Several tools provide various approaches to SEO, from basic to advanced, each offering analytics and reporting features to track the effectiveness of strategies and gain deeper insights into the audience. In our view, while these tools are valuable on their own, their efficacy can be further enhanced when integrated with Google Analytics 4 (GA4).
Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is an effective tool that has changed the way we understand website analytics. Offering a completely new approach to tracking and interpreting user data, we could say that GA4 is a game-changer for SEO professionals and website owners. In this blog post, we’ll show you how to leverage GA4 to track SEO performance and maximize its potential.
Currently, Google Search Console is the primary SEO tool that integrates directly with GA4, allowing for a more comprehensive view of SEO performance. Here’s a step-by-step guide to link these two platforms:
How to integrate GA4 with Google Search Console
- In Google Analytics, click Admin.
- Make sure you are in the correct account and property.
- In the Property column, under PRODUCT LINKS, click Search Console Links.
- In the link table, click Link.
- If you are a verified owner for one or more Search Console properties, in the row for Link to Search Console properties I manage, click Choose accounts, then select the account you want to link your property to.
- Click Confirm.
- Click Next.
- Select the web data stream for your site.
- Click Next, then review and submit your configuration settings.
It's important to note that the Search Console reports are unpublished by default. After linking Search Console with your GA4 property, you'll need to publish the Search Console report collection to make it accessible to everyone who has access to the Analytics property. Here’s how to do it:
*You need an Editor role to publish a collection.
- In the left navigation, click Library (at the bottom of the left navigation). If you don't see the Library, you don't have Edit permission.
- Locate your collection card, e.g., "Search Console."
- Click More (three dots - action icon).
- Click Publish.
Once the integration is complete, you’ll find two new reports under the Search Console report:
- Queries report
- Google organic search traffic report
*Data is then processed and made accessible in both Search Console and Google Analytics within a 48-hour timeframe.
Search Console→Queries report
This report shows search queries and the metrics from your linked Google Search Console account, such as Clicks, Impressions, CTR and Site Position. We’re not going into the details about these metrics, but you can check out this article if you want to further understand them. Also, note that the dimensions you can use for drill-downs are the same as those in the Search Console (e.g., Landing pages, Countries, Devices, etc.).
Search Console→Google Organic Search traffic report
This report focuses more on the site's landing pages, but is based on organic traffic results and metrics from the linked Search Console property.
Creating an organic traffic report in GA4
Beyond these standard Search Console reports, there are some other methods you can use to get deeper insights into specific SEO metrics and better understand your organic traffic. Here are some of the techniques you can adapt:
Generate organic traffic data in Traffic Acquisition report
- Go to Reports → Acquisition → Traffic acquisition.
- Next, filter the report to include ONLY Session Default Channel Grouping is equal to “Organic Search”.
This report offers insights into the volume of organic traffic and user behavior or engagement specifically from organic search results. It helps assess the effectiveness of your SEO efforts and strategies, guiding you in making informed decisions about your next steps. For instance, at Analytics Mates, we focus on creating content with strong keywords to enhance our online presence. By reviewing this report, we can analyze trends in organic traffic and user behavior, which will help us determine whether additional content is needed.
You can turn this report into a permanent part of your property’s Reports list by saving it in your library and publishing it in your reporting section. For detailed instructions, check out our blog post on this topic.
Generate organic traffic data in Landing Page report
- Go to Reports → Engagement → Landing Page report.
- Filter the report by (session or first user) medium equal to Organic.
- To do this, click the ‘add filter +’ button underneath the report title and look up for Session medium or First user medium.
- Match type exactly matches Organic (value).
- Click ‘Apply’
Similar to the User Acquisition report, you can generate a organic report for your landing pages to understand which pages are most frequently searched by users. This insight can guide you in optimizing those pages and generating more content related to the topics they cover.
Pages and Screens Report
The Pages and screens report in GA4 provides a comprehensive overview of the pages users are visiting on your website. It shows which pages are most popular, how often they are viewed, and how users interact with them.By combining this information with engagement metrics like bounce rate and time on page, you can gain deeper insights into the performance of your content. This report becomes particularly valuable when you filter it by organic traffic. By analyzing the performance of your pages based on organic traffic:
- Go to Reports → Engagement → Pages and screens report.
- Filter the report by (session or first user) medium equal to Organic.
- To do this, click the ‘add filter +’ button underneath the report title and look up for Session medium or First user medium.
- Match type exactly matches Organic (value).
- Click ‘Apply’
Demographic Report
Understanding your audience's demographics is crucial for refining your content strategy. By analyzing organic traffic, you gain valuable insights into your users' geographic locations, age groups, and other relevant details. This data is important for identifying your target audience, enabling you to build more content and marketing efforts to resonate more effectively with specific demographics.
- In your Google Analytics account, go to Reports → User → User attributes → Demographic details.
- Add a secondary dimension by clicking the ‘+’ icon and look up for Session medium or First user medium.
- In the search bar above the Primary Dimension, type Organic and press Enter.
Device Category (Tech) Traffic
Understanding mobile traffic is as important as any other reports. For example, high bounce rates for the mobile category may indicate that your site is not mobile-friendly.
- In your Google Analytics account, go to Reports → User → Tech → Tech details.
- Add a secondary dimension by clicking the ‘+’ icon and look up for Session medium or First user medium.
- In the search bar above the Primary Dimension, type Organic and press Enter.
The Key Takeaway
You can do more with GA4 to analyze your organic traffic beyond what's mentioned here. Besides using the standard Search Console reports, you can explore other GA4 reports and filter them to focus on organic traffic by using dimensions like 'session medium' or 'first session medium.' This will give you a clearer picture of your website's organic performance.
FAQs
How can I use GA4 to measure the impact of SEO campaigns?
Track key metrics before and after launching SEO campaigns to measure their impact. Compare organic traffic, engagement, and conversion rates to assess campaign effectiveness.
How can I link GA4 and GSC data with Looker Studio for SEO reporting?
Looker Studio allows you to create custom dashboards and reports using data from various sources, including GA4 and Google Search Console (GSC). You can connect your GA4 and GSC properties to Looker Studio and create visualizations that are tailored to your specific SEO needs.
We've found these SEO dashboard templates incredibly helpful, so we've created our own free versions for you. Check out our Resources page to download them.
How can I use GA4 to identify technical SEO issues like broken links or crawl errors?
While GA4 doesn't directly provide a full technical SEO audit, you can use it to identify potential issues by monitoring error rates, page load times, and bounce rates.
Final Word
To wrap this up, GA4 is an essential tool for monitoring and optimizing your SEO performance. By leveraging these platforms (with Google Search Console) capabilities, you can gain a comprehensive understanding of user behavior, identify KPIs for SEO, and make data-driven decisions. Integrating GA4 with Google Search Console also provides a holistic view of your organic traffic that should allow you to refine your SEO strategy effectively. Consequently, leveraging GA4 in monitoring your SEO performance helps you to stay ahead and achieve future SEO success.
Thank you for reading!
