Complete Guide to GA4 Metrics: What You Need to Track
Master the essential Google Analytics 4 metrics that drive business decisions. Learn which metrics matter most and how to interpret them effectively.
Understanding GA4 Metrics
Google Analytics 4 represents a fundamental shift in how we measure user behavior. Unlike Universal Analytics, GA4 focuses on events and user-centric measurement.
Key Metrics to Track
Active Users: The number of unique users who engaged with your site or app. This replaces the traditional "Users" metric and provides a more accurate picture of engagement.
Engagement Rate: The percentage of engaged sessions. A session is considered engaged if it lasts longer than 10 seconds, has a conversion event, or has 2+ page views.
Event Count: Total number of times users triggered events. Events are the foundation of GA4 measurement.
Conversion Metrics
GA4 allows you to mark up to 30 events as conversions. Focus on events that align with your business goals like purchases, sign-ups, or form submissions.
User Acquisition Metrics
Track where your users come from with metrics like New Users, First User Source/Medium, and User Acquisition channels.
Best Practices
- Set up custom events for important user actions
- Use parameters to add context to events
- Create audiences based on user behavior
- Regularly review and optimize your conversion events