Check That Your Website Has Google Analytics Installed

Google Analytics (GA4) is one of the most powerful tools for understanding how people find and use your website. It helps you track visitor behaviour, measure traffic sources, and evaluate the success of your SEO efforts.

Before you can make data-driven decisions, you need to make sure GA4 is properly installed and tracking on every page of your site.

Why this matters

Measure performance: GA4 tells you how visitors are arriving at your site (search, social, ads, referrals) and which pages are performing best.
Track conversions: You can set up goals to track leads, purchases, or sign-ups.
Evaluate SEO: Without Analytics, you can’t see whether your SEO improvements are working.
Improve user experience: Analysing user paths helps identify where people drop off or stay engaged.

If GA4 isn’t installed correctly, you won’t collect accurate data — or any data at all.

The tool we’ll use

We’ll use a free online checker:
👉 SEOptimer Google Analytics Checker

Step-by-step instructions

Go to https://www.seoptimer.com/google-analytics-checker
Enter your website URL (e.g. https://yourbusiness.com).
Click Check Analytics.
Wait a few seconds for the tool to scan your site.
Review the results:
If it says Google Analytics is detected, great — GA4 is installed.
If it says No tracking code found, then GA4 is not active on your site.
Record the result in your SEO Training Log.

Apply this to your own website

If GA4 is detected:
- Double-check that the tracking ID shown matches your account in Google Analytics Admin → Property Settings.
- Ensure it’s installed site-wide (check a few different pages).
If GA4 is not detected:
- Log in to your Google Analytics account at https://analytics.google.com
- Create a GA4 property if you haven’t already.
- Add the tracking code to your website (WordPress users can use plugins such as Site Kit by Google or GA Google Analytics).
- Re-run the SEOptimer test to confirm installation.

Google’s Guide to setting up GA4: https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/9304153?hl=en

Common issues to watch for

Old tracking code: Some sites still use the older “Universal Analytics” code (UA-XXXX). GA4 uses a “G-” code format. Only GA4 is supported after 2023.
Installed on some pages but not all: Your tracking code needs to appear on every page, especially if you use multiple templates.
Double tracking: Having both UA and GA4 installed at once can cause duplicate or confusing data.
Tag managers: If you use Google Tag Manager, ensure the container is published and the GA4 tag is firing correctly.

Google Analytics: GA4 vs Universal Analytics (UA)

Use this quick guide to identify which version of Google Analytics your website is using. GA4 is the current version and must be installed for accurate tracking. Universal Analytics (UA) stopped processing new data in 2023.

GA4 (Google Analytics 4)	Universal Analytics (UA)
Tracking ID starts with ‘G-XXXXXXX’	Tracking ID starts with ‘UA-XXXXXXX’
Uses event-based tracking (all actions are events)	Uses session-based tracking (pageviews, goals, etc.)
Supports automatic cross-platform tracking (web + app)	Tracks web sessions only
Modern reporting dashboard with new metrics (Engagement Rate, etc.)	Older reporting interface with Bounce Rate and classic metrics
Implemented via gtag.js or Google Tag Manager	Implemented via analytics.js or gtag.js (older setup)
Actively supported and required for all tracking going forward	Deprecated — no longer processes data after July 2023

Tip: Check your site’s tracking code or Google Tag Manager. If you see ‘UA-‘ in your tracking ID, you need to migrate to GA4. Use https://www.seoptimer.com/google-analytics-checker to confirm which version your site is using.