Understanding GA4 data—a users guide (Part 3)

The last installment of a three-part series.

Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is great free tool to monitor website traffic or app performance. In our first two installments of this quick users guide, we shared an overview of key data points and reports and a glossary of features and terms. Now since you are familiar with GA4 analytics language, follow these steps to view, interpret, download and share web traffic data.

1. Access GA4:

• Open your web browser and go to the Google Analytics website.

• Log in with your Google account credentials that have access to the GA4 property for your website.

2. Select your GA4 property:

• If you have multiple properties, make sure you select the GA4 property associated with the website you want to analyze.

3. Navigate to Reports:

• In the left-hand navigation panel, click on "Reports."

4. Access Acquisition reports:

• Under the "Reports" section, you'll see a list of categories. Click on "Acquisition" to expand it.

5. Select Traffic Acquisition:

• Under the "Acquisition" section, click on "Traffic Acquisition."

6. Choose "Source/Medium" report:

• Within the Traffic Acquisition section, you'll find various reports related to how users found your site. To see a report that details the sources and mediums through which users arrived at your site, click on "Source/Medium."

7. View the data:

• The "Source/Medium" report will display data about the different sources and mediums that brought traffic to your site. You can see metrics like the number of users, sessions, bounce rate, and more for each source/medium combination.

8. Analyze the data:

• Use the data in this report to gain insights into how users are finding your website. You can see which websites, social media platforms, search engines or other channels are driving traffic to your site. Additionally, you can understand the effectiveness of your different marketing campaigns or strategies in driving visitors to your site.

9. Apply filters or date range (optional):

• To narrow down your analysis, you can apply filters or select a specific date range. For example, you can view data for a particular month or compare traffic sources over time.

10. Export or save the data (optional):

• If you need to share or save this data for further analysis, you can use the export options available within GA4.

These steps should help you access and understand web traffic data related to how people found your site. It's important to regularly monitor these reports to make informed decisions about your website's marketing and content strategies.

Downloading and sharing data

Now, to download share data in GA4, follow these steps:

1. Access your GA4 property:

• Log in to your Google Analytics account.

• Select the GA4 property from which you want to download data.

2. Navigate to the report:

• In the left-hand navigation pane, click on "Reports."

3. Select the report and date range:

• Choose the specific report from which you want to download data (e.g., Audience, Acquisition, Events, etc.).

• Select the date range for the data you want to download. You can use the date picker to choose a custom date range or select a predefined one like "Last 7 days" or "Last month."

4. Customize the data (optional):

• Depending on the report, you may have options to filter, segment or customize the data before downloading it. Use the available filters and settings to refine your data.

5. Export data:

• Look for an export button or option on the report page. In GA4, you typically export data by clicking on the "Export" button, which usually looks like a downward arrow or a cloud icon.

6. Choose export format:

• Select the format in which you want to download the data. GA4 usually offers options like CSV, Excel, Google Sheets, PDF or other formats. Learn more about this in our blog here.

7. Configure export settings (if available):

• Depending on the selected format, you may need to configure some settings like the date format, file name or the specific data columns you want to include.

8. Start the export:

• Click the "Export" or "Download" button to initiate the download. The file will be generated and downloaded to your computer. You can find it in your computer's default download location unless you specified a different folder during the download.

Sharing GA4 data

Sharing data from GA4 typically involves exporting the data as mentioned above and then sharing the downloaded file with others through email, cloud storage or a similar method. Remember to follow any internal data-sharing protocols and ensure that you have the necessary permissions to share the data with others, especially if the data contains sensitive information. Additionally, consider using appropriate security measures when sharing to protect the file from unauthorized access.

If you need further assistance with website traffic analysis, contact AOE. We’re happy to help!