Measure and analyze everything in WordPress with the best plugins

If you have a WordPress website and want to know what’s happening on it — who visits, what they do, whether they convert or not — you’ll need to measure. And to do that, you’ll almost certainly end up using a plugin. In this post, we explain why, how, and with what tools.

Why do you need to track in WordPress?

WordPress does not include built-in web analytics tools. That means you can’t know how many users visit, which pages they view, or whether they’ve filled out a form — let alone purchased a product or requested a service. For all of this, you’ll need external tools such as Google Analytics 4 (GA4) or Google Tag Manager (GTM).

What options do you have for integrating these tools?

There are basically two methods:

• Insert the code directly into the source code (for example, by editing header.php)
• Use a plugin to handle it for you

The first option requires technical knowledge and can be risky. That’s why most users opt for plugins, which simplify the process and allow for more flexible integration.

Viewing metrics inside or outside of WordPress

Some plugins let you see the data directly within the WordPress dashboard, while others only serve to connect your website with external platforms like GA4 or GTM.

Which option is better? Most professionals prefer to analyze outside WordPress, because GA4 offers far more possibilities: creating custom events, viewing funnels, comparing marketing channels, and more.

Advantages of using Google Analytics 4

• Automatically collects data (users, sessions, page views…)
• Allows you to define custom conversions
• Supports UTM links
• Integrates with Google Ads, SEO, social campaigns, and more
• Enables custom reports

Downside? The learning curve can be steep at first.

Best Google Analytics and Tag Manager plugins for WordPress

What if I don’t want to use Google?

There is life beyond Google. Tools like Matomo, Piwik PRO, or Mixpanel offer privacy-focused analytics and can also be integrated with WordPress.

Plugins to view stats from WordPress (without using GA4)

If you prefer not to rely on Google or your site is very simple, there are plugins that display basic stats directly in WordPress:

• JetPack (Stats module)
• WP Statistics
• Koko Analytics

They’re not as powerful, but they can be enough for personal or very small websites.

Before installing any plugin: three key steps

1. Define what counts as a conversion for your business (forms, leads, sales...)
2. Decide what you want to analyze: channels, campaigns, types of users…
3. Set up the plugin properly to ensure it correctly tracks conversions

Conclusion

If you want to make data-driven decisions, integrating GA4 or GTM with your WordPress site is not optional — it’s essential. The good news is that today you have many tools to do it without hassle.

Is your website complex or commercially oriented? Then don’t hesitate: use GA4 + Google Tag Manager and a solid plugin to manage it.

And if you’re not sure where to start, at La Teva Web we can help you measure like a pro.