Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is free to use and, for a straightforward CMS-based website, setup takes around 30 minutes from start to finish. Once it is running, your accounting firm can see which service pages attract the most traffic, which pages lead to enquiry form submissions, and where your website visitors come from.

This guide walks through the setup process in sequence, with specific configuration choices for accounting practices, plus the UK GDPR and ICO requirements that apply before you go live. Named tools and entities referenced include Google Analytics 4, GA4, Measurement ID, Google Tag Manager, Google Search Console, Consent Mode v2, and the ICO.

What you need before you start

Three things need to be in place before you install GA4.

A Google account. You will sign in to analytics.google.com using an existing Google or Gmail account. If your practice uses Google Workspace, use your work account so that access to the GA4 property stays with the business rather than a personal email.

Website edit access. You need either a CMS admin login (WordPress, Squarespace, or Wix) or the ability to paste code into your site's HTML head. If a web developer manages your site, you will need their help for the manual installation route.

A cookie consent mechanism. Under UK GDPR and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR), the ICO has confirmed that analytics cookies are not strictly necessary and require user consent before they fire. This means your cookie banner must be in place, and GA4 must not run, before a visitor accepts analytics cookies. If you install GA4 before sorting consent, you risk a compliance breach.

Creating your GA4 property

Setting up your property correctly from the start saves you time later. Here are the six steps, including the two UK-specific settings that most generic guides skip.

  1. Go to analytics.google.com and click Create Account. Give the account a name (your firm name works well) and review the data-sharing settings before continuing.
  2. Create a property. Enter a property name, then set the reporting time zone to United Kingdom Time. This matters: GA4 records visits based on your time zone, so an incorrect setting shifts your daily traffic data.
  3. Set the currency to British Pound (£). If you ever use GA4 for e-commerce tracking or value-based reporting, this ensures figures appear in GBP rather than USD.
  4. Select your industry and business size. Choose Finance or Professional Services as the industry category. Select your business size. Neither setting affects data collection, but they influence the default report templates you see.
  5. Choose your objective. Select "Get baseline reports" to access the full suite of GA4 reports from day one.
  6. Add a data stream. Select Web as the platform, enter your website URL, and give the stream a simple name. Enable Enhanced Measurement during this step: it automatically collects page views, scroll depth, and outbound link clicks without any additional code. Once the stream is created, GA4 displays your Measurement ID, which starts with "G-". Copy this and keep it ready for the next step.

Installing the GA4 tracking code

There are two routes. Choose the one that fits your website setup.

Via a CMS plugin

If your site runs WordPress, the easiest method is the Site Kit by Google plugin. Install it from the WordPress plugin repository, activate it, and follow the connection wizard to link your GA4 property. Squarespace and Wix users can paste the Measurement ID directly into the Analytics section within their platform settings, with no code editing needed. This route suits most accounting firms that do not have a developer on hand.

Via manual code installation or Google Tag Manager

For sites where you have direct access to the HTML, paste the full Google tag code inside the <head> section of every page. Alternatively, use Google Tag Manager to manage the tag without touching the site code directly. Google Tag Manager is worth considering if you plan to add other tracking tags in future, as it keeps everything in one place.

Verifying the installation

Once installed, open the GA4 Realtime report. Visit your website in a separate browser tab: you should see your visit appear within a few minutes. Allow up to 30 minutes for data collection to begin in full.

Four settings to configure immediately

These four changes are straightforward but easy to overlook. Each one affects the quality of your data from day one.

  1. Extend data retention to 14 months. By default, GA4 stores user-level data for only 2 months. If you want to compare year-on-year traffic or track long-term trends, change this immediately. The path is: Admin > Data Settings > Data Retention > Event data retention > select "14 months" > Save. You need Editor permissions to make this change, and it takes 24 hours to apply.
  2. Filter out your own office traffic. Every visit you or a colleague makes to your own website is counted in your data. Over time this inflates visitor numbers and distorts behaviour reports. The fix is a two-step process. Step one: go to Admin > Data Streams, select your data stream, go to Configure tag settings, and select Define internal traffic. Add your office IP address. Step two: go to Admin > Data Filters, create a new filter, select Internal Traffic, and set it to Active. Important: once this filter is active, the effect is permanent. Test the filter in Testing mode first before activating it.
  3. Set up key events for enquiry and booking actions. Key events (previously called conversions) let you track the actions that matter most to your firm: a contact form submission, a consultation booking completion, or a request for a callback. GA4 allows up to 30 key events per property. Tracking only begins from the point you mark an event as a key event; past data is not collected retroactively. To mark an event, go to Admin > Conversions > Mark as Key Event.
  4. Link Google Search Console. Connecting Search Console to GA4 pulls in organic search performance data: the queries people use to find your site, impressions, and click-through rates. The path is Admin > Property Settings > Product Links > Search Console Links. You will need to have already set up a Search Console account for your website.

UK GDPR and cookie consent for GA4

GA4 uses analytics cookies to track user behaviour. In the UK, the ICO has confirmed that analytics cookies are not strictly necessary and require prior, explicit consent from your website visitors before they fire. This applies to accounting firm websites just as it does to any other UK business.

From March 2024, Consent Mode v2 became mandatory for UK and EEA traffic for GA4, Google Ads, Floodlight, and related Google tags. Consent Mode allows GA4 to adjust its behaviour based on the consent a user gives: if a visitor rejects analytics cookies, GA4 operates in a limited mode rather than collecting full data. For your consent setup to be compliant, your cookie banner must offer a genuine accept or reject option for analytics cookies, and GA4 must not fire until the user has accepted.

If you installed GA4 before adding a compliant cookie banner, verify that your banner actually blocks GA4 before consent is given. A banner that displays but does not block the tag is not compliant.

If you are researching analytics tools with a view to building a full marketing stack for your practice, see our guide to marketing tools and analytics for accounting firms for the wider toolkit, from heatmaps to CRM and booking software.

Key Takeaways

  • GA4 is free; creating an account and installing the tracking code takes around 30 minutes for a CMS-based website.
  • Set reporting time zone to United Kingdom Time and currency to British Pound (£) during property creation; both are missed by most generic setup guides.
  • Change data retention from the default 2 months to 14 months immediately after setup, or you will lose historical data.
  • Filter out your own office IP address to prevent internal visits inflating your traffic data; the filter is permanent once active.
  • Under UK GDPR and PECR, GA4 is an analytics cookie and requires user consent before it fires; Consent Mode v2 has been mandatory for UK and EEA traffic since March 2024.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Google Analytics 4 free?

Google Analytics 4 is free for standard use. There is a paid tier, GA4 360, for enterprise requirements, but the free version provides full functionality for accounting firm websites, including event tracking, key events, Search Console integration, and the Realtime report. For the vast majority of UK accounting practices, the free version is more than sufficient.

How long does GA4 take to show data?

GA4 begins collecting data as soon as the tracking code is installed and a user visits the website. The Realtime report shows live activity within a few minutes of installation. Standard reports process data within 24 to 48 hours. Allow up to 30 minutes after installation before checking the Realtime report for your first confirmed visit.

Do I need cookie consent to use Google Analytics in the UK?

Yes. Under UK GDPR and PECR, the ICO has confirmed that analytics cookies are not strictly necessary and require user consent before deployment. GA4 should only fire after a visitor accepts analytics cookies via your cookie banner. Consent Mode v2 has been mandatory for UK and EEA traffic for GA4 since March 2024, and your consent mechanism must genuinely block GA4 before consent is given, not just display a banner.

Useful Resources