Track Landscaping Leads From Your Website With GA4 [Guide]

Google Analytics 4 (GA4) isn’t limited to big companies with in-house marketing teams. If you’re a landscaper who wants to know:

• Where leads come from
• Which services drive calls
• How to grow your business online

…then GA4 is for you, too. Think of it like a job site scoreboard: it tracks every call, form fill, and email so you know which services bring in the most work.

This guide walks you through setting up GA4 with Google Tag Manager (GTM) step by step, plus landscaper-specific tips, common pitfalls to avoid, and ideas for turning your data into new jobs.

 

Step 1: Create Your GA4 Account

1. Log into analytics.google.com.
2. Click the blue gear icon in the bottom left corner (the Admin button).
3. Go to Admin > Create Account > Create Property.
4. Name it something clear (ex: “Green Valley Landscaping GA4”).
5. Fill in details:
   1. Property name
   2. Time zone
   3. Currency

Why it matters: This creates the foundation for tracking every visitor.

Step 2: Answer Google’s Setup Questions

• During property creation, Google will ask:
  • Industry Category: Choose “Home & Garden.”
  • Business Size: Make your best guess.
  • How do you intend to use Google Analytics? Check boxes like:
    • Measure customer engagement
    • Increase my conversions
    • Measure lead generation
    • Optimize my site experience
    • Measure data across multiple devices or platforms
    • (Add “Analyze my online sales” if you sell mulch, soil, or plants online)

Why it matters: These selections don’t change your tracking, but they give you starter reports that match your goals.

Step 3: Add a Data Stream

• Go to Property > Data Streams > Web.
• Enter your website URL and name.
• Copy the Measurement ID (you’ll paste this into GTM).

Pro tip: Name it clearly, like “Green Valley Landscaping Website,” so you always know what you’re tracking.

Step 4: Connect GA4 to GTM

• Log in to Google Tag Manager.
• Go to Tags > New > GA4 Configuration.
• Paste your Measurement ID.
• Set trigger to All Pages.
• Save and publish.

Quick win: This single step starts tracking every pageview across your site.

Advanced: Exclude internal traffic so your crew’s website visits don’t inflate your numbers.

 

 

Step 5: Set Up Lead Tracking (AKA Events)

Website traffic is nice, but it doesn’t book jobs. Leads do. Use GTM to create GA4 Event Tags for:

• Phone Clicks
  • Event: phone_click
  • Trigger: links starting with tel:
  • Example: Tracking “Call Now” clicks on your Lawn Care page.
• Emails
  • Event: email_click
  • Trigger: links starting with mailto:
  • Example: Tracking commercial bid requests by email.
• Form Submissions
  • Event: form_submit
  • Trigger: by form ID, thank-you page, or “thank you” message visibility
  • Example: Tracking sod installation quote requests.

Pre-built landscaper events you can copy:

• sod_quote_form
• irrigation_call_click
• hardscape_gallery_view
• Lawn_care_email_click

 

Step 6: Mark Key Events in GA4

• In GA4: Admin > Events.
• Toggle your new events (phone_click, form_submit, etc.) as Key Events.

Why it matters: GA4 will now highlight these conversions so you know exactly how many new leads came from your website.

Step 7: Test and Debug

• In GTM, use Preview Mode to submit a test form or click your phone link.
• In GA4, check Realtime and DebugView to confirm events fire.

Watch out for these common pitfalls:

• Forgetting to make phone numbers clickable (no tel: = no tracking).
• Not publishing changes in GTM after creating tags.
• Relying only on traffic instead of leads.

Step 8: Extend Data Retention

By default, GA4 only keeps event data for 2 months. Change it:

• Admin > Data Settings > Data Retention → set to 14 months.

Why it matters: Compare busy seasons year over year (last spring vs. this spring).

