Understanding Revenue by First User Source/Medium in Google Analytics 4
Tracking revenue by first user source/medium is crucial for understanding which marketing channels are most effective at acquiring valuable customers over their lifetime. Unlike regular source/medium reporting, this analysis reveals which channels bring in users who eventually become high-value customers, even if they convert through different channels later. We'll show you how to create this insightful report in Google Analytics 4.Basic Report Structure
- Report Type: Free Form Exploration
- Visualization: Table format
- Primary Dimension: First User Source/Medium
- Metrics: Revenue and related conversion metrics
- Time Range: Last 90 days (recommended starting point)
Steps to Create the Report
- Open GA4 and navigate to Explore section
- Click the Blank template to start a new exploration
- Under the Dimensions click the + button and search for First user source / medium, check the checkbox beside it and click Confirm
- Under the Metrics click the + button and search for Total revenue, Average revenue per user, Transactions, and Ecommerce conversion rate, check the checkboxes beside them and click Confirm
- Drag First user source / medium to the Rows section
- Drag all selected metrics to the Values section
- In the Filters section, add a filter for Total revenue > 0 to show only revenue-generating sources
- Set your date range to last 90 days in the report settings
- Optional: Add a secondary dimension of User medium to compare first touch vs. last touch attribution
Required Dimensions and Metrics
- First user source / medium: Shows the original channel that acquired the user
- Total revenue: Total revenue generated from users first acquired through each channel
- Average revenue per user: Shows which channels bring in high-value customers
- Transactions: Number of purchases from users first acquired through each channel
- Ecommerce conversion rate: Percentage of users from each channel who make a purchase
Actionable Insights from This Report
- Identify which acquisition channels bring in the highest lifetime value customers and increase investment in these channels
- Compare first-touch vs. last-touch attribution to understand the full customer journey and optimize marketing spend
- Find underperforming channels with high acquisition costs but low customer value and adjust strategy accordingly
- Use conversion rate differences between channels to optimize landing pages for specific traffic sources
- Identify channels bringing in high-value customers for remarketing campaigns
Answers Similar Questions
- How to see first touch attribution revenue in GA4
- Track customer acquisition channel revenue GA4
- Revenue by original traffic source Google Analytics
- First click attribution revenue tracking GA4
- Initial channel revenue analysis Google Analytics 4
