Google has brought a new update – the Analytics 4 (GA4) – a complete overhaul of how businesses track and understand user behavior. It brings a fresh approach to data collection. GA4 moves beyond simple page views and bounce rates. It dives deep into the user journey across websites and apps, giving marketers and business owners a more accurate, event-driven view of how users interact with their content. It introduces a new way of thinking about metrics, events, and conversions.
Many businesses and agencies have already made the switch. They have already recognized the need to start building historical data before UA is fully phased out. If hundreds of metrics makes you feel like you are drowning in numbers, don’t worry, you are not alone. If you have never worked with GA4 before, this blog is for you. We will talk about the GA4 from the beginning and give you an introduction as well as the 12 best GA4 KPIs to monitor.
What is the GA4 Metrics Universe?
Before that, first let’s understand “what is GA4?” Google Analytics 4 is the latest version of Google’s web analytics platform. This version performs the same job as the previous ones – tracking and analyzing user behavior across websites and apps – but with many twists. Unlike its predecessor, Universal Analytics (UA), GA4 focuses on event-based tracking instead of sessions and pageviews. Thus, it provides a more detailed and flexible understanding of user interactions. GA4 is all about understanding users as real people, not just numbers.
- Unique users: In GA4, unique users are one of the most important metrics. This number tells you how many individual people interact with your site or app. Thus, you get a clearer picture of your actual audience.
- Shifting from sessions to events: UA relied on sessions that measured how long a user stayed on a site. GA4 comes with event-based tracking. Every action like watching a video, clicking a button, or buying something is logged as an event. This shift brings a deeper understanding of user interactions.
- A new way to measure engagement: GA4 does not just count page views. It looks at how engaged users actually are. Instead of just measuring if someone visited a page, it tracks if they scrolled, clicked, or spent time interacting with content.
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12 Key Metrics to Track in Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
Some familiar metrics from Universal Analytics (UA) have changed. Some others have been replaced altogether. In GA4, there are three broad categories of metrics: acquisition metrics, engagement, and monetization metrics. Here are some of the top GA4 metrics you need to track:
1. Total users
Total Users is still there in GA4. But it is no longer the primary user metric as it was in UA. In UA, when you see “Users,” it refers to Total Users. But in GA4, “Users” refers to Active Users. Keep this distinction in mind for accurate reporting.
2. Pageviews
Pageviews remain mostly unchanged. But GA4 now combines website pageviews and app screen views into a single metric. This means you might see an increase in ‘Pageviews’ after switching to GA4. In UA, Pageviews refers to the number of pages viewed on a website. Another key difference between UA and GA4? Unique ‘Pageviews’ no longer exist in GA4. In UA, ‘Unique Pageviews’ tracked how many times a page was viewed by a single user without counting duplicates.
3. Sessions
Sessions are still present in GA4, but with a major difference:
- In GA4, a session starts when a user begins interacting with your site or app. Each session gets a session ID.
- Unlike in UA, GA4 sessions do not automatically reset at midnight. This means that a user’s session can continue even if the day changes.
4. Conversions
‘Conversions’ metric in Google Analytics 4 works differently from Goals in UA. Outdated models like “last click” and “first click” are no longer as relevant. In UA, only one conversion per session was counted for each goal. In GA4, every instance of a conversion event is counted even if that happens multiple times in a single session. GA4’s cross-channel attribution modeling gives better insights into how users interact with different marketing channels before converting.
5. Bounce Rate
In UA, a bounce was any session where a user visited a page and left without clicking or interacting. It didn’t matter if they stayed for 5 seconds or 10 minutes. If they did not engage, it counted as a bounce. In GA4, ‘Bounce Rate’ is the percentage of sessions that are NOT engaged. A session is considered engaged if:
- The visitor stays on the page for at least 10 seconds
- They complete at least one conversion event
- They visit two or more pages
6. Event Count
GA4 now tracks all interactions as events, replacing UA’s “Total Events” metric. This means every action like clicks, video plays, downloads, form submissions will be counted as an event.
7. Sessions Per User
This is a new but important Google Analytics 4 KPI that measures how often users return to your site or app. It helps determine whether visitors are engaging with your content regularly. A high Sessions Per User count indicates strong user interest and loyalty.
8. Active Users
Active Users is now the primary user metric in GA4. This is different from UA which focuses on total users. Active Users are those who had an engaged session (i.e., stayed more than 10 seconds, triggered a conversion, or visited multiple pages). This shift is a better measure of how many users are truly engaged.
9. New Users
This metric tracks the number of first-time visitors to your site. It is a crucial indicator of brand reach and customer acquisition. A growing number of new users means your marketing efforts are attracting fresh audiences.
10. Engagement Rate
Engagement Rate is the opposite of Bounce Rate and is one of the most valuable or key Google Analytics 4 metrics you need to track. It measures the percentage of engaged sessions, providing a clearer picture of user interaction. If your Engagement Rate is 70%, it means 70% of users interacted meaningfully with your site, while 30% bounced.
11. Views Per Session
This metric tracks the average number of pages or screens a user visits per session. A high number suggests users are exploring more content, while a low number may indicate poor navigation or lack of interest.
12. First Visit & First Open Events
These are two major acquisition metrics in GA4. First Visit (web) and First Open (app) events track when users first interact with your business. These metrics help measure user acquisition and retention. It also includes a ‘Retention Report’ to track how well you retain users over time.
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Conclusion
Rick Hogan, CEO & Co-founder of Bleevit, explains the importance of transitioning early. He says, “By running both Universal Analytics and Google Analytics 4 simultaneously, the year-over-year comparison can be made easily.” GA4 allows for custom event tracking, advanced AI-driven insights, and cross-platform measurement. It is a much better option for businesses to optimize their marketing strategies. But navigating its vast array of dimensions and reports can feel like getting lost in a maze of data. We hope that this guide on the most important GA4 metrics gives you a good starting point if you are stuck.
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