in WordPress. You may also want to see our ultimate WordPress SEO guide to improve your rankings, or see our comparison of the best email marketing services for small business.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post How to Switch to Google Analytics 4 in WordPress (The RIGHT Way) first appeared on WPBeginner.

January 27, 2020October 20, 2022

How to Enable Author Tracking in WordPress

Do you want to enable author tracking on your WordPress website?

If you run a multi-author WordPress site, then you’re probably wondering which of your authors write the most popular posts. This information can help you increase traffic and grow your website.

In this article, we’ll share how to enable author tracking in WordPress.

Why Enable Author Tracking in WordPress?

If you run a multi-author blog, then you need to enable author tracking in WordPress. It allows you to gather data about how each author’s posts perform on your WordPress website.

You can then promote high-performing authors and offer some extra help to those who are struggling.

It is also a great way to find out whose posts bring in the most traffic and which articles are engaging readers.

For instance, you might have an author who’s great at writing posts that get lots of visitors. However, those visitors may not stick around on your site. This may result in a high bounce rate, fewer page views, and less time spent on the website.

After gathering this data, you can make informed decisions by improving your editorial workflow and offering more tips and help to struggling writers. You might find a way to funnel users from the first author’s posts to the writers you want to get more attention.

That said, let’s see how you can enable author tracking on your website.

Setting up Author Tracking in WordPress

The easiest way to track the most popular authors in WordPress is using MonsterInsights. It is the best Analytics plugin for WordPress and helps you set up Google Analytics without editing code.

MonsterInsights offers a Dimensions addon that allows you to set up custom dimensions in Google Analytics.

It helps you track additional information in Google Analytics that’s not available by default. This includes author tracking, most popular post types, categories, tags, and more.

Do note that you’ll need at least the MonsterInsights Pro plan because it includes the custom dimensions feature. There is also a MonsterInsights Lite version you can use for free.

First, you need to install and activate the MonsterInsights plugin. For more details, see our step-by-step guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Upon activation, you will see the welcome screen. Go ahead and click the ‘Launch the Wizard’ button.

Next, you can follow the instructions in the setup wizard to connect Google Analytics with your website. For more details, please see our guide on how to install Google Analytics in WordPress.

Once connected, Google Analytics will start tracking all your website traffic.

With MonsterInsights, you can easily set up dual tracking and start collecting data in a Google Analytics 4 (GA4) property. GA4 is the latest analytics version, and it will replace Universal Analytics on July 1, 2023.

After this date, you won’t be able to track website traffic in your Universal Analytics property. That’s why this is the best time to switch to Google Analytics 4.

Setting up Author Custom Dimensions for Accurate Tracking

Now that everything is up and running, let’s tell Google Analytics to start tracking authors by adding a custom dimension.

You need to start by visiting the Insights » Addons page. From here, you need to go to the ‘Dimensions’ addon and click on the ‘Install’ button.

The addon will now automatically install and activate.

Next, you can go to the Insights » Settings page and switch to the ‘Conversions’ tab.

MonsterInsights settings - conversions tab

From here, simply scroll down a little, and you’ll see the ‘Custom Dimensions’ box.

This is where you can add a new custom dimension. Go ahead and click on the ‘Add New Custom Dimension’ button.

Next, you’ll need to select the ‘Author’ dimension from the drop-down menu.

Besides that, you will also need to add the ID that will be filled in for you.

Don’t forget to click the to store your settings.

Now that you have set up custom dimensions in MonsterInsights, the next step is to do the same in Google Analytics.

We’ll go through the steps for Universal Analytics and Google Analytics 4.

Add Custom Dimensions in Universal Analytics

First, you can visit the Google Analytics website and open your website property. Do be sure that the ID for this property begins with ‘UA.’

From here, you need to click on the ‘Admin’ button at the bottom left corner of the screen.

Then you can select Custom Definitions » Custom Dimensions under the Property column.

Next, you’ll need to add a new dimension.

Simply click the ‘+ New Custom Dimension’ button.

On the next screen, type in ‘Author’ for the name and leave the other details unchanged.

