Powerful Event Tracking in Google Analytics

Why Most Businesses Have No Idea If Their Website Actually Works

Let's be honest: most business websites are like leaky buckets. Visitors pour in from various marketing efforts, but business owners have no clue where they leak out—or why.

The problem isn't your traffic. It's that you're flying blind about what happens after people land on your site.

• Do visitors click your "Call Now" button?

• Do they watch your product videos?

• Do they start filling out your form but abandon it halfway?

• Do they download your price list?

If you can't answer these questions with actual data (not guesses), you're missing critical intelligence about your business.

Here's the reality: 76% of small business websites have Google Analytics installed, but only 13% have set up proper event tracking. That means 87% of businesses are making decisions based on incomplete information.

This guide will show you how to set up event tracking in Google Analytics to see exactly what's working on your website and what's not—without needing a technical degree or an expensive developer.

What Is Key Event Tracking and Why Should You Care?

In Google Analytics, an "event" is any action a visitor takes on your website that doesn't involve loading a new page.

These include:

• Button clicks

• Form submissions

• Video plays

• File downloads

• Scrolling behavior

• Phone number clicks

• Chat interactions

• Form field interactions

Why tracking these key events matters to your business:

• You'll see which website elements actually drive customer actions

• You'll identify where potential customers drop off in your conversion process

• You'll know which content engages visitors and which is ignored

• You'll make data-backed decisions about website improvements

• You'll accurately measure the ROI of your marketing efforts

The real business impact:

• Companies that implement proper key event tracking see an average 23% improvement in conversion rates

• 68% of businesses discover major usability issues they were previously unaware of

• On average, fixing conversion issues identified through event tracking increases lead generation by 31%

Google Analytics 4 vs. Universal Analytics: What You Need to Know

Before we dive in, you need to understand that Google has completely changed Analytics. In July 2023, Google retired the old version (Universal Analytics) and replaced it with Google Analytics 4 (GA4).

The key differences:

• GA4 is entirely built around events (the old version focused more on pageviews)

• Some events are tracked automatically in GA4

• The interface and reports look completely different

• The setup process has changed significantly

This guide focuses exclusively on GA4, since Universal Analytics is no longer collecting data.

The 10 Essential Events Every Business Website Should Track

Let's start with what matters most. These are the high-impact events you should set up first:

1. Form Submissions

Track when visitors complete your contact forms, quote requests, or signup forms.

2. Phone Number Clicks

Monitor when mobile users tap your phone number to call your business.

3. "Get Directions" Clicks

See how many visitors are looking for your physical location.

4. File Downloads

Track downloads of price lists, brochures, menus, or any documents you offer.

5. Video Engagement

Monitor video plays, completions, and drop-off points.

6. Outbound Link Clicks

See when visitors click links to other websites, including your social media profiles.

7. Important Button Clicks

Track clicks on key CTA (call-to-action) buttons like "Book Now" or "Add to Cart."

8. Form Abandonment

Identify where people drop off in multi-step forms.

9. Product/Service Page Engagement

Monitor how visitors interact with your core offerings.

10. Scroll Depth

See how far visitors scroll down your important pages.

Let's set these up step by step, starting with the basic Google Analytics 4 setup you'll need.

Setting Up Google Analytics 4 for Event Tracking (The Foundation)

Before you can track events, you need a properly configured GA4 property:

Step 1: Check if You Already Have GA4

1. Log into Google Analytics

2. Look at the property selector in the lower left

3. If you see "GA4" in the property name, you're already set up

4. If you see "Universal Analytics" or nothing about GA4, continue to Step 2

   
   

Step 2: Create a GA4 Property

1. In Google Analytics, click "Admin" (gear icon in bottom left)

2. In the middle column ("Property"), click "Create Property"

3. Select "Web" as your platform

4. Enter your business name and website URL

5. Select your industry and business size

6. Choose your timezone and currency

7. Click "Create"

   
   

Step 3: Add the GA4 Tracking Code to Your Website

You'll need to install the GA4 tracking code (called the "Google tag") on your website:

For WordPress Users (easiest method):

1. Install a plugin like "MonsterInsights" or "GA Google Analytics"

2. Enter your Measurement ID (found in Admin > Data Streams)

3. Follow the plugin's setup instructions

   
   

For Other Website Platforms:

1. Go to Admin > Data Streams > Your Web Stream

2. Click "Add new on-page tag"

3. Select "Install manually"

4. Copy the provided code

5. Add this code to the <head> section of every page on your website (or use your platform's built-in Analytics integration)

If this sounds too technical, you have two options:

• Ask your web developer to install the code (this should take them 10 minutes)

• Use Google Tag Manager (which we'll cover shortly)

Step 4: Verify Your Installation

After installation:

1. Wait a few hours for data to appear

2. Go to Reports > Realtime

3. Visit your own website in another browser or device

4. You should see yourself as an active user

   
   

If you don't see yourself, your installation may not be working properly.

