GA4 records every user interaction as an event with parameters. The move from sessions to events makes GA4 well suited to cross-device journeys but requires reconfiguring reports and goals from Universal Analytics.
Key differences from Universal Analytics
- Event-based, not session-based.
- Cross-platform (web + app) by default.
- Free BigQuery export for all properties.
- No default bounce rate — engagement rate replaces it.
Example
A retailer configures a GA4 conversion event for "purchase" and passes the transaction value in the event parameters. Revenue-by-channel reports become available without additional server-side tagging.
How SEM Optimiser reports it
GA4 data is imported through the Data API and joined with Search Console impressions so both search visibility and downstream user behaviour appear in one view.
Related terms
- GSC (Google Search Console)
Google Search Console is a free tool from Google that reports how a site appears in Google Search, including impressions, clicks, position, and indexing state.
- Organic Traffic
Organic traffic is the volume of visitors that arrive at a website by clicking a non-paid search engine result.
- Conversion Rate
Conversion rate is the percentage of visitors to a website who complete a defined goal, such as a purchase, sign-up, or lead form.
- Attribution
Attribution is the model that assigns credit for a conversion to one or more marketing touchpoints in the user's journey.