Anthony McGrath

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GA4 set up so you can trust the numbers

Google Analytics 4 is powerful and easy to get wrong. Events, conversions, ecommerce, consent, cross-domain tracking and reports are set up properly through Google Tag Manager, so your numbers match reality and your team can actually use them.

  • 22 years in digital marketing
  • Hands-on: you work with me, not a junior
  • UK, US, Dubai and Australia

By Anthony McGrath · Updated

What does Google Analytics 4 setup involve?

Google Analytics 4 setup covers set-up, events, ecommerce, consent and privacy, reporting and training. Common problems include duplicate purchase events, missing revenue, self-referrals from payment pages, internal traffic counted as customers and Consent Mode set up in a way that hides most of your data. Anthony McGrath does the work himself, with 22 years in digital marketing, for businesses in the UK, the US, Dubai and Australia.

Best for
Businesses that rely on their data for ads, reporting and decisions
What you get
Set-up, Events, Ecommerce, Consent and privacy, Reporting, Training
First step
Audit: what fires, what is missing and what is counted twice, across every platform.
Where
The UK, the US, Dubai and Australia, working remotely across time zones
Who does the work
Anthony McGrath, hands-on, with 22 years in digital marketing

Why GA4 data is so often wrong

Common problems include duplicate purchase events, missing revenue, self-referrals from payment pages, internal traffic counted as customers and Consent Mode set up in a way that hides most of your data.

Every setup is planned, built in Tag Manager, tested event by event and documented, so anyone on your team can see what is tracked and why.

Before and after

An example of fixing a GA4 setup on an online store.

  • Revenue in GA4 compared with Shopify: 72% before, 98% after
  • Purchases counted twice: 14% before, 0% after
  • Self-referral sessions from payment pages: 9% before, 0% after

An example of the kind of change this work aims for, based on typical starting points. It is not a promise or a specific client result: every business starts somewhere different.

What's included

Set-up, fixes, reports and training.

Set-up

  • GA4 properties and data streams
  • Google Tag Manager containers
  • Internal traffic and spam filters
  • Data retention and settings

Events

  • Key events and conversions
  • Forms, calls and clicks
  • Scroll, video and downloads
  • Custom dimensions

Ecommerce

  • Product views to purchases
  • Refunds and promotions
  • Shopify and WooCommerce
  • Revenue matched to your shop

Consent and privacy

  • Consent Mode v2
  • Cookie banner integration
  • UK GDPR and PECR
  • Data from consented users only where required

Reporting

  • Explorations and funnels
  • Looker Studio dashboards
  • BigQuery export
  • Channel groupings that fit you

Training

  • A walkthrough for your team
  • Written tracking plan
  • Which reports to check weekly
  • Ongoing support

How it works

  1. AuditWhat fires, what is missing and what is counted twice, across every platform.
  2. PlanA tracking plan: every event, where it goes and why.
  3. BuildSet up in Google Tag Manager, server-side and the ad platforms, with clean naming.
  4. Test and hand overTested end to end and documented, so you know exactly what is tracked.

Platforms and tools

  • GA4
  • Google Tag Manager
  • Server-side GTM
  • BigQuery
  • Looker Studio
  • Consent Mode v2
  • Cookiebot
  • OneTrust
  • Shopify
  • WooCommerce

Latest GA4 setup news

Short, plain-English updates on what is changing and what to do about it.

All marketing news

Questions

Can you fix my existing GA4?

Yes. Most work starts with an audit of the current setup, then fixes to events, ecommerce and settings.

Do I need Google Tag Manager?

It is strongly recommended. Tag Manager keeps tracking organised and makes changes easier without touching your site code.

Will GA4 match my Shopify revenue exactly?

It will not match to the penny because of consent and ad blockers, but a good setup gets close, and server-side tracking closes more of the gap.

Can you build dashboards?

Yes. Looker Studio dashboards that show the numbers your business cares about, updated automatically.

Anthony McGrath

About Anthony McGrath

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A UK-based freelance digital marketer with 22 years across Shopify, WordPress, WooCommerce, Magento, conversion rate optimisation, funnels, Google, Meta and TikTok ads, SEO and tracking. He works directly with businesses in the UK, the US, Dubai and Australia, so the person who plans the work is the person who does it. More about Anthony or connect with him on LinkedIn.

Get numbers you can trust

Send your site and what you need to know from your data. You get a review of your setup and a plan.

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