Setting Up Google Tag Manager (The Smart Approach)

While you can set up event tracking directly in GA4, using Google Tag Manager (GTM) makes the process much easier and more flexible. This is the approach most professionals use.

What is Google Tag Manager? A free tool from Google that lets you add and update tracking codes on your website without editing code directly.

Step 1: Create a Google Tag Manager Account

1. Go to tagmanager.google.com

2. Click "Create Account"

3. Enter your company name and website domain

4. Choose "Web" as the target platform

5. Click "Create"

   
   

Step 2: Install the GTM Code on Your Website

After creating your account, you'll see two code snippets to add to your website:

1. The first snippet goes in the <head> of your website

2. The second snippet goes immediately after the opening <body> tag

   
   

For WordPress Users:

1. Install the "GTM4WP" plugin

2. Enter your GTM container ID (format: GTM-XXXXXX)

3. Save settings

   
   

For Other Platforms: Many website builders have built-in GTM integration. Check your platform's documentation or ask your web developer to install these snippets.

Step 3: Connect GTM to Google Analytics 4

1. In GTM, click "Tags" in the left menu

2. Click "New" to create a new tag

3. Click "Tag Configuration" and select "Google Analytics: GA4 Configuration"

4. Enter your Measurement ID (found in GA4 > Admin > Data Streams)

5. Under "Triggering," select "All Pages"

6. Name the tag "GA4 Configuration"

7. Click "Save"

8. Click "Submit" in the top right and then "Publish" to make the changes live

   
   

Step 4: Verify the Connection

1. Go to your GA4 property

2. Check the Realtime report

3. Visit your website in another browser or device

4. Confirm you see yourself as an active user

   
   

Now that the foundation is set, let's start tracking those important business events.

Setting Up the 5 Most Valuable Events for Business Websites

Let's walk through setting up the most important events for most businesses. We'll use Google Tag Manager for all these examples.

Event #1: Contact Form Submissions

Tracking form submissions tells you how effectively your website converts visitors into leads.

Setup Method in GTM:

1. Go to Triggers > New

2. Select "Form Submission" as the trigger type

3. Choose one of these methods: Method A: Track All Forms

   • Leave "All Forms" selected

   • This will track every form on your website

4. Method B: Track Specific Forms (Recommended)

   • Select "Some Forms"

   • Add conditions to identify your contact form:

     • If your form has an ID: Form ID equals "contact-form"

     • If your form is on a specific page: Page URL contains "contact"

     • If your form has a specific submit button: Click Class equals "submit-button"

5. Name your trigger (e.g., "Contact Form Submission")

6. Go to Tags > New

7. Select "Google Analytics: GA4 Event"

8. Configure tag settings:

   • Configuration Tag: Select your GA4 Configuration tag

   • Event Name: "form_submission" (keep it lowercase with underscores)

   • Add parameters (optional):

     • form_id = {% Variable that captures your form ID %}

     • form_name = "contact"

9. Under Triggering, select your form submission trigger

10. Name your tag (e.g., "GA4 - Contact Form Submission")

11. Save and publish

Real-World Impact: A local law firm discovered their contact form had a completion rate of only 17%. Through event tracking, they identified that a required field asking for "How you heard about us" was causing abandonment. After making this field optional, form completion jumped to 36%, doubling their weekly lead generation.

Event #2: Phone Number Clicks

For service businesses, phone calls are often the most valuable conversions.

