The YouTube video transcript highlights the importance of using Google Analytics 4 (GA4) for effective SEO beyond just tracking rankings. It emphasizes measuring traffic, conversions, and the bottom-line impact of SEO efforts.
The presenter, Andy Cresa from Orbit Media Studios, demonstrates specific GA4 reports and customizations to analyze search traffic performance per URL, conversion rates, and lead generation. He explains how to filter data to gain insights into user intent and prioritize SEO efforts for pages that drive valuable conversions. Furthermore, the video teaches users how to create custom notifications to monitor and react to drops in search traffic.
Ultimately, the video advocates for a data-driven approach to SEO, focusing on actions that contribute to business outcomes.
GA4 for SEO: The Importance of Traffic and Conversions
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is often perceived as being solely about rankings. However, the primary goal of SEO should be to drive traffic and, more importantly, to convert that traffic into leads and customers.
Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is an essential tool for measuring the true impact of SEO efforts. GA4 provides data on traffic, conversions, and user behavior, enabling marketers to optimize their strategies for maximum impact. It is where traffic and conversion data reside.
Andy Cresa from Orbit Media Studios suggests a series of GA4 reports that can be used to measure the performance of search optimization. These reports provide insights into various aspects of SEO, from overall traffic to the conversion rate of visitors from search.
By using GA4, businesses can gain a deeper understanding of how their SEO efforts are contributing to their bottom line. This understanding allows them to make informed decisions about where to focus their resources and how to improve their SEO strategy.
Tracking Overall Search Traffic in GA4
To get a high-level overview of search traffic, navigate to Acquisition, then Traffic Acquisition in GA4. This report shows the total search traffic to the website over a specific date range and allows for date range comparisons.
While this report provides a general sense of SEO performance, it has limitations. It aggregates data from all URLs on the website, which may include pages with varying levels of intent and relevance.
To gain more actionable insights, it’s essential to track the performance of search for each URL individually. This can be achieved by using the landing page report in GA4.
By filtering the landing page report to only show traffic from organic search, users can see which pages are driving the most search traffic. This information can be used to make decisions about optimizing those URLs, assessing visitor intent, and evaluating the quality of traffic.
To do this, go to the engagement section, and click on the landing page report. Then create a filter by selecting session medium, exactly matches, and organic.
Analyzing Conversion Rates from Search Traffic
To understand how effectively search traffic converts visitors into leads, it’s crucial to analyze conversion rates in GA4. This can be done by customizing the traffic acquisition report to display relevant metrics such as conversion rate and conversions.
To customize the report, click the pencil icon and select the desired metrics. Users, sessions, engagement time, conversion rate, and raw conversions are particularly useful. Save the changes to view the customized report.
Once the report is set up, filter it to show only organic traffic. This will reveal the conversion rate for all sources of traffic. To drill down further, select a specific type of conversion, such as contact form lead submissions.
The conversion rate may be diluted by visitors with informational intent, such as those reading blog posts. To address this, create a filter to exclude visitors who landed on blog posts. This will provide a more accurate view of the conversion rate for visitors with higher intent.
To create this filter, add a filter and choose landing page. Specify that the landing page should not contain the word “blog”. This refines the data to focus on visitors who landed on the homepage, about page, or service pages.
Conversion Rate per Landing Page
To gain even deeper insights, analyze the conversion rate per landing page for visitors from search. This involves using the landing page report and applying filters to isolate specific segments of traffic.
For example, filter the report to show only people who landed on a blog post and came from search. This can reveal which articles are most effective at driving newsletter subscriptions.
To set up this report, go to the engagement section and then the landing page report. Add a filter so that the landing page contains the word “blog” and another condition for session medium exactly matching organic.
By examining the conversion rates of different articles, businesses can identify which content resonates most with their audience and prioritize SEO efforts accordingly. Articles with higher conversion rates are more valuable to the brand.
The process can be repeated to look at visitors who became leads, filtering out those who landed on blog posts. This helps identify which pages to prioritize for SEO efforts.
Setting Up Notifications for Drops in Search Traffic
GA4 can also be used to create notifications that alert you to significant drops in search traffic. This allows you to quickly identify and address any issues that may be affecting your SEO performance.
To set up a notification, go to the report section and click on “view all insights”. Then, click the “create” button and select “create new” under “start from scratch”.
Configure the notification to check weekly for drops in search traffic. Set the segment to “first user medium” exactly matching “organic”.
Define the conditions that will trigger the notification, such as a decrease of more than 25% in page views compared to the previous week. Name the notification (e.g., “search traffic tanks”) and configure it to notify you via email.
By proactively monitoring search traffic, you can stay ahead of potential problems and ensure that your SEO efforts are consistently driving results.
GA4: An Indispensable Tool for SEO
GA4 is an indispensable tool for SEO because it provides crucial data on traffic, conversions, and user behavior. Unlike traditional SEO tools that focus on pre-click data such as rankings, GA4 reveals what happens after a user clicks on a search result.
It is possible to achieve high rankings and traffic without generating leads or impacting the bottom line. GA4 helps businesses avoid this scenario by providing insights into the metrics that truly matter, such as conversion rates and lead generation.
By using GA4 to track and analyze these metrics, businesses can optimize their SEO strategies to drive meaningful results. This includes prioritizing pages that are most effective at converting visitors into leads.
For those who are doing SEO without paying attention to impactful metrics, consider sharing this information. A link to a detailed article is available in the video description.
In conclusion, GA4 is a critical tool for anyone who wants to understand the true impact of their SEO efforts. By using GA4 to track traffic, conversions, and user behavior, businesses can optimize their strategies and drive meaningful results.