Google Analytics is complicated, and really it's overkill for most websites.
You just want to get some simple insights on visitors, but you get lost in the complexity. To make matters worse, from July 2023 Google is forcing you to move to the even more complicated GA4.
Yes, you can argue that GA is free. That may be, but think about the time and frustration it's costing you. It's also been ruled kind of illegal in Europe.
So instead, I recommend you try Fathom Analytics. It's far easier to use and understand, with the added benefit of being far more ethical. It's not free, but their fees are a small price for some huge upsides.
Fathom is cookie-free, GDPR compliant and privacy-first. Google isn’t.
NO confusing reams of data
NO complicated interface
NO need for cookie warnings
NO heavy code to slow your site
NO data monetized by big tech
Only the important metrics
Privacyfocussed approach
Higher accuracy of data
Simple to use & set up
Single page dashboard