Using GA4 to make better marketing decisions

Google Analytics 4 (GA4) has been live for a while now, but for many marketers and business owners, it still feels like a downgrade from the simplicity of Universal Analytics.

The interface is different. Reports are harder to find. And at times, it seems like basic insights are buried under layers of settings.

But once it’s set up properly, GA4 can help you make better, more informed marketing decisions – as long as you know where to look.

Discover and focus on what matters.

Unlike Universal Analytics, GA4 is built around events, not just pageviews and sessions. That might sound technical, but it’s a good thing.

Events can track:

  • Button clicks
  • Form submissions
  • File downloads
  • Scroll depth
  • Video views
  • And much more

Once you define and track the right events, you’ll start getting a clearer picture of what people are doing on your site and what’s driving action.

Set-up key events and disable events you don't need.

One of the most common mistakes we see is relying on GA4’s default conversions (like ‘purchase’ or ‘generate_lead’) without setting up the underlying events properly.

Take the time to:

  • Create specific events for key actions (like quote requests or email signups)
  • Mark those events as conversions
  • Test them thoroughly in real time

This is what turns GA4 from a dashboard into a decision-making tool.

Explorations. Explorations. Explorations.

The standard reports in GA4 are limited, but the Explore tab is where the good stuff lives.

You can build custom reports to:

  • Identify drop-off points in the user journey
  • Compare how users from different channels behave
  • See which actions users take before converting

These explorations are gold for refining your website and adjusting your paid media strategy.

Use custom audiences for better targeting.

GA4 integrates directly with Google Ads, which means you can create powerful, behaviour-based audiences.

For example:

  • Users who visited your pricing page but didn’t convert
  • Users who watched a product video but didn’t enquire
  • Returning users who haven’t been active in 30 days

These audiences can be pushed into your ad campaigns to improve targeting, reduce waste, and drive better ROI.

Set your GA4 strategy.

The most significant shift with GA4 isn’t the interface – it’s the mindset. You don’t just set it up and check in every now and then. You use it to ask better questions and back your decisions with real data.