Most people don’t get this right.
Let’s say you want to compare different traffic sources or campaigns to see what’s working. Naturally, you open Google Analytics. But actually making sense of the data? That’s a whole different story.
Why is it so tricky?
First, GA4 is packed with confusing metrics, parameters, and restrictions. Reports have changed, new features have been added, and the learning curve is steeper than ever. Where do you even start?
Second, there are plenty of limitations—some obvious, some hidden. Data delays, sampling, Google tag settings, consent mode… and here’s a fun fact: the numbers you see in GA aren’t exact, they’re estimates.
So how do you make sure your campaign analysis is actually useful?
Here’s what you need to do:
1. Have a tracking plan. Seriously, this is a must. Your auto-tagging and UTM tracking should be set up correctly.
2. Double-check your conversions. See if they’re actually being recorded—and showing up in your reports.
3. Create a custom report with the key metrics that matter to you. You can do this yourself or get help.
4. Analyze it regularly, keeping in mind there’s a ~2-day delay in data processing.
The takeaway?
1. GA4 has the tools you need, but custom reports are where the real insights are.
2. Building these reports takes effort (but it’s worth it).
3. Every report has limitations — if you want full control, raw data is the way to go.
If you work with GA4 to BigQuery exports, be sure to check out my SQL cheat sheet.
