📊 How to Set Goals (Conversions) in Google Analytics 4

 

Step 1: Log in to Google Analytics

• Go to analytics.google.com.

• Select the GA4 property you want to work with.

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Step 2: Open the Admin Panel

• On the bottom-left corner, click the ⚙️ Admin gear icon.

You’ll see two sections: Account (left) and Property (right).

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Step 3: Go to Events

• Under Property, click on Events.

• This shows a list of all events GA4 is currently tracking (e.g., page_view, scroll, session_start, purchase, form_submit).

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Step 4: Mark an Event as a Conversion

• Find the event you want to track.

• Toggle the switch under Mark as conversion ✅.

👉 Example:

• For an e-commerce site, mark purchase as a conversion.

• For a service site, mark form_submit or generate_lead as a conversion.

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Step 5: Create a Custom Event (If Needed)

If your desired event isn’t listed (for example, button clicks or thank-you page visits):

1. In Events, click Create Event.

2. Click Create again.

3. Define the event:

   • Give it a name (e.g., contact_form_submit).

   • Set conditions (e.g., event_name equals page_view AND page_location contains /thank-you).

4. Save it.

5. Return to the Events list and mark it as a conversion.

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Step 6: Verify Your Goal

• Go to Reports → Engagement → Conversions.

• Check if your chosen event shows up when you trigger it (like submitting a form or making a test purchase).

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🎯 Practical Examples

🔹 For E-commerce Websites

• Conversions to Track:

  • purchase → Successful orders.

  • add_to_cart → Products added to cart.

  • begin_checkout → Checkout started.

• Example Custom Event:

  • Trigger when URL contains /order-confirmation.

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🔹 For Service Websites

• Conversions to Track:

  • form_submit → Contact form or inquiry form submissions.

  • generate_lead → Quote request form.

  • phone_click → Click-to-call actions.

• Example Custom Event:

  • Trigger when URL contains /thank-you.

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✅ Best Practices

• Use Google Tag Manager (GTM) to track button clicks, video views, and custom actions.

• Assign monetary values to conversions (e.g., average order value or lead value).

• Always test conversions after setup using DebugView in GA4.

📌 GA4 Event Tracking Setup via Google Tag Manager

1. Track Form Submissions (Contact / Lead Forms)

Trigger:

1. In GTM → Triggers → New → Choose Form Submission.

2. Configure:

   • Trigger Type: Form Submission.

   • Check Wait for Tags (2000 ms) and Check Validation.

   • Fire on: Some Forms → e.g., Page URL contains /contact or use Form ID.

Tag:

1. Go to Tags → New.

2. Tag Type: Google Analytics: GA4 Event.

3. Configuration:

   • Choose your GA4 Configuration Tag.

   • Event Name: form_submit.

   • Parameters:

     • form_name → {{Form ID}}.

4. Trigger: Choose the Form Submission Trigger created above.

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2. Track Button Clicks (e.g., Contact, Sign-up, Add to Cart)

Trigger:

1. In GTM → Triggers → New → Choose Click – All Elements or Click – Just Links.

2. Condition: Some Clicks → e.g.:

   • Click Text equals Sign Up

   • OR Click URL contains /checkout

Tag:

1. New Tag → GA4 Event.

2. Event Name: button_click.

3. Parameters:

   • button_text → {{Click Text}}

   • button_url → {{Click URL}}

4. Trigger: Choose the Click Trigger created above.

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3. Track Purchases (E-commerce)

For e-commerce, GA4 requires Enhanced E-commerce Tracking. This is usually implemented via your platform (Shopify, WooCommerce, etc.) or via GTM dataLayer.

Typical dataLayer push (on purchase confirmation page):

dataLayer.push({
  event: "purchase",
  ecommerce: {
    transaction_id: "T12345",
    affiliation: "Online Store",
    value: 59.99,
    currency: "USD",
    items: [
      {
        item_name: "Blue Shirt",
        item_id: "SKU123",
        price: 29.99,
        quantity: 2
      }
    ]
  }
});

Tag in GTM:

1. Create a GA4 Event Tag.

2. Event Name: purchase.

3. Event Parameters: Map fields like transaction_id, value, currency, items from the dataLayer.

4. Trigger: Custom Event Trigger with Event Name = purchase.

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4. Send Events to GA4

After creating these tags, publish your GTM container.

Then in GA4 → Admin → Events, you’ll see form_submit, button_click, and purchase.

• Toggle them ON as Conversions ✅.

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5. Test Your Setup

• Use Preview Mode in GTM to test tags before publishing.

• In GA4 → DebugView, confirm events are firing.

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🚀 Example Conversion Setup

• Service website: Track form_submit and button_click.

• E-commerce website: Track purchase, add_to_cart, begin_checkout.

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