Understanding User Behavior Across Marketing Channels in Google Analytics 4
Analyzing users by session channel groups is crucial for understanding which marketing channels are most effective at attracting and engaging your audience. This analysis helps you optimize your marketing budget allocation and improve your multi-channel strategy. We'll show you how to create this insightful report in Google Analytics 4.Basic Report Structure
- Report Type: Free Form Exploration
- Primary Dimension: Session Default Channel Group
- Secondary Dimension: User ID or Device ID
- Metrics: Total Users, Average Engagement Time, Sessions per User
- Visualization: Table format with optional bar chart
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 Session Default Channel Group, check the checkbox beside it and click Confirm
- Under the Metrics click the + button and search for Total Users, Average Engagement Time, and Sessions per User, check the checkboxes and click Confirm
- Drag Session Default Channel Group to the Rows section
- Drag all metrics (Total Users, Average Engagement Time, Sessions per User) to the Values section
- In the Filters section, add any specific conditions you want to analyze
- Set your desired date range in the report settings
- Optional: Add a comparison date range to analyze trends
Important Dimensions and Metrics
- Session Default Channel Group: Shows the primary marketing channel that brought users to your site
- Total Users: Counts unique users per channel
- Average Engagement Time: Shows how long users from each channel engage with your site
- Sessions per User: Indicates how frequently users from each channel return
Actionable Insights
- Identify which channels bring in the most engaged users and increase investment in those channels
- Analyze channels with high sessions per user to understand what drives return visits
- Compare engagement times across channels to optimize content strategy for each channel
- Use the data to adjust marketing budget allocation based on channel performance
- Identify underperforming channels that need optimization or different targeting strategies
Answers Similar Questions
- How to track marketing channel performance in GA4
- GA4 channel grouping analysis guide
- Track users by acquisition source GA4
- Google Analytics 4 marketing channel report
- GA4 user attribution by channel
