Blog

Analytics insights from the trenches. No fluff.

GA4 + Shopify: the setup guide that Shopify's docs should have been
GA4 ·

GA4 + Shopify: the setup guide that Shopify's docs should have been

Shopify's built-in GA4 integration misses half the ecommerce events. Here's how to set it up properly with GTM.

3 tracking fixes that recovered €200K+ in hidden revenue
Case Study ·

3 tracking fixes that recovered €200K+ in hidden revenue

Three real client stories where fixing broken tracking changed business decisions. The data was there. The tracking wasn't capturing it.

Analytics maturity: where does your company actually stand?
Strategy ·

Analytics maturity: where does your company actually stand?

Most companies think they're data-driven. They're not. Here's a practical maturity model and how to figure out where you are and what to do next.

Google Tag Gateway: what it is and why it changes server-side tagging
Server-Side ·

Google Tag Gateway: what it is and why it changes server-side tagging

Google's new Tag Gateway sits between your website and sGTM. Here's what it does, how it works, and whether you should use it.

GA4 predictive audiences: how to build and activate 'likely to purchase' segments
GA4 ·

GA4 predictive audiences: how to build and activate 'likely to purchase' segments

GA4 can predict which users are likely to buy or churn. Most properties don't use this. Here's how to set it up and connect it to Google Ads.

TikTok Conversions API via server-side GTM: step-by-step
Server-Side ·

TikTok Conversions API via server-side GTM: step-by-step

TikTok's pixel has the same problems as Meta's. Here's how to set up TikTok CAPI through your existing sGTM container.

Consent mode v2: basic vs advanced — which one do you actually need?
Privacy ·

Consent mode v2: basic vs advanced — which one do you actually need?

Google says you need advanced consent mode for audience building and remarketing in the EEA. But basic mode might be enough. Here's how to decide.

How to track AI-referred traffic in GA4 (ChatGPT, Perplexity, and others)
GA4 ·

How to track AI-referred traffic in GA4 (ChatGPT, Perplexity, and others)

AI tools are sending traffic to your site and GA4 is probably classifying it wrong. Here's how to identify, track, and report on AI referrals.

GA4 + AI in 2026: Gemini insights, predictive metrics, and what actually works
GA4 ·

GA4 + AI in 2026: Gemini insights, predictive metrics, and what actually works

Google added AI everywhere in GA4. Some of it is useful. Most of it isn't. Here's what's worth your time and what to ignore.

Server-side Google Ads conversion tracking: the complete setup
Server-Side ·

Server-side Google Ads conversion tracking: the complete setup

Client-side Google Ads tags miss conversions. Here's how to set up server-side tracking through sGTM for accurate conversion data and better Smart Bidding.

Hiring your first analytics person: what to look for (and what to skip)
Strategy ·

Hiring your first analytics person: what to look for (and what to skip)

Most analytics job descriptions are wishlists for a unicorn. Here's how to hire someone who will actually improve your data.

The measurement plan: the document every analytics project needs (but nobody writes)
Strategy ·

The measurement plan: the document every analytics project needs (but nobody writes)

Before you touch GTM, before you configure GA4, you need a measurement plan. Here's the template I use and how to fill it out.

Tag governance: how to stop your tracking from becoming a dumpster fire
GTM ·

Tag governance: how to stop your tracking from becoming a dumpster fire

Without governance, every GTM container eventually becomes a mess. Here's the framework I use to keep tracking clean across teams and agencies.

What we learned migrating 50+ properties from UA to GA4
GA4 ·

What we learned migrating 50+ properties from UA to GA4

Universal Analytics is dead. But the lessons from migration are still relevant. Here are the patterns that worked and the mistakes we kept making.

Analytics for SaaS: what to track beyond signups
Strategy ·

Analytics for SaaS: what to track beyond signups

Most SaaS analytics stop at 'user signed up.' That's where the interesting data starts. Here's the measurement framework I use for SaaS clients.

How to debug tracking like a pro
GTM ·

How to debug tracking like a pro

Tag Assistant is just the beginning. Here's the full toolkit and process I use to find tracking bugs that nobody else can find.

Stop tracking everything: a sane GA4 event strategy
GA4 ·

Stop tracking everything: a sane GA4 event strategy

More events don't mean better data. Most GA4 properties are drowning in events nobody looks at. Here's how to build an event strategy that actually informs decisions.

Meta Conversions API: the setup that actually recovers your lost data
Server-Side ·

Meta Conversions API: the setup that actually recovers your lost data

Browser-side Meta pixel misses 20-40% of conversions. CAPI fills the gap. Here's how to set it up without overcomplicating things.

Cross-domain tracking in GA4: why it breaks and how to fix it
GA4 ·

Cross-domain tracking in GA4: why it breaks and how to fix it

Every time a user crosses between your domains, there's a 50/50 chance GA4 loses them. Here's how to set it up so it actually works.

