Bright House Media is a Marin County web agency that sets up website tracking for local businesses and nonprofits. We install and configure Google Analytics 4, Google Search Console, and Google Tag Manager, and we track the actions that matter, such as form submissions, phone calls, bookings, and sales. We then build a simple dashboard and show you how to read it. A standard setup takes one to two weeks, and an audit of an existing setup takes about a week.
We’re based in Marin County, with more than 8 years of experience in WordPress and SEO. If you’re spending money on your website or marketing and can’t tell what it produces, we can fix that.
Why Tracking Matters
Most small business owners make marketing decisions on instinct, because they have no reliable numbers. Good tracking replaces guessing with evidence.
- You learn where your leads come from: search, maps, ads, email, social, or referrals.
- You see which pages bring in inquiries, and which ones people leave.
- You find out whether an ad campaign paid for itself.
- You notice problems early, such as a form that stopped working.
- You can hold your marketing vendors, including us, to account.
Signs Your Tracking Isn’t Working
- You have Google Analytics, but nobody remembers the login.
- Reports show visits, but no leads or sales.
- Numbers dropped to zero at some point and never recovered.
- Your old Universal Analytics property was never replaced.
- Traffic looks oddly high, from places you don’t serve.
- Your ad platform and your analytics disagree wildly.
- A former employee or agency owns the account.
- You’ve never opened Search Console.
The Tools, Explained Simply
Google Analytics 4
Often called GA4, this free tool shows how many people visit your site, how they found it, what they looked at, and what they did. It replaced the older Universal Analytics in 2023, and it works quite differently.
Google Search Console
This free tool shows how your site performs in Google Search: which searches you appear for, how often people click, and whether Google has trouble reading any pages.
Google Tag Manager
This free tool is a container for tracking codes. It lets us add and adjust tracking without editing your website’s code each time.
Google Business Profile Insights
Your profile reports calls, direction requests, and website clicks from Google Maps. We include these alongside your website numbers for a fuller picture.
Our Tracking Services
Google Analytics 4 Setup
We create or repair your GA4 property, configure it properly, filter out your own visits, and connect it to your other Google tools.
Search Console Setup
We verify your site, submit your sitemap, and check for indexing and mobile problems.
Tag Manager Setup
We install a tag container and organize your tracking codes in one place.
Conversion Tracking
We define and track your key actions, so reports show results, not only visits.
Call and Form Tracking
We track taps on your phone number, form submissions, and booking clicks. For businesses that rely on calls, we can add call tracking numbers that show which source produced each call.
E-commerce Tracking
For online stores, we track product views, carts, checkouts, and revenue.
Ad Platform Tracking
We connect Google Ads and Meta ad tracking, so campaigns can be measured against real leads.
Analytics Audit
We review an existing setup, document what’s wrong, and fix it.
Dashboards and Training
We build a one-page dashboard and teach you to read it in under an hour.
What Counts as a Conversion
A conversion is any action that has value to your business. Deciding what to count is the most important step, and it’s different for each organization.
- Contractors and home services: estimate requests and phone calls
- Professional firms: consultation requests and scheduled calls
- Healthcare and wellness: appointment requests and booking clicks
- Restaurants: reservation clicks, online orders, and direction requests
- Retailers: purchases, and clicks for directions or store hours
- Nonprofits: donations, volunteer sign ups, and event registrations
- Any business: newsletter sign ups and email link clicks
We keep the list short. Tracking five meaningful actions tells you more than tracking fifty trivial ones.
Privacy, Consent, and Sensitive Data
Tracking collects information about people, and it carries responsibilities.
- Your privacy policy should name the tools you use and what they collect.
- A cookie notice or consent banner may be required, depending on your audience and business size.
- We configure tracking to respect consent choices where a banner is in place.
- We never send names, emails, or other personal details into Google Analytics, which Google’s terms prohibit.
Healthcare practices need particular care. Federal guidance has warned that common tracking tools on patient-facing pages can expose protected health information. For practices covered by HIPAA, we limit or remove tracking on sensitive pages, such as appointment and patient portal pages, and recommend discussing your setup with your compliance advisor.
California privacy law applies to some businesses and not others. We can tell you what your tools collect, but for questions about your legal duties, please consult an attorney. This is general information, not legal advice.
