Google Tag Manager makes it relatively easy to set up custom GA4 events to track specific user interactions on a website.
One of the most useful things to track is link clicks.
GA4 already automatically tracks some click activity when Enhanced Measurement is enabled, such as outbound clicks. However, that does not mean every important internal link click is automatically tracked in the way you need.
For example, if you want to know how users interact with a website’s main navigation, mega menu, footer links, product filters, CTA links, or other internal components, you will usually need a more intentional tracking setup.
That is where GTM is useful.
This article examines how custom link-click tracking can help evaluate user behavior within a navigation menu.
The goal is not just to count clicks. The goal is to understand whether the way links are arranged on the website matches up with how users actually interact with them.
For example, if a navigation menu is not ordered alphabetically, then the order is probably intentional. The business may place the most important categories at the top of the list, or the most profitable collections in the most visible positions.
That makes sense, but it is still an assumption.
Tracking navigation clicks allows us to compare that assumption against real user behavior.
In this example, I wanted to see how people interact with the main navigation on an e-commerce website. Specifically, I wanted to know which navigation links received the most clicks and whether that matched the order in which the links appeared visually.
In general, when links are arranged vertically, users are more likely to notice and click links near the top of the list. Because of that, the most important or most popular links often deserve stronger placement.
Of course, click data should not be the only factor in navigation decisions. Merchandising priorities, profit margins, inventory, seasonality, branding, and user expectations all matter too. However, click tracking gives us an important behavioral signal.
For this website, I set up custom GA4 events to track clicks on the following navigation areas:
1st Level Menu Links
To the left is the actual order of the first-level menu items in the mobile menu.
To the right is the number of clicks each first-level menu link received during the selected date range.
The numbers in red represent a possible order based on click volume.
For example, Engagement received the most clicks, so it is marked as number 1.
Diamonds received the second-highest number of clicks, so it is marked as number 2, and so on.
In a perfect world, the menu order would match the order of user interest. The most-clicked item would be first, the second-most-clicked item would be second, and so on.
Of course, real navigation decisions are rarely that simple. A business may intentionally place a link higher because it is strategically important, even if it does not receive the most clicks.
Another link may be placed lower because it is less profitable, seasonal, or less important to the brand.
Still, this comparison is useful because it shows whether the menu order is broadly aligned with user behavior.
Conclusion:
Although the order is not perfectly aligned, the four most-clicked links appear near the top of the list.
That is a good sign. It suggests that the client’s main mobile navigation is reasonably aligned with users' needs.
Well done, client.
Organic Diamonds List - Mobile
Next, I looked at the Organic Diamonds section of the mobile mega menu.
In this section, users can choose different diamond shapes.
Here, the client’s expectations aligned very well with user behavior. Round-shaped diamonds appear at the top of the list visually and received the most clicks.
That makes sense. Round diamonds are among the most popular diamond shapes, so it is reasonable for them to have a strong placement in the menu.
However, there is a potential mismatch with Oval and Emerald.
In the click data, Oval and Emerald appear to receive more attention than some links placed above them. If those clicks remain consistent over a longer period, it may be worth testing whether Oval and Emerald should be moved higher in the list.
For example, they could potentially appear above less-clicked items such as Pearl or Cushion, depending on business priorities.
Conclusion:
The top item is perfectly aligned with click behavior, but there may be an opportunity to reorder some of the middle items.
This does not mean the menu must be changed immediately. It means the client now has evidence to support a discussion or test.
Engagement Settings - Mobile
The Engagement Settings section shows a very strong match between link order and click behavior.
The top links in the menu are also the links users click most often.
That is exactly what we want to see.
When a navigation section is ordered by business importance, product popularity, or user demand, the click data should ideally confirm that the strongest links are near the top.
In this case, the menu order appears to be doing its job.
I crossed out the Shop All Settings link because raw click volume is not the only thing we should consider.
“Shop All” or “See All” links are often useful, but they usually work best at the bottom of a list. They serve a different purpose from specific category links. A user who knows what they want may click a specific style. A user who wants to browse everything may use the Shop All link.
So even if a Shop All link receives clicks, that does not automatically mean it should be moved to the top.
Conclusion:
This section is very well aligned. The order of links in the Engagement Settings menu matches the order of user clicks almost perfectly.
Wedding Bands - Mobile
The Wedding Bands section also shows strong alignment between link order and user behavior.
The first three positions match the top three clicked links.
That is a very good sign. It suggests that the people managing the website either know the business very well, have looked at similar analytics before, or have simply arranged the menu to match customer intent.
Positions 4 and 5 could potentially be switched if the goal is to match click volume exactly.
However, this is a minor point. The main structure of the menu is working well.
Conclusion:
The Wedding Bands mobile menu is mostly aligned with user click behavior. There may be a small opportunity to test the order of the fourth and fifth items, but the most important links already appear in strong positions.
What This Data Tells Us
The main message is that proper tracking helps confirm whether your expectations as a store manager, marketer, or merchandiser align with the behavior of your actual site visitors.
Without tracking, menu order is based mostly on assumptions.
Those assumptions may be good. People who run e-commerce stores often know their products and customers very well. But analytics helps validate those assumptions.
In this example, the client’s navigation structure was mostly aligned with user behavior. That is useful to know because it means a major navigation reorder is probably not needed.
However, the data also revealed a few smaller opportunities.
For example:
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Some middle-position links may deserve higher placement.
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Some highly clicked “Shop All” links may need to stay at the bottom for usability reasons.
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Some menu sections are already ordered very well.
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Some sections may be worth testing over time.
How To Use This Kind of Report
This type of report can be useful for several reasons.
First, it helps optimize navigation.
If users repeatedly click links buried deep in a menu, those links may deserve a stronger placement.
Second, it helps with merchandising.
If certain product categories receive more navigation clicks than expected, that may indicate stronger demand.
Third, it helps with UX.
If users frequently click broad links such as Shop All, it may mean they prefer to browse broadly or that the specific category labels are not clear enough.
Fourth, it helps with mobile analysis.
Mobile navigation is often more constrained than desktop navigation. Link order matters more because users may need to scroll to see lower menu items.
Finally, it helps teams make decisions based on evidence rather than personal preference.
A Few Cautions
Click volume is useful, but it should not be treated as the only decision-making metric.
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A link may receive fewer clicks because it is lower in the menu, not because users are less interested in it.
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A link may receive many clicks but generate poor revenue.
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A link may be strategically important even if it is not the most clicked.
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A link may be seasonal.
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A link may be clicked often because users are confused.
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A link near the top of the menu has a natural visibility advantage.
Because of that, click data should be combined with other metrics where possible, such as:
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Revenue
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Purchases
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Add-to-cart events
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Engaged sessions
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Product views
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Conversion rate
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Search demand
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Inventory availability
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Profit margin
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Return rate
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Customer service questions
Click tracking tells us what users clicked. It does not always tell us why they clicked or whether the click created business value.
The benefit of this type of tracking setup is that you are no longer guessing. You are using tracking data to understand how visitors interact with the site and whether the navigation supports their needs.
