What Metrics Actually Matter in Google Analytics 4?
With the transition from Universal Analytics (UA) to Google Analytics 4 (GA4), digital marketers, business owners, and website managers are facing a new learning curve. The tools may be familiar, but the metrics have evolved, leaving many wondering which numbers truly indicate online success.
Understanding what to measure in GA4 is essential for making informed business decisions, identifying opportunities, and demonstrating the real impact of a website or app. In this article, we’ll break down the key metrics that matter in GA4, explain their significance, and guide you in interpreting these numbers for practical, actionable insights.
Contents:
- The Evolution from UA to GA4
- What’s Different in GA4 Metrics?
- Metrics That Actually Matter in GA4
- Making Metrics Practical: How to Measure What Matters
- Conclusion
The Evolution from Universal Analytics to GA4
Universal Analytics, the predecessor of GA4, was built on a session- and pageview-based data model. In contrast, GA4 is event-driven. Every interaction — whether a click, view, or purchase — is tracked as an event. This shift was designed to provide greater flexibility, better cross-platform tracking, and enhanced privacy controls.
For business owners, this fundamental change means that many familiar metrics (such as bounce rate and session duration) either work differently now or have been replaced altogether. The question is no longer “How many people left after seeing one page?” but rather “How meaningfully did people engage with my website or app?”
What’s Different in GA4 Metrics?
Some of GA4’s most significant changes include:
- Event-Based Model: Everything is tracked as an event, giving much more granularity but also requiring more intentional setup.
- No Bounce Rate (Initially): The familiar bounce rate has been removed (but recently re-introduced in a new form). Instead, engagement metrics are front and centre.
- Differentiation Between Users: GA4 emphasizes “Active Users” over “Total Users.”
- Improved Cross-Device Tracking: Analysis across websites, apps, and devices is considerably better.
Transitioning to GA4 isn’t just a technical upgrade—it’s an opportunity to rethink which metrics matter to your business goals.
Metrics That Actually Matter in GA4
Let’s demystify some of GA4’s most important metrics, explaining their significance and how to use them to improve your website or app.
Engaged Sessions
What it is: An engaged session is one that lasts longer than 10 seconds, or has at least one conversion event, or results in at least 2 pageviews/screens.
Why it matters: Not all visits are equal. Engaged sessions help you focus on quality over quantity — spotlighting users who are likely to generate value.
- If a large portion of your sessions are classified as “engaged,” your site or app is capturing attention and encouraging action.
- If engaged sessions are low, it could point to issues with content, user experience, or targeting.
Engagement Rate
What it is: The percentage of sessions that are “engaged sessions”.
Why it matters: This is the successor to “bounce rate.” Instead of measuring who did not interact, engagement rate tells you who did interact meaningfully.
- A higher engagement rate signals that users are interested and interacting.
- Monitor this metric across different marketing channels to see which sources are bringing the most engaged visitors.
Events and Conversions
What it is: Events are any user interactions (including page views, scrolls, clicks, downloads, video plays, and more). Conversions are the most important events (such as purchases, sign-ups, or other key actions) that you mark as conversion events in GA4.
Why it matters: Events and conversions are at the heart of GA4’s flexibility. You can track what matters most to your business, whether it’s viewing a key page, making a booking, or submitting a contact form.
- Track completion of your business objectives, not just traffic numbers.
- Customise which actions you mark as conversions — and regularly review them to ensure they align with your goals.
- Conversions give you true “success” signals, making it easier to measure ROI.
Users & Active Users
What it is: “Users” are individual people who have visited your site or app. Active Users are users who have engaged in a session within a set period (usually 28 days).
Why it matters: While session numbers can be inflated by repeat visits, user metrics show the reach of your brand and the size of your audience.
- Monitor growth in active users to track the health of your business over time.
- Compare daily, weekly, and monthly active users to spot trends and surges in engagement.
Average Engagement Time
What it is: The average engagement time is the average time users actively interacted with your site or app (i.e., actual time spent with the app in focus, not just left open in a background tab).
Why it matters: This is more meaningful than the old “average session duration” because it ignores idle time and only counts true interaction.
- Use this to evaluate content quality and user experience. Longer engagement generally means users are finding value.
- Track this metric for key pages, like product pages, to analyse successful content and spot gaps.
Traffic Sources & Mediums
What it is: GA4 tracks where your visitors are coming from: channels like Organic Search, Paid Search, Referral, Social, and Direct.
Why it matters: Understanding your traffic sources is vital for focusing your marketing efforts and budget where they matter most.
- Evaluate which source brings you the most engaged visits or highest conversions — not just the most traffic.
- Invest in channels that deliver on your core goals, whether that’s sales, leads, or readership.
Revenue (for E-commerce)
What it is: For businesses running online shops, revenue and associated e-commerce metrics (like add to cart, purchase, and average order value) are central to measuring online performance.
Why it matters: Ultimately, the goal of most websites and apps is to drive real-world outcomes — often sales or leads. Revenue metrics are the most tangible sign of digital success for e-commerce stores.
- Look at product-level performance to see your bestsellers.
- Analyse conversion rate and cart abandonment to identify and fix friction in your sales funnel.
Making Metrics Practical: How to Measure What Matters
Identifying the right metrics is only the first step. Here’s how to use them effectively:
- Start with your business goals. Are you looking for leads, sales, sign-ups, brand exposure, or something else? Define 2-3 key objectives.
- Map GA4 events/conversions to your goals. For each objective, make sure you’re tracking the right conversion events in GA4.
- Monitor engagement quality as well as quantity. Don’t obsess over traffic numbers alone. Engagement metrics reveal the value of those sessions.
- Segment your data. Review performance by channel, device, campaign, or audience to spot high-performing (or underperforming) segments.
- Take action. Use your insights to refine content, improve UX, test marketing strategies, or invest more in top-performing channels.
Tip: Set up exploration reports in GA4 for deeper analysis. Funnels, path analysis, and segment comparisons are especially useful for answering business questions.
Conclusion
Google Analytics 4 introduces a new model for understanding digital behaviour. Rather than simply counting clicks or pageviews, it asks you to focus on meaningful engagement and outcomes. While the transition can feel overwhelming, concentrating on metrics like engaged sessions, events, conversions, user trends, and traffic sources will give you insights that genuinely matter for your business.
The most important takeaway? Let your business objectives shape your analytics — not the other way around. That’s how small businesses and decision-makers can move from “data overwhelm” to truly actionable understanding.
If you need help with your website, app, or digital marketing — get in touch today at info@webmatter.co.uk or call 07546 289 419.