IS GOOGLE ANALYTICS FREE?

At Lillian Purge, we specialise in Local SEO Services and have developed comprehensive guidance on whether you can use Google Analytics for free so you have clear expectations about platform costs and features before you set up tracking.

Google Analytics is one of the most widely used tools in digital marketing, providing powerful insights into how people find and interact with your website. For small businesses and local marketers, it’s often the first step in understanding online performance. The big question many ask is: is Google Analytics free? The short answer is yes, but there’s more to it than that. While Google Analytics offers a generous free version, there’s also a paid enterprise-level version called Google Analytics 360. Understanding what’s free and what isn’t will help you make the right choice for your business.

What Google Analytics Does

Google Analytics is a tracking and reporting platform that collects data about website traffic, user behaviour, and conversions. It shows where visitors come from, how they interact with your content, and whether they complete valuable actions such as filling out a form or making a purchase.

For local businesses, it’s particularly useful for:

• Tracking how many people find your site through Google Search or Maps

• Understanding which local keywords and pages bring the most visits

• Measuring phone call or form submissions from local traffic

• Evaluating which marketing campaigns generate the best ROI

By analysing this data, businesses can make informed decisions about SEO, advertising, and user experience.

The Free Version of Google Analytics

The standard version of Google Analytics (currently Google Analytics 4, or GA4) is completely free to use. It gives you access to a wide range of features including:

• Real-time traffic monitoring

• Audience demographics and device data

• Source and medium tracking (e.g. organic search, direct, social)

• Conversion event tracking

• Integration with Google Ads and Search Console

• Cross-device and user journey analysis

There’s no charge to sign up, no subscription fees, and no limits on how long you can use it. This makes it accessible for startups, small businesses, and marketing agencies alike.

However, while the platform is free, there are indirect costs to consider. Setting it up correctly, interpreting the data, and maintaining reports often require time, skill, or professional support.

The Paid Version: Google Analytics 360

For large organisations, Google offers a premium version called Google Analytics 360, part of the Google Marketing Platform. This version provides additional enterprise-level benefits such as:

• Advanced data sampling thresholds for more accurate reports

• Higher data limits (up to billions of hits per month)

• Dedicated customer support and account management

• Integration with advanced marketing tools like BigQuery and Display & Video 360

• Service Level Agreements (SLAs) guaranteeing uptime and data accuracy

Analytics 360 costs tens of thousands of pounds per year and is designed for major brands with complex marketing operations, not small businesses.

For most local companies, the free GA4 platform is more than sufficient for everyday SEO, content, and advertising insights.

What You Get for Free

Even without paying for Analytics 360, the free version offers exceptional value. You can:

• Track organic traffic from Google Search to see which pages attract local customers

• Monitor visitor locations to understand which areas your marketing reaches

• Analyse user journeys from landing to checkout or enquiry

• Set up event tracking for calls, form submissions, or clicks on directions

• Combine Analytics data with Search Console to see keyword performance

When configured properly, these features reveal exactly how your website contributes to your business goals.

Setting Up Google Analytics for Free

Setting up the free version of Google Analytics is straightforward.

1. Create a Google Account if you don’t already have one.

2. Visit analytics.google.com and create a new property for your website.

3. Install the tracking code on your website, either manually or through a tag manager.

4. Enable enhanced measurement features to automatically track key events.

5. Link Analytics to Google Search Console and Google Ads for deeper insights.

Once installed, Analytics begins collecting data within minutes. Over time, you’ll build a clear picture of how visitors find and use your site.

Understanding GA4: The Latest Free Version

Google Analytics 4 is the latest evolution of the platform, replacing Universal Analytics. GA4 uses an event-based tracking model rather than session-based data, allowing more flexibility in measuring modern user behaviour.

Key benefits include:

• Cross-platform tracking for websites and mobile apps

• AI-driven insights and predictive analytics

• Improved privacy and consent controls

• Automatic event tracking for basic user interactions

These upgrades make GA4 more advanced than previous versions, even in the free tier. However, it can feel complex at first, which is why many businesses seek expert setup and training.

Hidden Costs to Consider

While Google Analytics is free, there are a few potential costs involved in getting the most from it.

• Implementation time: Setting up tracking properly can take several hours, especially for ecommerce or multi-location businesses.

• Custom tracking: Adding events for calls, form fills, or button clicks may require a developer or marketing specialist.

• Analysis and reporting: Turning raw data into actionable insights requires experience and consistent review.

• Training: GA4’s new interface and event model take time to learn.

These costs are often minimal compared with the value of accurate data, but they should be factored in for realistic budgeting.

Why Small Businesses Should Use It

For small and local businesses, the free version of Google Analytics is a powerful competitive advantage. It helps you:

• Measure which local SEO tactics actually drive customers

• Identify underperforming pages and fix them

• Track conversions from organic traffic or Google Maps

• Justify marketing spend with clear data

By using Analytics alongside Local SEO, you can target the right audiences, refine your messaging, and ensure your website generates real business results.