Step 9: Build a Landscaping Dashboard

In Looker Studio, connect GA4 and create a simple landscaper dashboard showing:

• Total visitors this month
• Top service pages (Sod Installation, Fertilization, Outdoor Kitchens)
• Leads: calls, forms, emails

Example landscaper dashboard snapshot:

• Visitors: 1,200 in June
• Top pages: Sod Installation (300), Lawn Fertilization (250), Outdoor Kitchens (200)
• Leads: 40 phone calls, 15 quote requests, 10 emails
• Most leads came from Service Area pages in [City]

 

Step 10: Connect GA4 to Search Console

Link GA4 with Google Search Console to see which keywords bring traffic (ex: “landscape design [city],” “lawn care near me”).

 

Wrap-Up

Setting up GA4 with GTM gives you the power to measure what matters most: phone calls, form fills, and new landscaping jobs. It helps you see which services, pages, and cities generate real business.

But remember: GA4 is only the scoreboard. If you want to win more jobs, you need a strategy that puts your landscaping business in front of more people on Google and AI-powered search results.

And if you want someone to set up, manage, and report on your GA4 data so you can stay focused on the jobs that bring in revenue, let’s talk. We love helping landscapers get more leads. Apply for a free SEO audit to see if we’d be a good fit!

FAQs and Troubleshooting

Do I need Google Tag Manager to use GA4?

Technically, no—you can paste the GA4 code directly into your site. But GTM makes it easier to add, edit, and manage tags without touching code.

How long does it take to set up GA4?

Basic setup takes less than an hour. Tracking events and testing may take longer depending on your forms.

Will GA4 show me how people found my website?

Yes. GA4 shows whether visitors came from Google search, ads, social, or directly. With Search Console linked, you’ll also see keywords.

Can GA4 track leads from my Google Business Profile (map pack)?

Not directly. Use Google Business Profile Insights for map pack leads, and GA4 for website leads. Together, they show the full picture. You can also use a URL with a UTM code for any links or buttons in your GBP posts to identify that a click came from there. 

Why do my GA4 numbers look different than Universal Analytics?

GA4 tracks users and events differently. Focus on conversions (calls, forms, emails) instead of trying to match old reports.

Do I need to check GA4 every day?

No. Most landscapers review it monthly. Use it to spot seasonal trends and measure leads, not to micromanage daily traffic.

What if I have multiple locations?

You can track them under one property with events by location, or create separate properties for each.

Can GA4 help with AI search results?

Yes! And you can use your Looker Studio dashboard to keep track of it. Here’s the quick rundown for tracking AI/LLM results in Looker Studio:

• Duplicate whatever chart you’re using for organic results.  
• Go to page settings to increase the height of the page to make room.
• Remove organic traffic filter and add new filter for “LLM Traffic”
• Include “Session source / medium” with RegExp Match. Copy this:
• ^*\.openai.*|.*copilot.*|.*chatgpt.*|.*gemini.*|.*gpt.*|.*neeva.*|.*writesonic.*|.*nimble.*|.*perplexity.*|.*google.*bard.*|.*bard.*google.*|.*bard.*|.*edgeservices.*|.*bnngpt.*|.*gemini.*google.*$
• Done!

Who should have access to my GA4 account?

At least one owner at your business plus your SEO/marketing team. Always keep ownership of your own data.

Can GA4 tell me which zip codes or neighborhoods my leads come from?

GA4 tracks city-level location. For zip codes, ask for that info in your forms and match it to GA4 data.

Can I track calls from my service trucks or yard signs?

Not directly. Use a unique call tracking number for offline ads, then connect that data to GA4.

Can I see if my “Get a Free Estimate” button is working?

Yes. With GTM, track button clicks as events and mark them as Key Events.

Will GA4 show if people who filled out a form became paying customers?

Not by itself. GA4 shows the form submission, but you’ll need your CRM to connect it to actual jobs booked.

My business is seasonal. Can GA4 help me compare year to year?

Yes. Set data retention to 14 months and compare busy seasons (spring vs. spring, winter vs. winter).

What if most of my leads come from phone calls, not forms?

That’s common for landscapers. GA4 + GTM tracks phone clicks. Pair it with a call tracking system for deeper reporting.

Can GA4 tell me if blog posts bring in leads?

Yes. You’ll see which posts get traffic and whether visitors from those posts go on to call or fill out a form.