Google Analytics Audit Test #

118

Have a QA Process Defined

Why It Matters:

Critical to the basic function of marketing analytics and the capability to answer any marketing question.

Industries:

All

Checks For:

Utility

How powerful is your current implementation?

Insight Category:

Attribution

Can you tell which marketing efforts are working?

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Background

A GA4 audit is essential for uncovering missing insights—key data points that organizations don't yet know and can act upon. A well-done audit evaluates both behavioral tracking and traffic attribution, ensuring each is accurate and useful. It also assesses whether the data collected truly supports business decisions and reporting.

Test Detail

This test checks whether your organization has a defined and repeatable QA (Quality Assurance) process for tracking changes—such as new event implementations, tag updates, or property-level changes in Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, or related tools.

Without a clear QA process, you risk:

  • Broken or duplicate tracking
  • Misfiring events or missing data
  • Inflated metrics due to testing traffic or misconfigured logic
  • A loss of trust in analytics across teams

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Google Analytics audit test results.

How to Conduct This Test

Basic Tests

  • Ask:
    • Is there a written, repeatable QA process in place?
    • Who reviews new tags or changes before they go live?
    • Are changes tested in a staging environment first?
    • Is DebugView or Tag Assistant used consistently?
  • In GTM, check for:
    • Environments or workspaces being used for staging and review
    • Proper version notes and approval flows
  • In Google Analytics, review:
    • Audit logs (if using GA 360) for unexpected changes
    • The consistency of data after deployments
  • Interview dev, marketing, or analytics teams to see if QA is structured or ad hoc

Automated, Free Audit

Not sure if your tracking changes are being validated before launch? Run our Instant Audit

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How To Fix

  • Create a standard QA checklist for any analytics or tag deployment, including:
    • Pre-deployment testing (e.g., in staging or sandbox)
    • Validation using Google Analytics DebugView, Tag Assistant, or BigQuery
    • Testing across device types and browsers
    • Validation of parameter structure, firing conditions, and deduplication logic
  • Use collaboration tools (e.g., Asana, Notion, Jira) to track QA sign-off before publishing
  • Build and use Google Tag Manager environments for testing and approve changes through a version control process
  • Document who is responsible for QA and how success is measured
  • Hire a pro to build a robust QA process that protects your data and ensures every launch has full tracking integrity.

Tips from a Google Analytics Consultant

Focus on Insights

Every Google Analytics audit should result in a plan for more insights.

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An insight is:

  • something you don't know
  • and can act on to improve performance

The Goal

Identify and remove insight blockers. Don't get tempted to track things you can't act on!

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