Google Analytics 4 (GA4) has changed the way we look at website data. If you used Universal Analytics before, GA4 might feel like a different tool. But once you get the hang of it, it offers a more detailed and flexible way to understand how users interact with your website or app.
In this post, I’ll go over the top metrics you should track in GA4 and explain why each one matters. This isn’t going to be full of jargon or overly complicated. My goal is to help you get familiar with what counts when it comes to website analytics.
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1. Users
The “Users” metric tells you how many people have visited your site or app. In GA4, you get three types:
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Get my plan →- Total Users: Everyone who visited.
- New Users: People who visited for the first time.
- Active Users: Users who had an engaged session (we’ll talk about that soon).
Why it matters: Understanding user numbers helps you track growth. If your marketing is working, you should see your total and new users go up. Active users give you a better sense of who’s interacting with your content.
2. Engaged Sessions
An engaged session is a session that lasted longer than 10 seconds, had at least one conversion event, or had 2 or more page views.
Why it matters: This filters out people who just clicked and bounced. It shows who’s spending time on your site. If engagement sessions are low, it could mean your content isn’t capturing attention.
3. Engagement Rate
This is the percentage of engaged sessions out of total sessions.
Why it matters: It gives a quick snapshot of quality over quantity. If you have a high number of sessions but a low engagement rate, something might be off. You want to attract people who stay, not just click in and leave.
4. Average Engagement Time
This tells you how long users are actively engaging with your content during their visit.
Why it matters: Longer engagement usually means better content or user experience. If people are spending more time, they’re probably finding what they came for.
5. Event Count
In GA4, everything is an event: page views, clicks, downloads, video plays, etc.
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Why it matters: Tracking events helps you understand exactly what users are doing. You can set up custom events to track specific actions like form submissions or button clicks, which can show where people are converting.
6. Conversions
Conversions are events that you mark as important (like a purchase, form submission, or sign-up).
Why it matters: These are your key actions. If you’re not tracking conversions, you’re missing out on the whole point of having a website. You need to know what’s driving results.
7. Pages and Screens
This report shows which pages (on a website) or screens (in an app) are getting views.
Why it matters: Knowing which pages are most popular can help you make better content and UX decisions. Are people spending time where you want them to? Are they ignoring important pages?
8. Traffic Sources
This tells you where your users are coming from. GA4 breaks it down by channel (Organic Search, Direct, Paid Search, Referral, etc.).
Why it matters: Understanding your traffic sources helps you see what’s working. If you’re spending money on ads but not seeing traffic from Paid Search, that’s a red flag. On the flip side, a strong Organic Search channel means your SEO is doing well.
9. User Retention
Retention shows how many users return to your site after their first visit, usually tracked over a few days or weeks.
Why it matters: If people keep coming back, it means your site offers value. Poor retention could mean they didn’t find what they were looking for or had a bad experience.
10. Demographics and Tech
GA4 provides details about your users’ age, gender, location, device type, browser, and more.
Why it matters: This data helps you understand your audience. Are most of your visitors on mobile? Is a certain region driving traffic? You can use this to make decisions about design, content, and targeting.
Final Thoughts
GA4 may take some getting used to, but once you understand the key metrics, it becomes a powerful tool for improving your website or app. The trick is not to get overwhelmed by every possible data point. Focus on the metrics that tell you if people are finding, using, and enjoying your content.
Start with Users, Engagement, Events, and Conversions. Add more metrics as you get comfortable. And always tie your data back to your goals. Metrics are only helpful if they help you make better decisions.
Written by Uzair Kharawala
Partner at SF Digital Studios, a Google Premier Partner agency. Uzair has been helping businesses grow with Google Ads since 2002 and teaches it every week on YouTube.
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