GA4 Q&A: Understanding Conversion Rate in GA4 - A Quick Guide

Hello, everyone! Today’s GA4 Q&A session focuses on understanding conversion rates. If you’re wondering where to find this crucial metric, let’s dive right in.

What Is Conversion Rate?

Conversion rate is a session-based metric that tells us how effectively our website or app is converting visitors into desired actions—such as making a purchase, adding items to the cart, or signing up for a newsletter. These actions are now called Key Events in GA4 (this is to differentiate them from Conversions in Google Ads.) It is determined by taking the number of Key Events and dividing by the number of Sessions. Since this is normalized by the number of Sessions it is a very useful metric for comparing Marketing Channels, Landing Pages and a range of other breakdowns.

Where to Find Conversion Rate in GA4

Session-Based and User-Based Reports

Traffic Acquisition:

Let's start by looking at session-based reports. These provide valuable insights into conversion rates on a Session Basis. In your Google Merchant Store demo account, navigate to the “Acquisition” section. Both the “User Acquisition” and “Traffic Acquisition” reports display conversion rates.

  • Traffic Acquisition focuses on the channels through which users arrive during a session.
  • Explore the channels listed on the left side of the report.
  • Scroll to the right to find dimensions related to key events. screenshot-analytics.google.com-2024.07.24-12_41_23
  • The “Session Key Event Rate” represents the conversion rate for all key events tracked in your Google Analytics property. screenshot-analytics.google.com-2024.07.24-12_42_21
  • You can choose specific key events (e.g., purchase, add to cart, view item) from a dropdown menu.

User Acquisition:

You can also view your Key Events by User - so how many times has a User triggered a Key Event.

  • User Acquisition mirrors the channels through which users initially arrived at your website.
  • The process here is similar to Traffic Acquisition. screenshot-analytics.google.com-2024.07.24-12_45_25 Modern%20design%20%281%29

Landing Page Report:

  • For a more granular view, check out the Landing Page report.
  • Again, focus on the “Session Key Event Rate.”
  • Hone in on the “Purchase” key event to see conversion rates by landing page.
  • Notably, the checkout page tends to have a high conversion rate.
  • You can also explore specific items (e.g., pickle ball bag, men’s apparel) to analyze their performance. screenshot-analytics.google.com-2024.07.24-15_17_43

Key Takeaways:

  • The new term for conversion rate is “Session Key Event Rate”.
  • Key events replace the concept of conversions.
  • These insights are readily available in your GA4 reports.

Remember, if you have any questions or need further clarification, feel free to leave a comment below. Happy analyzing!

About the author


Jay Murphy

 

Jay Murphy is a digital analytics expert and founder of Trionia, where he specializes in transforming data into actionable insights for large and mid-sized businesses. With over thirty years of experience and a passion for Google Analytics since its inception, Jay has honed his skills to bridge the gap between technical data analysis and strategic business planning. An educator at heart, he has developed and taught comprehensive digital marketing courses at both the undergraduate level and within organizations, enriching minds with his deep understanding of the digital analytics landscape. His career, which began in systems analysis for spacecraft guidance, has evolved through roles that blend technical acumen with strategic vision across various sectors, including Fortune 500, Higher Education and Non-Profits. Certified in Google Analytics since 2011, Jay's leadership at Trionia has spearheaded successful online campaigns and innovative marketing strategies, underlining his commitment to leveraging data for growth. Jay's approach goes beyond the numbers; he's a storyteller who uses data to drive business success, making him a pivotal figure in the digital marketing world.


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