GA4 ecommerce tracking: the setup guide nobody gave you
GA4 ·

GA4 ecommerce tracking: the setup guide nobody gave you

GA4 ecommerce events look simple in the docs. In practice, most implementations are missing half the data. Here's how to do it properly.

Cookie deprecation: what actually happened and what to do now
Privacy ·

Cookie deprecation: what actually happened and what to do now

Google didn't kill third-party cookies. Browsers did it anyway. Here's where we actually stand in 2026 and what it means for your tracking.

10 GA4 audiences you should be using (but probably aren't)
GA4 ·

10 GA4 audiences you should be using (but probably aren't)

GA4 audiences are one of the most powerful and most ignored features. Here are 10 that actually drive revenue when connected to Google Ads.

Your A/B tests are worthless if your analytics are broken
Strategy ·

Your A/B tests are worthless if your analytics are broken

You can't optimize what you can't measure. Most A/B testing programs are built on shaky tracking foundations, and the results reflect it.

Do you actually need a marketing data warehouse?
Strategy ·

Do you actually need a marketing data warehouse?

The honest answer is probably not yet. Here's how to tell if you're ready and what to build if you are.

The analytics audit checklist I use on every new client
GA4 ·

The analytics audit checklist I use on every new client

The exact 30-point checklist I run through before touching anything. Takes 2 hours. Saves weeks of guessing.

First-party data strategy without the buzzwords
Strategy ·

First-party data strategy without the buzzwords

Everyone says 'collect first-party data.' Nobody explains how without sounding like a Gartner report. Here's the practical version.

Your Google Ads conversion tracking is lying to you
Google Ads ·

Your Google Ads conversion tracking is lying to you

Duplicate conversions, missing attribution windows, and phantom leads. Here's how to tell if your Google Ads data is actually accurate.

How to make Looker Studio actually useful (not just pretty)
Dashboards ·

How to make Looker Studio actually useful (not just pretty)

Most Looker Studio dashboards are glorified screenshots. Here's how to build reports people actually open every week.

The data layer: what it is, why you need one, and how to not screw it up
GTM ·

The data layer: what it is, why you need one, and how to not screw it up

Your developers say they pushed to the data layer. Your marketers don't know what that means. Here's the bridge between both worlds.

Your UTM tagging is a mess (and it's ruining your reports)
Tracking ·

Your UTM tagging is a mess (and it's ruining your reports)

Inconsistent UTMs are the silent killer of marketing attribution. Here's how to fix the chaos without losing your mind.

How we increased conversions 147% by fixing tracking (not the website)
Case Study ·

How we increased conversions 147% by fixing tracking (not the website)

The client's actual conversion rate was 2.1%, not the 1.2% GA4 showed. They were losing 40% of conversions to broken tracking. The website was fine all along.

Real-time analytics are overrated (for most companies)
Strategy ·

Real-time analytics are overrated (for most companies)

I've set up real-time pipelines that nobody ever looked at in real-time. Here's when it matters and when you're wasting money.

BigQuery for marketers who don't write SQL
BigQuery ·

BigQuery for marketers who don't write SQL

You don't need to become a data engineer. You need five queries. Here's how to get real answers from your GA4 data for $0-10/month.

Consent mode v2: the compliance tax on your analytics
Privacy ·

Consent mode v2: the compliance tax on your analytics

What happens to your analytics when 40-60% of users decline cookies. How Google's behavioral modeling fills some of the gap, and whether you should trust it.

The 7 GTM mistakes I see on every audit
GTM ·

The 7 GTM mistakes I see on every audit

Last month I opened a container with 127 tags. Twelve of them were for the same Facebook pixel. Here are the seven mistakes I find every single time.

Tracking iOS users after ATT: what actually works in 2026
Privacy ·

Tracking iOS users after ATT: what actually works in 2026

If someone promises you 100% iOS tracking, they're either lying or fingerprinting. Here's what realistically works and what doesn't.

Your dashboards are beautiful and useless
Dashboards ·

Your dashboards are beautiful and useless

80% of custom dashboards get checked once and forgotten. Here's what actually gets used, with templates you can steal.

Multi-touch attribution is a lie (sort of)
Attribution ·

Multi-touch attribution is a lie (sort of)

Every attribution model tells a different story. None of them are right. Here's what I use instead after 50+ attribution projects.

Your GA4 migration is probably broken (and here's how to tell)
GA4 ·

Your GA4 migration is probably broken (and here's how to tell)

Most GA4 setups I audit are missing 40-60% of the events they think they're tracking. Here's what goes wrong and how to check yours in 10 minutes.

Server-side tagging isn't optional anymore
Server-Side ·

Server-side tagging isn't optional anymore

Browser tracking is dying. Ad blockers, ITP, and consent banners are eating 30-40% of your data. Here's what server-side tagging actually does and when it makes sense.