Setup Method in GTM:

1. Go to Triggers > New

2. Select "Click - Just Links" as the trigger type

3. Choose "Some Link Clicks"

4. Add this condition: Click URL begins with "tel:"

5. Name your trigger (e.g., "Phone Number Clicks")

6. Go to Tags > New

7. Select "Google Analytics: GA4 Event"

8. Configure tag settings:

   • Configuration Tag: Select your GA4 Configuration tag

   • Event Name: "phone_call"

   • Add parameters (optional):

     • phone_number = {% Element URL %}

9. Under Triggering, select your phone click trigger

10. Name your tag (e.g., "GA4 - Phone Call")

11. Save and publish

Pro Tip: Make sure your phone numbers on your website are properly formatted as clickable links with "tel:" prefix, like this:

<a href="tel:5551234567">(555) 123-4567</a>

Real-World Impact: A plumbing company discovered through event tracking that their emergency service page generated 73% of phone calls despite receiving only 12% of website traffic. They optimized this page further and featured it more prominently, resulting in a 32% increase in emergency service calls.

Event #3: File Downloads

If you offer downloadable resources like menus, brochures, or price lists, tracking downloads provides valuable insights.

Setup Method in GTM:

1. Go to Triggers > New

2. Select "Click - Just Links" as the trigger type

3. Choose "Some Link Clicks"

4. Add one or more conditions for your file types:

   • Click URL ends with ".pdf"

   • Click URL ends with ".docx"

   • Click URL ends with ".xlsx" (Add any file extensions you use)

5. Name your trigger (e.g., "File Downloads")

6. Go to Tags > New

7. Select "Google Analytics: GA4 Event"

8. Configure tag settings:

   • Configuration Tag: Select your GA4 Configuration tag

   • Event Name: "file_download"

   • Add parameters:

     • file_name = {% Element URL %}

     • file_extension = {% Script to extract file extension %}

9. Under Triggering, select your file download trigger

10. Name your tag (e.g., "GA4 - File Download")

11. Save and publish

Real-World Impact: A local kitchen remodeling company found that visitors who downloaded their pricing guide were 4.3 times more likely to request a consultation. They made their download more prominent and added it to more pages, increasing downloads by 67% and consultations by 41%.

Event #4: Video Engagement

Videos are expensive to produce, so tracking engagement helps justify the investment.

Setup Method in GTM (for YouTube videos):

1. Go to Variables > Configure

2. Enable all the YouTube variables

3. Go to Triggers > New

4. Select "YouTube Video" as the trigger type

5. Select "All Videos"

6. Check the events you want to track:

   • Start

   • Complete

   • Progress (25%, 50%, 75%)

7. Name your trigger (e.g., "YouTube Video Engagement")

8. Go to Tags > New

9. Select "Google Analytics: GA4 Event"

10. Configure tag settings:

    • Configuration Tag: Select your GA4 Configuration tag

    • Event Name: "video_{{Video Status}}" (This uses a built-in variable)

    • Add parameters:

      • video_title = {% Video Title %}

      • video_percent = {% Video Percent %}

11. Under Triggering, select your video trigger

12. Name your tag (e.g., "GA4 - Video Engagement")

13. Save and publish

Real-World Impact: A home builder discovered that visitors who watched at least 75% of their "Virtual Home Tour" video converted at a 28% rate compared to 3% for other visitors. They made the video more prominent and added clear calls-to-action at key moments in the video, increasing high-intent leads by 47%.

Event #5: Important Button Clicks

Tracking clicks on key call-to-action buttons helps identify engagement with your most important conversion paths.

Setup Method in GTM:

1. Go to Triggers > New

2. Select "Click - All Elements" as the trigger type

3. Choose "Some Clicks"

4. Add conditions to identify your important buttons:

   • Click ID equals "book-now-button" (if your button has an ID)

   • Click Class equals "cta-button" (if your button has a class)

   • Click Text equals "Get Quote" (if your button has specific text)

5. Name your trigger (e.g., "CTA Button Clicks")

6. Go to Tags > New

7. Select "Google Analytics: GA4 Event"

8. Configure tag settings:

   • Configuration Tag: Select your GA4 Configuration tag

   • Event Name: "button_click"

   • Add parameters:

     • button_text = {% Click Text %}

     • button_location = {% Page Path %}

9. Under Triggering, select your button click trigger

10. Name your tag (e.g., "GA4 - Button Clicks")

11. Save and publish

Real-World Impact: A dentist's office found that their "Book Appointment" button had a click rate of only 1.3%. They tested different button colors, text, and positions on the page, eventually increasing the click rate to 4.7%—resulting in 28 additional appointment requests per month without increasing traffic.