What Tracking Can’t Tell You
No setup is perfectly accurate, and it’s better to know the limits.
- Ad blockers and privacy browsers hide a share of visitors.
- People who decline cookies may not be counted.
- Someone who finds you on a phone, then calls from a landline, looks like two unrelated events.
- Word of mouth rarely shows up, even when it drove the search.
- Different tools count differently, so totals never match exactly.
Treat the numbers as a reliable guide to trends, not an exact count. We also suggest one simple, old-fashioned habit: ask new customers how they heard about you, and write it down.
Reports You Can Read in Five Minutes
Google Analytics 4 is powerful, and many owners find it confusing. We build a single dashboard, usually in Looker Studio, that answers a few plain questions.
- How many people visited this month, compared with last month and last year?
- Where did they come from?
- How many called, filled out a form, booked, or bought?
- Which pages and searches brought in the most leads?
- What changed, and what should we do about it?
You can check it yourself at any time, or we can send a short monthly summary with our observations.
Tracking for Local Businesses
For a Marin County business, where a visitor is matters as much as how many there are. A thousand visits from across the country are worth less than fifty from San Rafael and Mill Valley. We set up reports that show visits and leads by area, compare map and website activity, and separate real local interest from noise and spam traffic.
Tracking and Your Marketing
Good measurement makes every other effort more effective. It shows which SEO work is paying off, which ads to stop, and which pages need rewriting. If you’d like help acting on the numbers, see our search engine optimization services and our SEO audit for Marin County businesses.
Site Speed and Tracking Scripts
Every tracking code adds weight to your pages. Over the years, many sites collect scripts from tools nobody uses anymore. As part of our setup, we remove what’s obsolete and load what remains efficiently, so measurement doesn’t slow your site.
Our Process
1. Discovery
We learn what a lead or sale looks like for you, and what you want to know.
2. Audit
We review your existing accounts, access, and tracking codes.
3. Plan
We agree on the short list of actions to track.
4. Set Up
We configure Analytics, Search Console, and Tag Manager, and build conversion tracking.
5. Test
We test every tracked action, and confirm the numbers are recording correctly.
6. Report and Train
We build your dashboard and walk you through it.
You Own Your Accounts
Your analytics accounts should belong to your business, not to an agency or an employee. We set up everything under an account you control, and add ourselves as a user. If we ever stop working together, your data and history stay with you. If a past vendor holds your accounts, we help you regain access where possible.
Why Choose Bright House Media?
- Based in Marin County, and happy to meet in person
- More than 8 years of experience in WordPress and SEO
- Plain-English explanations, with no jargon
- Careful attention to privacy and sensitive data
- Tracking, website, and SEO handled by one partner
- Accounts set up in your name
We work with clients throughout Marin, including San Rafael, Novato, Mill Valley, Sausalito, Larkspur, Corte Madera, San Anselmo, Fairfax, and Tiburon.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who sets up Google Analytics in Marin County?
Bright House Media sets up Google Analytics 4, Search Console, Tag Manager, and conversion tracking for Marin County businesses, with a simple dashboard and training.
Is Google Analytics free?
Yes. Google Analytics 4, Search Console, and Tag Manager are free. Our fee covers setup, configuration, and training.
What is conversion tracking?
Conversion tracking records the actions that matter to your business, such as form submissions, phone calls, bookings, and purchases.
How long does setup take?
A standard setup takes one to two weeks. An audit of an existing setup takes about a week.
What happened to my old Google Analytics data?
Universal Analytics stopped collecting data in 2023, and Google has since deleted that historical data. GA4 starts fresh from the date it was installed.
Do I need a cookie banner?
It depends on your audience, your business size, and the tools you use. We can explain what your site collects, but you should consult an attorney about your obligations.
Can you track phone calls?
Yes. We track taps on your phone number, and can add call tracking numbers that show which source produced each call.
Is website tracking accurate?
It’s a reliable guide to trends, not an exact count. Ad blockers, declined cookies, and cross-device visits all hide some activity.
How much does analytics setup cost?
Pricing depends on the number of actions to track and the tools involved. Contact us for a free consultation and quote.
Know What’s Working
Ready to see where your leads come from? Contact Bright House Media for a free consultation.
- Email: info@brighthousemedia.org
- Phone: (415) 450-5490