Google Analytics Goals and Conversions Setup

Setting Up Goals and Conversions in Google Analytics

GA4 doesn't have "Goals" in the classical UA sense. Instead — events marked as key (Conversions). Each event with a "conversion" toggle appears in conversion reports and participates in attribution. The task — properly design events, mark them, and verify data transmission.

GA4 Conversion Architecture

Conversion in GA4 = event with parameter, marked in interface as conversion. Standard flow:

User → action on site
→ GA4 registers event (via gtag.js or GTM)
→ GA4 Admin → Events → mark "Mark as conversion"
→ Event appears in Conversions reports

GA4 counts multiple conversions of the same event within one session. To count only the first — need additional parameter or report filtering.

Basic Conversion Event Markup

// Send conversion via gtag.js
// gtag must be initialized with your Measurement ID

// Conversion: form submission
gtag('event', 'generate_lead', {
  event_category: 'lead',
  event_label: 'contact_form',
  value: 1,
  currency: 'RUB',
  form_name: 'main_contact',
  page_section: 'footer',
});

// Conversion: purchase
gtag('event', 'purchase', {
  transaction_id: 'ORDER-789',
  affiliation: 'Web',
  value: 14500,
  tax: 500,
  shipping: 300,
  currency: 'RUB',
  coupon: '',
  items: [{
    item_id: 'SKU-001',
    item_name: 'Professional Plan',
    item_category: 'subscription',
    price: 13700,
    quantity: 1,
  }],
});

// Conversion: registration
gtag('event', 'sign_up', {
  method: 'email',
});

// Conversion: begin checkout
gtag('event', 'begin_checkout', {
  currency: 'RUB',
  value: 14500,
  items: [{ item_id: 'SKU-001', item_name: 'Pro Plan', price: 14500, quantity: 1 }],
});

Custom Conversions via GTM

If site uses GTM, conversions are set up without code changes:

1. Create Trigger:

• Type: "Form Submission" or "Click — All Elements"
• Condition: Click Text contains "Submit" or Page URL contains /thank-you

2. Create Tag:

• Type: "Google Analytics: GA4 Event"
• Event Name: generate_lead
• Event Parameters:
  • form_name → {{Form ID}}
  • page_path → {{Page Path}}

3. Check via Preview: GTM Preview + DebugView in GA4 — all events should appear in real-time.

Data Layer for GTM

For passing dynamic data (user ID, order sum) from code to GTM:

// Initialize dataLayer
window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || [];

// Pass data before event
window.dataLayer.push({
  event: 'purchase',
  ecommerce: {
    transaction_id: orderId,
    value: totalAmount,
    tax: taxAmount,
    shipping: shippingCost,
    currency: 'RUB',
    items: cartItems.map(item => ({
      item_id: item.sku,
      item_name: item.name,
      item_category: item.category,
      price: item.price,
      quantity: item.qty,
    })),
  },
  user_id: currentUser?.id ?? undefined,
});

// Clear ecommerce object before next event (required for GA4)
window.dataLayer.push({ ecommerce: null });
window.dataLayer.push({
  event: 'view_item',
  ecommerce: { /* ... */ },
});

Configuration in GA4 Interface

After events start arriving:

1. Admin → Events — list of all events for last 30 days
2. Find needed event (e.g., generate_lead)
3. Toggle "Mark as conversion" → On
4. Event appears in Reports → Conversions within 24–48 hours (not real-time)

For immediate check: DebugView (Admin → DebugView) shows events in real-time with parameters.

Custom Parameters and Dimensions

Event parameters don't display in GA4 reports by default — must be registered:

1. Admin → Custom Definitions → Create Custom Dimension

   • Dimension name: form_name
   • Scope: Event
   • Event parameter: form_name

2. After registration, parameter becomes available in reports and Explorations

Limit: 50 custom event dimensions per property (in free GA4).

Conversion Attribution

GA4 uses Data-Driven Attribution by default (if sufficient data) or Last Click. Change model:

Admin → Attribution Settings → Reporting attribution model

Available models:

• Data-driven (recommended for >1000 conversions/month)
• Last click
• First click
• Linear
• Time decay

Lookback window (attribution window) for different conversion types configured separately: up to 90 days for purchase, up to 30 days for generate_lead.

Conversions in Ad Campaigns

To import conversions into Google Ads:

1. Google Ads → "Conversions" → "Import from GA4"
2. Select needed conversions
3. Set conversion value (if not passed in event)

After GA4 ↔ Google Ads linking, conversions used in "Target CPC" and "Maximize conversions" strategies.

Conversion Report with Segmentation

In Explorations you can build arbitrary reports. Example — conversions by traffic source:

Explorations → Blank →
  Rows: Session source / medium
  Values: Conversions (event: generate_lead), Conversion rate
  Segment: Converted users

This gives table: Google CPC → 45 conversions, 3.2%; Organic → 28 conversions, 1.8%.

Debugging

// In DevTools Console — check GA4 initialized
window.dataLayer  // should be array
window.gtag       // should be function

// View all events in dataLayer
window.dataLayer.filter(e => e.event).map(e => e.event)

// Enable debug_mode for one page
gtag('config', 'G-XXXXXXXX', { debug_mode: true });
// After this, events visible in DebugView GA4

Chrome Extension "GA Debugger" or "Tag Assistant" shows all hits in panel.

Timeline

Marking 3–5 key conversions in code + GTM tags — 1 day. Setting custom parameters and Data Layer — 4–6 hours. Attribution setup and Google Ads linking — 2–3 hours.