Go to analytics.google.com and sign in with a Google account that has admin access. Click 'Start measuring' (or 'Admin' if you already have properties). You'll see three setup steps: Account creation, Property creation, and Data stream setup. For the account, enter a name (usually your company name), select data sharing settings (recommended to enable all unless you have privacy concerns), and click Next. Each Google account can hold up to 100 Analytics accounts, so use one account per business or major division. For the property, enter a property name (like 'Main Website' or 'Ottawa SEO Portfolio'), set your reporting time zone to Eastern for Canadian businesses, select CAD as currency, and choose GA4 as the property type. Universal Analytics is deprecated as of July 2023, so you only get GA4 now. Click Next. For the data stream, select Web, App, or both. For websites, enter your URL and stream name. GA4 generates a Measurement ID starting with 'G-'. Copy this ID and install it via Google Tag Manager (preferred method we use at Ottawa SEO), or paste the gtag.js code directly into your site's header before the closing </head> tag. WordPress users can use plugins like Site Kit by Google or insert code via theme settings. Key settings to configure immediately: Enable Enhanced Measurement (auto-tracks scrolls, outbound clicks, site search, video engagement, and file downloads), set up conversions for form submissions or purchases, and link to Google Search Console if you haven't already. Create a separate GA4 property for staging environments to avoid polluting production data. Verification takes 24-48 hours to show meaningful data. Check the Realtime report immediately after installation to confirm the tag fires. If you manage multiple domains in a portfolio like we do, consider using a single account with separate properties per domain, or one property with different data streams if sites share conversion goals.