Welcome to another episode of Auto Marketing Now, with Brian Pasch, founder of PCG Companies and auto marketing expert, who continues delivering insight into merging customer data platforms (CDP), customer relationship management (CRM), and digital retailing tools. In this edition, Pasch tackles Google’s latest analytics update (GA4) and aids dealers in accurately configuring their accounts.
Google’s fourth-generation analytics (GA4) was initially launched in October 2020; however, dealers didn’t implement the technology until July 2023. Pasch asserts, “Never before have I seen this large of an outcry for ‘help’ from dealers trying to configure their GA4 accounts.” Therefore, in this two-part series, Pasch outlines the steps he curated for dealers to configure their own accounts easily.
Key Takeaways:
1. To ensure you’re following along and getting the proper information your dealership might need, scan each QR code as it appears on the screen.
2. In the first segment of the series, Pasch will walk through a comprehensive, step-by-step checklist that will simplify the configuration of your GA4 and guarantee that your dealership stores meet the requirements set out by the Automotive Standards Council (ASC).
Step 1: Download the Google spreadsheet checklist.
Step 2: Know your measurement ID for each store.
Step 3: Find and gather your stores’ measurement ID data. If you don’t know how to, this step will also show you.
Step 4: Continue filling out the spreadsheet and list how many ASC events are listed.
3. GA4 accounts ingest the events on your website, but it’s crucial to remember that they make up a tiny fraction of your total event count.
Step 5: Dealer.com expects your dealer to create its own GA4 account, while other websites will build it for you, leaving you solely responsible for obtaining your measurement ID.
Step 6: Inspect which events are firing into GA4 accounts that comply with the ASC.
4. Pasch notes, “A robust website should have over 20 ASC events in their accounts.”
Step 7: If you’re not seeing events, you need to email each vendor outlining each store’s measurement ID and to please begin sending out events.
5. When you are clear with your vendor, populating your events typically takes one to two days.
“It’s impossible to analyze your Google ad campaigns without setting up your GA4 properly.” – Brian Pasch
