Google Analytics (GA4) can feel overwhelming—but it doesn’t have to! In this episode, I’m sharing three simple ways to make GA4 easier to understand, so you can track what actually matters without wasting time.
Resources
- 7 SEO Measurements You Must Track
- 7 Use SEO Goal Examples
- Use This Code to Track Your Marketing
- SEO Power-up Plan
- Digital Marketing Tool
- Other podcast episode recommendation
Listen on Spotify
Listen on Apple
1. Create a Custom Dashboard (and Bookmark It!)
Instead of wading through endless reports and confusing graphs, you can set up a custom dashboard that shows only the data you care about.
Think:
- Organic traffic
- Newsletter signups
- Conversions like downloads, purchases, or bookings
- Traffic by source (social, search, referrals, etc.)
You can build one yourself, or hire someone to do it. Once it’s set up, bookmark it so you don’t have to dig for it every time.
💡 WordPress user? There are plugins that display your analytics right inside your dashboard—no need to log into Google Analytics separately.
2. Automate Reports to Hit Your Inbox
If checking GA4 regularly doesn’t fit into your schedule (hello, busy business owner life), let the data come to you.
You can schedule email reports to go out daily, weekly, or monthly. That way, you’re not logging in to figure things out—you’re simply reviewing what matters at a glance.
📍 Bonus: GA4 Now Has Annotations!
Yes, you can now add notes directly inside your reports. So when you update a blog post, launch a campaign, or tweak your SEO strategy, you can mark it right there in GA4.
No more messy spreadsheets or guessing what caused that spike (or dip) in traffic. Look for the little icon in the upper right corner of your report—if you don’t have access yet, it’s rolling out soon!
3. Use Looker Studio for Visual Dashboards
Google’s free tool, Looker Studio (formerly Data Studio), lets you turn complex data into easy-to-read charts and graphs.
Yes, you’ll need to connect it to your GA4 account—but the good news? There are tons of free templates that make setup super simple.
Once you’ve connected everything, you get a beautifully visual dashboard you can scan in seconds. No data degree required.
The Takeaway
If GA4 has been stressing you out, the key is clarity. Get super clear on what success looks like for your business—whether that’s more leads, higher organic traffic, or newsletter signups—and track those specific numbers.
