Unit 7.2

Google Analytics 4 and Other Tools

Digital Marketing Course

Learning Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

Explain why GA4 replaced Universal Analytics.
Describe GA4 life-cycle reports, events, and key events.
Use GTM and UTM parameters in a basic measurement stack.
Compare GA4 with complementary analytics tools.

What is Web Analytics?

Web Analytics is the measurement, collection, analysis, and reporting of digital data to understand and optimize websites and campaigns.

Goal: better decisions on traffic quality, UX, and conversions — not vanity charts.

GA4 vs Universal Analytics

Topic	UA (legacy)	GA4 (current)
Model	Sessions + pageviews	Event-based
Outcomes	Goals	Key events
UI	Audience / Acquisition / Behavior / Conversions	Life cycle + Explore
Status	Sunset (2023)	Standard

GA4 Life-Cycle Questions

Acquisition

How did they find me?

Engagement

What did they do?

Monetization / Key events

Did they convert?

Retention

Do they return?

Events and Key Events

Almost everything in GA4 is an event (page_view, scroll, click, purchase).
Mark business-critical events as key events (conversions).
Nepal SME examples: form_submit, tel_click, whatsapp_click, purchase.

Quick check — call on a student

Instructor: Call on one student (or a group). They answer aloud; then reveal on screen.

Google Tag Manager (GTM)

Publish tracking tags without editing site code for every change.

Container holds GA4, pixels, and conversion tags
Version history and preview/debug mode
Typical stack: Site → GTM → GA4 + ads tags

UTM Parameters

Tag campaign links so acquisition reports stay trustworthy:

utm_source — facebook, newsletter
utm_medium — cpc, email
utm_campaign — dashain_sale_2026

Without UTMs, paid social and email often look like referral/direct.

Practical Application: Nepal

Scenario: Himalayan Adventures (Kathmandu)

Install GA4 via GTM; mark Book a Trek form + WhatsApp click as key events.
UTM every Meta and Google Ads landing URL.
Use Explorations to see drop-off on the booking form.
Pair GA4 with Search Console for organic query insights.

Quick check — call on another student

Instructor: Call on a different student/group. Ask them to explain why.

Other Analytics Tools

Search Console

Queries, indexing, Core Web Vitals — essential with GA4 for SEO.

Matomo

Self-hosted; stronger data ownership.

Clarity / heatmaps

Session insight; use with consent.

Key Takeaways

Teach and use GA4, not Universal Analytics menus.
Events + key events define modern measurement.
GTM and UTMs keep implementation and channel credit clean.
Track the conversions Nepal businesses actually close (calls, WhatsApp, forms).

Thank You

Any questions?

Next Topic: Unit 7.3: Key Metrics: Traffic, Engagement, Conversions

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Unit 7.2: Google Analytics and Other Tools