Matthew Buxbaum is a web content writer and growth analyst for 1-800-D2C. If he's not at his desk researching the world of SEO, you can find him hiking a Colorado mountain.
While paid tools like Particl can get you phenomenal data analytics offered in a one-stop-shop dashboard with simplicity and aesthetic built right into the UI, there are a suite of data analytics web tools that can get you similar information, if you're willing to spend the time and do a bit of DIY.
Insights from Google's proprietary suite of tools helps you identify what’s working, steps to improve the customer journey, and ultimately boost conversions. With Google Analytics 4 (GA4), Google Search Console (GSC), and Google Tag Manager (GTM), you can track, analyze, and optimize your site’s performance without spending a single penny.
It's important to note that while these tools are free, there will be a bit of heavy lifting on your end to learn these tools, and apply them to your conversion funnel.
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Google Analytics 4 (GA4): Your Website's Core Analysis Tool, Perfect For Understanding E-Commerce Traffic
GA4 is Google’s latest analytics platform, designed to give an in-depth understanding of user behavior across devices and is designed with an intuitive UI. For new business owners to the platform, getting started, using "Explore" features, and discovering the buyer journey are relatively simple endeavors. For e-commerce, it’s the foundation of measuring site performance.
How The Google Analytics 4 (GA4) Dashboard Appears To Frontend Users
Key Steps for Setting Up GA4
Create a GA4 property in your Google Analytics account.
Install the GA4 tag on your site — you can use Google Tag Manager to do this without touching code.
Enable enhanced measurement to automatically track events like scrolls, outbound clicks, and site searches.
Configure e-commerce tracking under “Events” → “Enhanced Measurement” and/or “E-commerce settings” for tracking product views, adds to cart, checkouts, and purchases.
What To Measure in GA4:
Page views & unique visitors which pages attract the most users.
Engagement time how long people stay on your site.
Traffic sources which channels (organic search, paid ads, social media) bring in customers.
E-commerce conversion rates how effectively your site turns visitors into buyers.
Google Search Console (GSC): Understanding Your Organic Reach On Search Engine Results Pages
Google Search Console (GSC) gives you the SERP-side of performance, showing how people find your site directly on Google Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs). While GA4 deals with on-site traffic, GSC deals with metrics as users are in-transit to your e-commerce website, and visibility on SERPs. Specifically, Google Search Console deals with the clicks and impressions your pages get on results pages.
How The GSC Dashboard Appears To Frontend Users
Key Steps for Setting Up GSC:
Verify your site ownership in GSC (you can use the HTML tag method, domain verification, or GTM for quick setup).
Submit your XML sitemap to help Google index your pages faster.
Link GSC with GA4 for combined insights.
What To Measure in GSC:
Top search queries the keywords that drive the most clicks.
Pages with highest search traffic so you can focus on optimizing your best performers.
CTR (Click-through rate) to see if your meta titles and descriptions attract clicks.
Search position trends to track changes in your rankings over time.
Google Tag Manager (GTM): Tracking Unique Custom Events on Your E-Commerce Website
Google Tag Manager (GTM) is a JavaScript segment of code added to the header and body of your e-commerce website. Through intuitive tracking features, GTM lets you use unique "triggers" and "tags" to capture unique user journeys carried out by the buyer. Plus, GTM lets you deploy and manage the tracking of these unique events without altering your website’s codebase, which is perfect for setting up custom funnels/tracking for behavior and SEO for your e-commerce website.
How The GTM Dashboard Can Appear To Frontend Users
Key Steps for Setting Up GTM:
Create a GTM account and install the container code on your site.
Add GA4 configuration and event tags to send data directly into GA4.
Set up triggers to track specific actions such as clicks on “Buy Now,” scroll depth, or video plays.
Test using GTM Preview mode before publishing changes.
What To Measure in GTM:
By itself, Google Tag Manager (GTM) is not a data analytics tool. It is a tool for enhanced tracking and visibility into user behavior that gets logged in Google Analytics 4. Think of it like tool for adding data with footnotes to GA4. GTM is an enhancement to the granularity of tracking you can perform for GA4.
Add-to-Cart Clicks – See which products draw immediate interest.
Checkout Button Clicks – Measure how many shoppers move from browsing to buying.
Unique Form Submissions – Capture completed lead or contact forms to measure true engagement.
Newsletter Signup Element Visibility – Track when visitors actually see your signup prompts, not just when they’re on the page.
How To Use GA4, GSC, and GTM for High-Performance E-Commerce Website Tracking
When Combined Google Analytics 4, Google Search Console, and Google Tag Manager:
GTM can allow you to implement your GA4 tracking script and measure finely-tuned unique conversion-events completed by your user.
GA4 organizes and analyzes this behavioral tracking and transactional data in a user-friendly dashboard, while simultaneously tracking on-page performance analytics for your e-commerce pages.
GSC adds context about how visitors found you in search by specifically measuring the clicks and impressions your pages get for target queries and pages (in a nutshell your pages' performance on Google Search Engine Results Pages).
This Immense, Free Google-Trio Suite Allows You To:
Identify your highest-converting traffic sources and pages.
See which pages generate the most organic traffic (GSC and GA4) or overall traffic (GA4) and why.
Track shopping behavior funnels and unique conversion items that are multi-step (GTM) to find where customers drop off.
Measure the impact of SEO and marketing campaigns in real-time (GA4).
You Can DIY Much of E-Commerce Website Traffic and Conversion Analytics
When first starting out, you don’t need to spend money on premium analytics platforms to understand your e-commerce traffic. However, premium tools for data analytics can further accentuate your tracking and help you build detailed roadmaps of your user's conversion journey.
By mastering Google Analytics 4, Google Search Console, and Google Tag Manager, you’ll have a powerful, free setup to measure and grow your online store’s performance, which is all backed by accurate, actionable data.
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Frequently Asked Questions for E-Commerce Website Traffic Analysis
What Is Google Analytics 4 Used For In E-Commerce?
GA4 is Google’s latest analytics platform, designed to give an in-depth understanding of user behavior across devices and is designed with an intuitive UI. For e-commerce, it’s the foundation of measuring site performance.
How Does Google Search Console Help With E-Commerce Traffic?
Google Search Console gives you the SERP-side of performance, showing how people find your site directly on Google Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs). It deals with the clicks and impressions your pages get on results pages.
What Is Google Tag Manager Used For On An E-Commerce Website?
Google Tag Manager is a JavaScript segment of code added to your site that lets you use unique triggers and tags to capture user journeys. It enhances tracking without altering your website’s codebase.
How Do GA4, GSC, And GTM Work Together?
GTM allows you to implement GA4 tracking scripts and measure unique conversion events. GA4 analyzes this behavioral and transactional data, while GSC adds context on how visitors found you in search.
The central source of truth for your eCommerce store, view all your meaningful data from a customizable dashboard or mobile app. In addition to all that, the Triple Whale pixel gives you accurate first/last click attribution to help increase your ROI on ad spend.
