How to Set Up Google Analytics 4 on a Loan Affiliate Website

If you're running a loan affiliate program website, tracking your visitors is crucial. You need to know where your traffic is coming from, what pages people visit, how long they stay, and which offers convert the best. This is where Google Analytics 4 (GA4) comes in. GA4 is the latest version of Google's web analytics tool, and it gives you better insights compared to the older Universal Analytics.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to set up GA4 on your loan affiliate website in simple steps. No technical jargon, just clear instructions.

What Is Google Analytics 4?

Google Analytics 4 is the newest version of Google’s free analytics platform. Unlike the old version (Universal Analytics), GA4 is built to work across websites and mobile apps. It tracks events instead of sessions, giving you more accurate and detailed insights about what users do on your site.

For loan affiliates, GA4 can help you:

Track affiliate link clicks
See which traffic source sends you the most leads
Monitor bounce rates and user engagement
Find out which landing pages perform best

Why GA4 Is Important for Loan Affiliate Sites

If you promote offers from a loan affiliate program, such as payday or personal loans, you rely on user behavior to drive conversions. GA4 lets you analyze:

Which blog posts or pages are converting
Whether visitors are engaging with your CTAs
Which device types (mobile, desktop) are performing better
What time of day users are most active

Understanding this data helps you optimize your content and drive more revenue from affiliate leads.

Step-by-Step: How to Set Up GA4 on Your Loan Affiliate Website

Step 1: Create a Google Analytics Account

Go to analytics.google.com
Sign in with your Google account.
Click on Start Measuring.
Enter an account name, such as "Loan Affiliate Analytics".
Choose your data-sharing settings (you can leave them as default).
Click Next.

Step 2: Create a GA4 Property

Under "Property setup", enter a name like “Loan Affiliate Website GA4”.
Select your country and time zone.
Choose the currency you prefer (USD, INR, etc.).
Click Next.

Step 3: Choose Your Industry and Business Size

Choose Finance or Online Communities as your industry.
Select your business size (small, medium, or large).
Check what goals you have (e.g., measure engagement, increase conversions).
Click Create and agree to the Terms of Service.

Step 4: Set Up a Data Stream

Choose Web (since you’re tracking a website).
Enter your website URL
Give the stream a name like “Loan Affiliate Website Stream”.
Enable enhanced measurement for better tracking (page views, scrolls, outbound clicks, etc.).
Click Create Stream.

Step 5: Add GA4 to Your Website

Now that you’ve created the GA4 property and stream, it’s time to add the tracking code to your website.

If You're Using WordPress:

Option 1: Use Site Kit by Google

Install the “Site Kit by Google” plugin.
Connect your Google account.
Allow access to Analytics and select your GA4 property.
Done! GA4 is now tracking your website.

Option 2: Use Insert Headers and Footers Plugin

Go to your GA4 property > Admin > Data Stream.
Copy the Global Site Tag (gtag.js) under Tagging Instructions.
In WordPress, install the “Insert Headers and Footers” plugin.
Go to Settings > Insert Headers and Footers.
Paste the GA4 script into the Header section.
Save changes.

If You're Using HTML or Custom Website:

Copy the GA4 Global Site Tag code.
Paste it just before the </head> tag on every page of your website.
Save and upload the files.

Step 6: Verify Tracking Is Working

Go back to your GA4 dashboard.
Click Reports > Realtime.
Open your website in a new tab.
You should now see your live visit under the realtime report.

If you don’t see it, check if the tracking code is added correctly and there are no typos.

Step 7: Set Up Key Events (Like Link Clicks)

As a loan affiliate, you want to track how many users are clicking your affiliate links.

GA4 automatically tracks outbound link clicks, but you can set custom events too.

Example: Tracking Affiliate Link Clicks

Go to Admin > Events > Create Event.
Click “Create” and name your event like affiliate_click.
Set conditions:
- event_name = click
- link_url contains your affiliate domain (e.g., "leadstackmedia.com")
Click Create.

Now GA4 will track how many people clicked on your loan affiliate program links.

Step 8: Link GA4 to Google Ads or Search Console (Optional but Useful)

Go to Admin > Product Links
Connect your Google Ads or Search Console account
This helps you analyze the performance of paid traffic or organic traffic in one dashboard

Step 9: Set Up Conversions (Optional But Powerful)

If you want GA4 to treat certain actions (like affiliate clicks) as conversions:

Go to Admin > Events.
Mark your custom event (e.g., affiliate_click) as a conversion.
GA4 will now treat this as a goal, and you can measure how well your traffic converts.

Bonus Tips for Loan Affiliates

Use UTM parameters when sharing links. This helps you see exactly where leads are coming from (social, email, YouTube, etc.).
Monitor pages with highest exit rate. These pages may need content improvement.
Combine GA4 data with affiliate reports to find which traffic sources are most profitable.
Set up filters to exclude your own IP from reports.

Final Thoughts

Setting up Google Analytics 4 might seem technical, but it’s one of the best things you can do for your loan affiliate program site. It gives you powerful insights into your audience, what content works best, and how to optimize for higher conversions.

Take a little time to implement GA4 now, and you’ll gain valuable data to grow your affiliate income in the long run. Whether you're promoting personal loans, payday loans, or business financing offers, GA4 helps you make smarter, data-driven decisions.