Understanding User Acquisition by First User Source/Medium in Google Analytics 4
Tracking how users initially discovered your website is crucial for understanding which marketing channels are most effective at acquiring new users. By analyzing first user source/medium data in Google Analytics 4, you can identify which channels bring in the most valuable users and optimize your marketing budget accordingly. We'll show you how to create a comprehensive report in GA4 to track this important metric.Basic Report Structure
- Report Type: Free Form Exploration
- Visualization: Table format
- Primary Dimension: First User Source/Medium
- Supporting Metrics: New Users, Engaged Sessions, Average Engagement Time, Conversions
- Time Period: Last 30 days (adjustable)
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 Import
- Under the Metrics click the + button and search for these metrics: - Total users - Engaged sessions - Average engagement time - Conversions Click Import
- Drag First user source / medium to the Rows section
- Drag all metrics to the Values section
- In the Filters section, add any specific filters you want to apply
- Set your desired date range in the report settings
- Click the Save button to store your exploration
Important Dimensions and Metrics
- First user source / medium: Shows the original channel through which users first discovered your site
- Total users: Measures the total number of users from each source/medium
- Engaged sessions: Shows how many meaningful interactions users from each source had
- Average engagement time: Indicates how long users from each source typically engage with your site
- Conversions: Tracks how many users from each source completed desired actions
Actionable Insights
- Identify your top-performing channels and increase investment in those that bring in the most engaged users
- Compare engagement metrics across different sources to optimize marketing spend
- Use conversion data to calculate channel-specific ROI and adjust budget allocation
- Identify underperforming channels that might need optimization or retirement
- Track changes in source/medium performance over time to detect trends and seasonal patterns
Answers Similar Questions
- How to track initial traffic sources in GA4
- View user acquisition channels in Google Analytics 4
- Track original source medium GA4
- How to see where users first found my website GA4
- First touch attribution tracking in Google Analytics 4
