Analytics setup checklist
The measurement setup checklist: GA4 property and events, Search Console, sitemap, key conversions (leads, WhatsApp clicks, calculator completions), filters and retention.
13 checks · copy it, print it, argue with it.
A site without measurement is a business flying on vibes. This checklist gets GA4, Search Console and the key conversion events running correctly, the same setup this site runs. It assumes nothing else exists yet; it takes about an hour plus propagation time.
Google Search Console
- Property verified (DNS TXT for domain property, strongest coverage)
- Sitemap submitted: /sitemap_index.xml
- Key pages request-indexed after major updates
GA4
- Property + web data stream created, tag firing on every page (verify in real-time report)
- Internal traffic filtered by IP
- Data retention extended to 14 months (default is 2)
- Key events marked as conversions: lead form submit, WhatsApp click, calculator completion
Events that matter
- Form submissions tracked per form, not as one blob
- WhatsApp/call clicks tracked, the channel buyers actually use
- Outbound and download clicks if relevant
- Checkout steps instrumented per step for storesFind the largest leak, fix that first
Hygiene
- Privacy policy mentions the measurement in use
- A monthly 15-minute review scheduled, data nobody reads is decoration
This site runs a cookieless first-party layer on top of this stack (ask about it if you want the same). Measurement feeds everything: the CWV budget, the funnel fixes in the cart guide, and the quarterly rate report.
Quarterly, and only when the numbers move
Get the rate report before you negotiate.
Updated rate bands across the major stacks and regions, plus what changed and why. No other email.
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