Adopting a new analytics platform can be exciting and frustrating — especially when you have no choice. With Google sunsetting Universal Analytics (UA or Google Analytics 3) on July 1, 2023, many users are experimenting with Google Analytics 4, so they can make the transition as seamless as possible.
I’ve heard many complaints about the new interface, different measurement model, and out-of-the-box reports. Regardless, resistance is futile. If you want to continue using Google’s free analytics, you need to make the switch.
If you haven’t installed GA4 yet, I recommend you install it to start collecting data immediately. That way, you and your team can familiarize yourselves with Google Analytics 4, fine-tune your events and conversions, and customize the reports that matter most.
To help you get started with GA4, I’ve compiled instructions for accessing the most popular GA reports for SEO.
Note: If you pull up the following reports on both UA and GA4, you’ll see different metrics the two platforms capture data differently. Learn more about this in our GA4 FAQs.
Organic Traffic vs. All Traffic GA4 Report
See how well your SEO campaign is performing — track how much of your traffic is a result of organic search and compare it to other traffic channels.
Shortcut
Reports > Acquisition > User acquisition or Traffic acquisition
1. Click on ‘Reports’ on the left navigation bar.
2. Select ‘Acquisition’ to see the available Acquisition reports. If you want to see new users by channel, click ‘User acquisition.’ To see all users, click on ‘Traffic acquisition.’
3. You should now see the data displayed as a line graph and in a table.
Hover over the legend beneath the graph to see each channel’s line more prominently. Click on ‘Organic traffic’ to dim the data for the other channels so you can better analyze your organic traffic.
You can edit the data range of the report by clicking the down arrow next to the displayed date range or further customize the report by clicking on the pencil icon.
Page vs. Site Conversion Rate Report in GA4
Monitoring the conversion rates of your most important pages allows you to measure the effectiveness of those pages and test changes. Here’s how to look at how well a particular page converts in contrast to your site as a whole.
Shortcut
Reports > Engagement > Conversions
Click funnel > Landing page > Select landing page(s) you want to learn more about > Apply
For user-based conversion rates on specific landing pages, open up reports and expand the Engagement report collection.
1. Click on ‘Conversions.’
2. Click on the funnel to open a filter on the right-hand side.
3. Start typing ‘Landing page’ in the first drop-down menu, and select it when it appears. Find the landing page you want to learn more about in the second drop-down menu and select it. You can select multiple landing pages if you want to look at several simultaneously. Click ‘Apply’ in the bottom right corner.
Beneath the graph, you should see a search box and the list of events you are tracking. If you have less than 10 events, you should be able to quickly spot the conversion you want to check. If not, use the search function to find it.
Divide the number of conversions for the event name by the count of total users and multiply it by 100 to get your conversion rate.
Click on the event name you want to learn more about to see its traffic sources and calculate its conversion rate by traffic source. For example, you can see how many people who triggered a particular event on one of your services pages reached your website from organic search results.
Page vs. Site Purchase Value GA4 Report
Ecommerce tracking in GA4 requires more in-depth configuration than it did in UA. While the process is somewhat logical, it requires a good chunk of time. You can follow Google’s steps for implementing ecommerce tracking via Google tags or Google Tag manager here.
Once you’ve set up your ecommerce events, use this report to compare revenue and measure the performance of your site and particular pages.
Shortcut
Reports > Monetization > Ecommerce purchases
Click ‘Add Filter’> Include > Landing page > Select landing page(s) you’re interested in viewing > Apply
1. Expand the ‘Monetization’ report collection, and select ‘Ecommerce purchases.’
2. At the top of the report, click ‘Add filter.’
3. Start typing ‘Landing page’ until it shows up, then select it. Choose the landing page (or pages) you want to learn more about and click ‘Apply.’
4. You should now see data specific to that landing page, including events, revenue, and transactions by traffic source.
Hot tip: You can also filter this report by ‘First user default channel grouping’ and select ‘Organic Search’ to see how much revenue your SEO campaign is helping you generate across your website.
Top Landing Page Traffic GA4 Report
Want to get more information about your top landing pages? Here’s how to easily customize the predefined ‘Pages and screens’ report so you can see how well your top landing pages are performing. Save this report and refer to it often to assess how well your SEO strategy works.
Shortcut
Engagement > Pages and screens
Click the pencil to customize the report > Dimensions > Add dimension > Landing page > Click the three vertical dots > Set as default > Apply > Click the blue Save button > Save as a new report > Report name: Landing pages > Save
1. Click on ‘Pages and screens’ under the ‘Engagement’ collection.
2. Click on the pencil in the top right to customize the report. Don’t see the pencil? You likely don’t have GA administrative access. Give your administrator these instructions, or ask them for admin access.
3. Click ‘Dimensions.’
4. Click ‘Add dimension’ and select ‘Landing Pages’ from the list.
5. Click on the three dots next to ‘Landing page,’ and select ‘Set as default.’
6. Select ‘Save’ and then ‘Save as a new report.’
7. I recommend naming this report ‘Landing pages’ so you know exactly what’s in it. Once you’ve picked your name, click ‘Save.’
You should now see two graphs, one showing the views for your most popular landing pages and one showing all views for your site. Underneath, you’ll find metrics for each of your landing pages.
Add a filter to see organic traffic, or do a search to look at a particular landing page.
Need Help Optimizing GA4?
To get the most from Google Analytics, you need to be able to access the reports that will help you understand your site’s performance. However, if you don’t have GA4 properly installed, you may miss crucial insights.
As a data-driven SEO agency, Victorious understands the value of accurate, reliable analytics reporting. Our SEO strategists have devised an audit to support businesses as they transition to Google Analytics 4. Maximize your reporting power — let us help you optimize your GA4. Schedule a free SEO consultation to learn more.