After that, click the ‘Create’ button, and Google Analytics will save it.

Next, you’ll see some code on the next screen.

You don’t need to do anything, as MonsterInsights handles everything for you. Just click ‘Done’ to continue.

Next, you will see your ‘Author’ custom dimension listed in a table with an ‘Index’ column.

Make sure that the value in the ‘Index’ column is the same as the ID given to that author’s custom dimension in MonsterInsights.

If not, then don’t worry because you can edit the custom dimension in MonsterInsights.

Now, let’s see how you can set up custom dimensions in GA4.

Add Custom Dimension in Google Analytics 4

First, you will need to go to your Google Analytics 4 property.

Once logged in, head to the ‘Configure’ tab on the left.

Next, you can click the ‘Custom definitions’ option from the menu that appears.

After that, go ahead and click the ‘Create custom dimensions’ button.

A window will slide in from the right, where you will need to enter the details of your custom dimensions.

To start, enter a name for your dimension. There is also an option to add a description.

From here, you can keep the Scope set to ‘Event’ and then enter an event parameter like ‘author_tracking.’ The Event parameter is what Google Analytics 4 will use to show your dimension in the reports.

After entering these details, don’t forget to click the ‘Save’ button.

You have successfully set up author tracking on your WordPress website. Now, let’s get to the fun part of viewing the reports and finding out how your authors are doing.

Viewing Your Author Tracking Reports

After your website has collected traffic data, you can view your top authors on the WordPress dashboard.

Simply go to the Insights » Reports page and switch to the Dimensions tab.

From here, you can see the top authors that generate the most traffic on your website.

You can now use this data to improve your editorial workflow and promote content from high-performing authors. For instance, you can display their content as popular posts and get more pageviews.

Additionally, the information will help you see which writers are struggling, so you can work with them and increase traffic to their blog posts.

We hope this article helped you learn how to enable author tracking in WordPress. You may also want to see our guide on how to start an online store and the must-have WordPress plugins.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post How to Enable Author Tracking in WordPress first appeared on WPBeginner.

February 28, 2019

How to Install Google Analytics in WordPress for Beginners

Do you want to install Google Analytics in WordPress? Knowing how your audience interacts with your website is crucial for your success.

The best way to know your audience is through your traffic stats, and this is what Google Analytics provides for FREE.

In this article, we will share why Google Analytics is important, and how you can easily install Google Analytics in your WordPress website (step by step).

First, we will explain why Google Analytics is important and how it can help you grow your website.

After that, we will show you how to sign up for a Google Analytics account and different methods to install it on your WordPress site.

Finally, we will explain how to view your traffic reports in Google Analytics.

Here is a quick overview of what you’ll learn in this article.

Why is Google Analytics Important
How to Sign up with Google Analytics
How to Install Google Analytics Using MonsterInsights (Recommended)
How to Install Google Analytics Using Insert Headers & Footers Plugin
How to Install Google Analytics in WordPress Theme (Advanced)
Viewing Reports in Google Analytics
Making the Most out of Google Analytics

Ready let’s get started.

Why is Google Analytics Important for Bloggers?

Once you start a blog, your #1 goal is to get more traffic and subscribers. Google Analytics help you make data-driven decisions by showing you the stats that matter. You can see:

Who visits your website?

This part of analytics answers what is the geographical location of your audience, which browser did the user use to visit your site and other important information such as screen resolution, JavaScript support, Flash support, language and more.

This data is extremely useful, and it can help in numerous ways. When getting a custom design, you can use the user data to make sure that your site will be compatible with your audience.

If most of your users don’t have Flash support, then you should avoid adding the flash element in your site. If most of your users are on 1280 screen resolutions, then make sure that your design is compatible with that resolution or smaller.

What do people do when they are on your website?

You can track where the users are going on your website, how long do they stay on your website, and what is the bounce rate (the percent of users exit your site on the first visit).

By using this information, you can decrease the bounce rate and increase your pageviews.

You can also find your most popular articles, articles that are not doing so well, and what kind of content your users are looking for.

When do people visit your website?