Alternatives to Google Analytics

While Google Analytics is the industry standard, there are alternative tools such as Matomo, Plausible, and Fathom that offer privacy-focused tracking options. These may suit businesses that prefer to avoid Google’s ecosystem or need to comply with stricter data regulations.

However, none offer the same level of integration with Google Search, Ads, or Maps, which makes Analytics the most practical choice for most UK businesses.

Getting the most value from Google Analytics requires more than simply installing the tracking code and checking visitor numbers. When used strategically, Analytics can reveal how customers interact with your website, which marketing efforts drive real results, and where to focus your resources for growth. By setting up key tracking elements, reviewing performance regularly, and integrating with other tools, you can transform Analytics into a powerful business decision-making platform.

Set Up Conversion Tracking from Day One

The first and most important step is to set up conversion tracking as soon as Analytics is installed. Conversions represent meaningful actions that contribute to your business goals, such as completing a purchase, submitting a contact form, signing up for a newsletter, or booking an appointment. Without tracking these actions, you’re essentially flying blind.

In Google Analytics 4, you can mark specific events as conversions directly in the admin panel. Make sure every stage of your customer journey, add to cart, checkout, and purchase—is properly tracked. For service-based businesses, set up form submissions or phone clicks as conversion events. Starting this process early gives you historical data to measure growth and ROI over time.

Regularly Review Top Landing Pages and Traffic Sources

Your top landing pages are often your first impression on visitors. Monitoring how these pages perform helps you understand what attracts users and where improvements are needed. Review metrics such as bounce rate, engagement time, and conversion rate for each landing page to identify trends.

Pay attention to which traffic sources drive visitors to these pages, organic search, paid ads, social media, or referrals. If certain sources generate higher conversion rates, consider allocating more marketing budget toward them. Conversely, if a page has high traffic but low engagement, it may need better content, design improvements, or faster load times.

Create Dashboards and Custom Reports for Key KPIs

Analytics contains a huge amount of data, but without focus, it can be overwhelming. Custom dashboards or reports allow you to track key performance indicators (KPIs) specific to your business goals.

For eCommerce businesses, useful KPIs might include conversion rate, revenue per user, and cart abandonment rate. For service-based companies, you might focus on lead generation metrics such as form completions or quote requests.

Tools like Looker Studio (formerly Data Studio) can pull data directly from Google Analytics and present it in an easy-to-read, visual format. These dashboards make it simple to share insights with your team or clients, ensuring everyone stays aligned on performance goals.

Use Annotations to Record Campaigns and Key Changes

Annotations are one of the simplest but most valuable features in Analytics. They allow you to record notes directly on your timeline, marking important dates such as campaign launches, website redesigns, product releases, or technical fixes.

These records provide valuable context when analysing performance data. For example, if you notice a sudden spike in traffic or a drop in conversions, annotations help you identify whether a new campaign or site update might be the cause. By keeping a detailed record of marketing and technical activities, you can interpret your data more accurately and make better decisions.

Integrate Analytics with Google Search Console

Integrating Analytics with Google Search Console gives you a more complete view of your SEO performance. Search Console data shows how users find your site through Google, including impressions, clicks, and average rankings for each keyword. When linked with Analytics, you can see how this search traffic behaves once it lands on your site.

This connection bridges the gap between SEO and user experience. For example, you can discover which keywords drive the most engaged visitors or which landing pages have high impressions but low click-through rates. With these insights, you can refine your content strategy, improve meta tags, and increase visibility where it matters most.

Turn Analytics into a Strategic Tool, Not Just a Reporting Platform

The true value of Google Analytics lies in its ability to guide strategy, not just report numbers. Use your data to identify opportunities for growth, detect weak points in the customer journey, and validate marketing decisions.

For instance, if your data shows strong mobile engagement but lower desktop conversions, this could indicate checkout usability issues on larger screens. If a particular blog post consistently brings organic traffic, consider expanding on that topic or adding calls-to-action to convert readers into customers.

Analytics is most powerful when paired with action. Regularly review reports, share findings with your team, and adjust your approach based on data trends. Over time, these insights help you build smarter campaigns, increase efficiency, and grow your business sustainably.

Summary

Google Analytics is free to use for almost all businesses, making it one of the most valuable tools in digital marketing. While a paid enterprise version exists, the standard GA4 platform offers everything most local and ecommerce businesses need to track performance and optimise strategy. The real investment lies not in money, but in time and understanding.

If you want to get more value from your data or ensure your analytics are set up correctly, Lillian Purge can help. We specialise in Local SEO and performance tracking that turns analytics insights into real growth.

We have also written in depth articles on How to Create Google Analytics Account and What is Google Analytics as well as our Google Analytics Hub to give you further guidance.