The number one mistake business owners make in their Google Analytics 4 setup

GA4 is like Sheldon Cooper from The Big Bang Theory (remember that show?). It's very literal. This can be very helpful in making sure your data is very precise. 

However, one slip up in implementation can create huge headaches for your team down the road, which is less than ideal when you need to make critical business decisions at the speed of now. Below, we'll go over the top mistake company's make in their Google Analytics 4 setup and how you can avoid it.

When I worked at an agency, I frequently checked our client's GA4 properties to analyze the data and make recommendations for future marketing strategies.

However, when I went to check Acquisition reports, I often saw sources and mediums such as "org", "organic", and even "ORGANIC." I'd even see "Instagram", "IG", or "Instargam." Yes, that last one is misspelled.

Basically, the client had mixed case issues in their sources and mediums. This created a problem when we needed to pull data quickly.

GA4 is very precise, it's the Sheldon Cooper of digital analytics. While it might be obvious to us that "instagram,""IG", and "Instagram" are the same thing, it isn't to GA4. 

This is because GA4 is case sensitive. It will look at those three variations of Instagram, and interpret them as three different sources.

This means when it comes to your analytics, your data will be fragmented, so you can't get that quick snapshot of how your Instagram, organic, or other sources and mediums are performing. Write three different variations of the same source and before you know it- Bazinga!- you get a big data mess.

So, how can you prevent this from happening to you? Create a style guide from day one. Make sure everyone uses it when naming sources, mediums, and UTM parameters. 

Basically, choose one format to rule them all.  Use all lower case letters in your names as a best practice. Upper case adds one more step, and it's just one more opportunity for someone to forget or make an error. 

Additionally, make sure you avoid spaces in names, and use underscores instead. For example, instead of "Instagram Paid", simply use "instagram_paid."

Mixed case issues may seem like a benign problem at first glance, but as you continue to collect data, it can become a big headache for your business. By creating a style guide, you and your team can take a simple step to eliminate friction in your analytics process and get those at-a-glance insights you need.

Need a quick health check on your GA4? Better data leads to better business decisions, and that starts with making sure your GA4 is configured correctly. If you're looking for support to power better business decisions, check out my current GA4 services.