By looking at the hottest hours in the day for your site, you can pick the time when you publish your post. If that time zone is not compatible with yours, then you can schedule your post to meet that hour.

How do people find your website?

This section of the analytics shows you where did the users come from (for example: Search Engines, Direct Links, Referral links from another site).

It also shows you what percentage of your visitors came from each of these sources. Google analytics gives you the breakdown of each of these categories. If it is the search engine category, then it shows you which search engine got you the most traffic, Google, Yahoo, Bing etc.

The breakdown of referral sources shows you which sites you need to work with the most. If your top referral source is Facebook, then you need to have exclusive Facebook content to make your Facebook audience feel special.

If your top referral source is an external website, then you might want to consider having a partnership with that website (guest post exchange or something else).

How do people interact with your content?

Google analytics shows how your users interact with your site’s content. It shows you what percent of the user clicked on which link on your site and much more.

You can run A/B split tests by creating content experiments in Google Analytics to understand what works best to meet your goals.

By seeing the user interactivity, you can work your content around your users. By seeing the answers to the questions above, you can focus on the strategies that work for your site and avoid strategies that don’t work.

Simply put, eliminate the guesswork and focus on stats that matter, so you can make data driven-decisions.

How to Signup with Google Analytics

Google Analytics is available for free and all you need is a Google or Gmail account to sign up. The sign up process is quite simple, follow the step by step instructions below to create your Google Analytics account.

Step 1: First you need to visit Google Analytics sign up.

You will be asked to login with your Google account. If you already have a Google or Gmail account, then you can use that to sign-in. Otherwise, you can go ahead and create a Google account for yourself.

Step 2: Once you sign-in with your Gmail account, you will be prompted to a screen like the one below. This is where you will signup for Google analytics with your Gmail account.

Step 3: On the next screen, you will be given choice to choose between a website or mobile app. Make sure you select website.

After that, you need to enter account name (It will be the Google Analytics profile name for this website), Website name, website’s URL, country, and the time zone.

Fill in your website information

Once you have entered this information, click on the Get Tracking ID button. You will be presented with Google Analytics terms and service which you must agree to, so click on ‘I Agree’ button.

Step 4: Now you will be presented with your Google Analytics tracking code. You can copy this tracking code because you will need to enter it in your WordPress site depending on the method you use below.

Your Google Analytics tracking code

We suggest leaving the analytics browser tab open as you may need to revisit it, once you have installed the code on your WordPress site.

Now that you have setup a Google Analytics account, lets take a look at how to install Google Analytics in WordPress.

How to Install Google Analytics in WordPress

There are a few different ways to setup Google Analytics in WordPress. We will show you three methods where the first option is the easiest and the last being the hardest.

You can choose the one that best suits your needs.

1. Google Analytics for WordPress by MonsterInsights

MonsterInsights is the most popular Google Analytics plugin for WordPress. Over 1 million websites use it including the likes of Bloomberg, PlayStation, Zillow, and more.

It is the easiest and by far the best way to add Google Analytics to WordPress (for all users beginners and experts alike).

MonsterInsights is available as both, a paid premium plugin, and a free version. In this tutorial, we will be using the MonsterInsights free version.

You can use the MonsterInsights Pro version if you want more advanced features like E-commerce tracking, Ads tracking, Author tracking, etc. The process of setting them up is the same.

Let’s get started.

The first thing you need to do is install and activate the MonsterInsights plugin. For more details, see our step by step guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Upon activation, the plugin will add a new menu item labeled ‘Insights’ to your WordPress admin menu. Clicking on it will bring the MonsterInsights setup wizard.

MonsterInsights setup wizard

First, you will be asked to choose a category for your website (a business website, blog, or online store). Select one and then click on ‘Save and Continue’ button.

Next, you need to click on the ‘Connect MonsterInsights’ button.

Connect MonsterInsights

This will bring up a popup which will take you Google accounts where you will be asked to sign in or select a Google account if you are already signed in.

Next, you will be asked to allow MonsterInsights to access your Google Analytics account.

Allow MonsterInsights to access your Google Analytics account

Click on the ‘Allow’ button to continue.