Creating Custom Reports to See Your Event Data

Setting up tracking is only half the battle. You need to be able to see and use the data you're collecting.

Basic Event Reporting in GA4

1. Go to Reports > Engagement > Events

2. You'll see a list of all events occurring on your site

3. Click on any event name to see detailed data

4. Add comparisons (top right) to segment your data:

   • By device: Desktop vs. Mobile

   • By source: Google vs. Facebook vs. Direct

   • By new vs. returning visitors

   
   

Creating a Custom Events Dashboard

For easier access to your most important metrics:

1. Go to Reports > Dashboards > Create

2. Click "+ Add Widget"

3. Select "Scorecard" for single metrics:

   • Set dimension as your event name

   • Set metric as event count

4. Add bar charts for trend data:

   • Set dimension as Day

   • Set metric as your event count

   • Set breakdown dimension as your event name

5. Save and name your dashboard

   
   

Troubleshooting Common Event Tracking Issues

Even with careful setup, you might encounter some issues:

Problem #1: Events Not Appearing in Reports

Possible causes and solutions:

• Events were just set up: Wait 24-48 hours for data to process

• Tag isn't firing: Use GTM's Preview mode to test

• Event name mismatch: Ensure event names are consistent

• GA4 configuration tag missing: Verify your GA4 configuration tag is firing on all pages

Problem #2: Double-Counting Events

Possible causes and solutions:

• Multiple tags firing: Check for duplicate triggers or tags

• Both GTM and hardcoded events: Ensure you're not tracking the same event twice

• Form resubmissions: Add a "Check Validation" option to your form trigger

Problem #3: Incorrect or Missing Event Parameters

Possible causes and solutions:

• Variable configuration issue: Test variables in GTM Preview mode

• Case sensitivity: Parameter names are case-sensitive

• Character limitations: Ensure parameter names only use letters, numbers, and underscores

Next-Level Event Tracking: Advanced Tactics

Once you've mastered the basics, consider these advanced tracking strategies:

1. Scroll Depth Tracking

Track how far users scroll down important pages:

1. In GTM, go to Triggers > New

2. Select "Scroll Depth" as the trigger type

3. Choose vertical scroll depths (e.g., 25%, 50%, 75%, 90%)

4. Select "All Pages" or specify certain pages

5. Create a GA4 event tag using this trigger

   
   

2. Form Abandonment Tracking

Identify where users abandon your forms:

1. Create triggers for form field interactions

2. Track when users start filling out forms

3. Compare form starts to submissions

4. For multi-step forms, track each step completion

   
   

3. Enhanced E-commerce Tracking

For online stores, track detailed shopping behavior:

1. Set up enhanced e-commerce in your GA4 property

2. Track product views, add-to-carts, checkouts, and purchases

3. Segment by product category, price point, or other factors

   
   

Your 30-Day Event Tracking Implementation Plan

Don't try to do everything at once. Follow this phased approach:

Days 1-7: Foundation Setup

• Install Google Analytics 4 (if not already done)

• Set up Google Tag Manager

• Connect GTM to GA4

• Verify proper installation

• Document your most important conversion actions

Days 8-14: Core Event Implementation

• Set up tracking for form submissions

• Implement phone call tracking

• Add file download tracking

• Set up your most important button clicks

• Test all implementations using Preview mode

Days 15-21: Review and Refinement

• Analyze initial data collection

• Fix any tracking issues

• Add secondary event tracking

• Create custom reports or dashboards

• Document your setup for future reference

Days 22-30: Analysis and Action

• Identify key insights from your data

• Make one website improvement based on data

• Set up regular review schedule (weekly or monthly)

• Plan next phase of tracking refinements

• Share key insights with team members

The Bottom Line: Event Tracking Is About Business Results, Not Technical Metrics

Properly implemented event tracking transforms Google Analytics from a confusing technical tool into a powerful business intelligence platform. It bridges the gap between visitor numbers and actual business outcomes.

Remember:

• Focus on tracking actions that matter to your business

• Start with the highest-impact events

• Use the data to make specific website improvements

• Track the before/after impact of any changes

• Revisit and refine your tracking quarterly

The businesses that succeed with Analytics aren't the ones with the most complex setups—they're the ones that track the right things and actually use the data to make better business decisions.

If you get stuck, don't hesitate to consult with a professional. A few hours of expert help can save weeks of frustration and ensure you're gathering accurate, actionable data.