Google Analytics 4 (GA4) represents a significant shift from Universal Analytics (UA), offering a more nuanced and detailed approach to understanding user behavior across websites and apps. This article aims to educate new users on the key metrics in GA4 and how to leverage them effectively to improve digital products.
What is Google Analytics 4 (GA4)?
GA4 is the latest version of Google’s analytics platform, designed to provide a comprehensive view of user interactions across different touchpoints. Unlike its predecessor, GA4 focuses on event-based tracking rather than session-based, providing more flexibility and insights into user behavior.
Key Metrics in GA4
Users
- Total Users: The number of unique users interacting with your site or app
- New Users: The number of users who visited your site or app for the first time
- Active users engage meaningfully with your site by viewing multiple pages, spending a significant amount of time, or triggering an event
Sessions
- A session starts when a user begins interacting with your site and ends after 30 minutes of inactivity. In GA4, sessions are tracked more accurately and do not reset at midnight
Engagement Metrics
- Engagement Rate: The percentage of engaged sessions (sessions lasting longer than 10 seconds, with multiple page views or conversions)
- Average Engagement Time: The average time users spend on your site or app
- Engaged Sessions Per User: The average number of engaged sessions per user
Event Count
- The number of times specific actions (events) are triggered by users, such as clicks, form submissions, or video plays
Conversions
- Defined by specific events that are valuable to your business, such as purchases or sign-ups. Unlike UA, GA4 tracks every instance of a conversion event within a session
Views
- Measures the number of times a web page or app screen was viewed by users. This metric helps assess the performance of individual pages and screens
Bounce Rate
- The percentage of sessions that were not engaged sessions. This metric is now the inverse of the engagement rate, providing a clearer picture of user interactions
- Monetization Metrics
- Total Revenue: The sum of revenue from purchases, subscriptions, and advertising
- Ecommerce Purchases: The total number of users who completed a purchase
- Item Views: The total number of times users viewed product details
Lifetime Value
- Measures the total revenue generated by a user during their lifetime. This metric is crucial for understanding the long-term value of your customer segments
Retention Metrics
- Metrics related to user retention, showing how well you keep users returning to your site or app over time
Practical Examples of Using GA4 Metrics
- Improving User Experience: By analyzing engagement metrics, you can identify low-engagement pages and optimize them for better user interaction.
- Boosting Conversions: Track conversion events to see which marketing campaigns are most effective and adjust your strategies accordingly.
- Enhancing SEO: Use views and average engagement time metrics to determine which content is performing well and which needs improvement.
Benefits of Using GA4 for Product Analytics
GA4 offers several advantages over Universal Analytics, including more detailed event tracking, cross-platform tracking, and enhanced machine learning capabilities. These features provide deeper insights into user behavior, helping businesses make data-driven decisions to improve their digital products and marketing strategies.
By understanding and utilizing these key metrics, you can gain valuable insights into how users interact with your site or app, optimize user experience, and drive business growth.
Sources
- Measureschool: “Top 11 Google Analytics 4 Metrics (GA4) 2024“
- Databox: “Google Analytics 4 Metrics Tutorial: Everything You Need to Know Before You Transition to the New Platform“
- AgencyAnalytics: “Top 11 Most-Tracked Metrics in Google Analytics and GA4“
- DashThis: “Google Analytics 4 metrics guide for tracking client KPIs“
- AgencyAnalytics: “14 Google Analytics 4 (GA4) Metrics To Track“