The final step is to select the profile you want to track. You need to select your website here and then click on the ‘Complete authentication’ button to continue.

Select your website profile to compete setup

MonsterInsights will now install Google Analytics on your website. After that you will be asked to select the recommended settings for your website.

Recommended settings for Google Analytics

The default settings would work for most websites. If you use an affiliate link plugin, then you need to add the path you use to cloak affiliate links. This will allow you to track your affiliate links in Google Analytics.

Click on the Save and Continue button to save your settings.

Next, MonsterInsights will show you paid add-ons that you can access if you upgrade to PRO. You can simply click on the ‘Save and Continue’ button to skip this step.

Upgrade to pro

After that, you will be asked to install WPForms plugin, which is the best WordPress contact form plugin. You can install it or simply click on ‘Skip this Step’

Recommended plugin

That’s all you have successfully installed and setup Google Analytics on your WordPress site. Remember, it will take Google Analytics sometime before showing your stats.

Google Analytics successfully installed using MonsterInsights

The best part about MonsterInsights is that you can view your Google Analytics reports inside your WordPress dashboard. Simply visit Insights &raqo; Reports page to check out a quick overview of your analytics data.

Your Google Analytics reports in WordPress dashboard

Note: MonsterInsights was formerly known as Google Analytics for WordPress by Yoast. WPBeginner’s founder, Syed Balkhi, acquired the plugin in 2016 and rebranded it to MonsterInsights. Now it is part of our family of premium WordPress plugins.

2. Insert Headers and Footers Plugin

This method is not as not as good as MonsterInsights because you will not be able to do advanced tracking configuration, and you will not be able to view Google Analytics data in your WordPress dashboard.

First, you need to install and activate the Insert Headers and Footers plugin. For more details, see our step by step guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Upon activation, you need to visit Settings » Insert Headers and Footers page. Here you need to paste the Google Analytics code that you copied in step 4 into the headers section.

Adding Google Analytics tracking code using Insert Headers and Footers plugin

Don’t forget to click on the save changes button to store your settings.

That’s all, you have successfully installed Google Analytics on your site.

3. Install Google Analytics in WordPress Theme

This method is for advanced users who are familiar with the code. It is somewhat unreliable because your code will disappear if you switch or update the theme. We almost never recommend using this method.

If this is your first time adding code to your WordPress files, then you should check out our guide on how to copy paste code snippets in WordPress.

Add code in header.php file

Simply edit the header.php file in your WordPress theme and paste the code you copied in step 4 right after the <body> tag.

Don’t forget to save your changes and upload the file back to your server.

Add via Functions File

You can also add Google Analytics tracking code to WordPress functions file. It will then automatically add the tracking code to every page on your WordPress site.

You will need to add this code to your theme’s functions.php file.

<?php
add_action('wp_head', 'wpb_add_googleanalytics');
function wpb_add_googleanalytics() { ?>

// Paste your Google Analytics code from Step 4 here

<?php } ?>

Viewing Reports on Google Analytics Website

Google Analytics is capable of showing you a treasure of data collected from your stats. You can view this data by visiting your Google Analytics dashboard.

Google Analytics reporting

You will see the built-in Google Analytics reports in the left column. Each section is divided into different tabs and clicking on a tab will expand it to show more options.

Real-time This report will show you a real time view of your traffic.
Audience tab will show reports to help you understand your users.
Acquisition reports explore where your users came from.
Behavior reports summarize what your users do after they arrive on your site.
Conversion reports show how well you’re doing against your goals.

Making the Most out of Google Analytics

Google Analytics is an incredibly powerful tool with tons of awesome features. Some of them are quite obvious and easy to use, others require some additional setup.

Here are some of the resources that will help you make the most out of Google Analytics reports.

Google Analytics works best with Google Search Console (formerly Google Webmaster Tools). It allows you to see how your website is doing in search results. See our complete Google Search Console guide to learn how to use it to grow your website.

We hope this article helped you learn how to install Google Analytics in WordPress. You may also want to see our ultimate WordPress SEO guide for beginners.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post How to Install Google Analytics in WordPress for Beginners appeared first on WPBeginner.