Explore Funnels and Paths in GA4

In the transition from Universal Analytics to GA4 (Google Analytics 4), how we track and analyze user journeys has evolved significantly. 

GA4 introduces two new metrics—funnel and path exploration—replacing the previous user flow metric. 

This guide delves into these metrics, focusing primarily on path exploration and how it empowers you to gain valuable insights into user behavior on your website.

Funnel Exploration

Your funnel represents the predefined path you want users to follow when engaging with your website. For instance, if your goal is to guide users towards a specific item purchase, your funnel might encompass steps like "product viewing > adding to cart > making a purchase."

GA4's funnel exploration feature allows you to trace users' progression along this funnel, providing a deeper understanding of their journey.

Path Exploration

Path exploration, on the other hand, serves as a direct replacement for the user flow metric and offers enhanced flexibility. This metric tracks users' journeys across your website, including their interactions with pages and events.

Unlike the rigid structure of predefined funnels, path exploration reveals looping behavior and insights without constraints. You can either set your custom paths or let GA4 automatically identify trends.

How to Track It

Let's look at how to track these metrics.

1. Access GA4: In GA4, navigate to the "Explore" option on the left side of the screen.
2. Select Path Exploration: In the Explore section, click "Path Exploration Report."
3. Flow Chart Overview: The report presents a flow chart illustrating the steps most users take once they initiate a session on your site.
4. Step Details: By clicking "Step +1 more," you can reveal additional events, such as "Scroll," at each step.
5. Customize Data: Customize your reports by selecting segments on the left side of the page, such as "Mobile Traffic," to observe the typical steps mobile users take on your site.

Insights and Applications

The path exploration report is a valuable tool for gaining insights into the user journey on your website, identifying common paths users take to accomplish tasks, and recognizing potential bottlenecks or drop-off points in the process. These insights can help you:

Improve User Experience (UX)

Optimize your website's UX by addressing issues related to unclear messaging, complex interactions, or inefficient page design elements.

Enhance Conversion Rates

Identify and rectify stumbling blocks in the user's path, such as a drop-off at the checkout page, by ensuring the functionality of elements like the "Complete Purchase" button and user information entry forms.

Streamline Processes

Simplify the user journey by offering guest checkout options and reducing the steps required to purchase.

By leveraging path exploration in GA4, you can make data-driven improvements to your website, enhance user satisfaction, and ultimately boost conversion rates. Understanding and optimizing the user journey is essential for a successful online presence in today's digital landscape.

What is User Behavior?

User behavior relates to every action a visitor takes before they reach a site and while on the site. This includes things like:

• Where and what a user clicks
• How users scroll down pages
• Where users drop off pages and leave the site

By tracking your users' behavior, you can understand how users interact with your site. You can also identify any obstacles and the hooks that keep them on your site.

User Behavior and Search Engines

Every search engine uses complicated algorithms to determine its search rankings.

If you're new to the world of SEO, you may wonder why search engine results pages (SERPs) are ordered the way they are.

Well, you have the algorithms to thank for that.

The exact way these algorithms function is very technical and challenging (even for experienced SEO pros). Still, it's essential to have at least some understanding of how search engines collect and analyze data.

As I'm sure you know, Google is THE major search engine. Google has over 92% of the global search engine market share.

Luckily, Google is relatively open about the way it collects data.

First, Google uses automated software programs called bots or crawlers to crawl and index web pages. The information they find is stored on a database known as an index. When users type a query into Google, a request is sent to Google's index.

Before the search results are sent to the user, Google's algorithms get to work. The results are then displayed in an order determined by many ranking factors.

A massive list of ranked results is returned to the user within seconds.

Google's algorithms use more than 200 factors to work out these rankings.

Google also pays very close attention to user experience signals such as:

•  
• Click-through-rate (CTR)
• Bounce rate
• Conversion rate
• Navigation channels
• Session duration
• Session frequency

This is done to make sure that the search results are relevant to the user and that the content is valuable to them.

Google's Patent

In 2015, Google introduced a patent called "Modifying search result ranking based on implicit user feedback and a model of presentation bias."

This patent outlines how Google collects and uses behavior data to adjust search engine results rankings. The patent was a BIG deal within the SEO community as it signaled a change in how Google's algorithms worked.

Google brought a rank modifier engine to work alongside the original ranking algorithm. Its job is to re-rank results based on implicit user feedback, such as clicks on the SERPs.

The patent shows that Google can track many user behavior metrics (which I'll discuss shortly). It also highlights other mechanisms Google uses, like geolocation data, to return better search results based on the user's location.

User behavior data is critical to Google.

It uses the data to enhance both search result rankings and user satisfaction. If something's important to Google, it goes without saying that it's important to you, too. That's why analyzing user behavior is crucial to your overall SEO strategy.

User Behavior Metrics Explained

Now you know that user behavior is vital to your SEO strategy.

But how are you supposed to keep track of this?

That's where user behavior metrics come in.

They're valuable data points that give insight into how visitors interact with your site. They help you understand how users navigate, engage, and respond to your content.

Keeping track of them can enhance the user experience, boost conversions, and improve your search engine rankings.

User Behavior and Search Engines

Search engines, such as Google, employ complex algorithms to determine the ranking of web pages in search results. These algorithms consider more than 200 factors, including user behavior metrics, to provide relevant and valuable content to users.

Google uses automated bots to crawl and index web pages. Its algorithms then analyze user behavior signals like click-through rate (CTR), bounce rate, conversion rate, and more to determine rankings.

Google's commitment to enhancing user satisfaction by analyzing behavior data underscores the importance of understanding and optimizing user behavior for SEO.

User Behavior Metrics Explained

Let's take this a bit further and talk about some specifics.

Click-Through-Rate (CTR)

CTR measures the percentage of users who click on a link when it appears in search results. It indicates how well your page aligns with user intent and relevance.

Bounce Rate

Bounce rate indicates the percentage of users leaving a webpage without interacting. High bounce rates can signal poor user experience or irrelevant content.

Average Session Duration

This metric calculates the average time users spend on your site during a session. Longer durations suggest user engagement and satisfaction.

Conversion Rate

The conversion rate tracks the percentage of users who complete a specific action, such as signing up for a newsletter or purchasing. It's essential for measuring the effectiveness of your site's goals and objectives.

Insights and Actionable Tips

High CTR indicates that users find your content relevant. Optimize meta titles and descriptions for better alignment with user intent.

High bounce rates suggest issues with content relevance or user experience. Investigate and address these problems.

Longer average session durations indicate engaging content and a positive user experience. Focus on maintaining exciting content.

Conversion rates highlight the effectiveness of your site's goals. Monitor and optimize conversion paths to enhance user satisfaction.

By leveraging these user behavior metrics, you can gain valuable insights into user interactions, identify areas for improvement, and make data-driven decisions to enhance your website's SEO performance. 

Now it's time to try it out on your own! Explore funnels and paths today.