Overview

Follow this guide to learn how to compare the attribution data in Google Analytics 4 before going live with Elevar and after going live to see the benifit of implementing Elevar!

By examining the Traffic Acquisition Report, you can evaluate the effectiveness of different channels and campaigns in driving traffic, and measure the impact of new tools or strategies on user acquisition. This guide will walk you through how to access and analyze attribution data in GA4, both prior to and after going live with Elevar, to assess any changes in traffic patterns and campaign performance.

What are Traffic Acquisition Reports?

The Traffic Acquisition Report in Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is a tool for analyzing where your website and app traffic originates. This report provides detailed insights into traffic sources, allowing you to compare data before and after significant changes, such as the implementation of Elevar.

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Read More: Traffic Acquisition Reports

Follow this guide to learn more about Traffic Acqusition Reports!

How to Compare Attribution Data in Google Analytics 4 Before Going Live with Elevar

Access Prior to Launch Traffic Acquisition Report:

• Begin on your Google Analytics 4 homepage and use the left-hand menu to click on the "Reports" tab.
  • Once in the Reports settings, an additional left-hand navigation menu will appear. Locate and click on the "Acquisition" tab.
  • Use the drop-down menu and click on the "Traffic acquisition" tab.

Customize Traffic Acquisition:

• Once in the Traffic Acquisition overview settings of your Google Analytics 4 account, locate and click on the date range in the upper right-hand corner of the page.
  • A calendar selection window will appear, locate and select a single date on the calendar. Ensure that you select a date that is prior to going live with Elevar. Once you have selected a date to analyze, click on the "Apply" button in the lower right-hand corner of the calendar window.
• Navigate to the section of the page where you can select a channel grouping and use the drop-down menu and click on the "Session Primary Channel Grouping (Default Channel Grouping)" tab. This is the channel grouping that is created by default from Google, however you can also select a custom channel grouping for this data comparison.
  • (See Figure 1)

_Figure 1_

View Attribution Data:

• Once you have selected a date, you will be able to see your attribution traffic data from prior to going live with Elevar.
  • (See Figure 2)

_Figure 2_

How to Compare Attribution Data in Google Analytics 4 After Going Live with Elevar

Access Prior to Launch Traffic Acquisition Report:

• Begin on your Google Analytics 4 homepage and use the left-hand menu to click on the "Reports" tab.
  • Once in the Reports settings, an additional left-hand navigation menu will appear. Locate and click on the "Acquisition" tab.
  • Use the drop-down menu and click on the "Traffic acquisition" tab.

Customize Traffic Acquisition:

• Once in the Traffic Acquisition overview settings of your Google Analytics 4 account, locate and click on the date range in the upper right-hand corner of the page.
  • A calendar selection window will appear, locate and select a single date on the calendar. Ensure that you select a date that is after you have gone live with Elevar. Once you have selected a date to analyze, click on the "Apply" button in the lower right-hand corner of the calendar window.
• Navigate to the section of the page where you can select a channel grouping and use the drop-down menu and click on the "Session Primary Channel Grouping (Default Channel Grouping)" tab. This is the channel grouping that is created by default from Google, however you can also select a custom channel grouping for this data comparison.
  • (See Figure 3)

Figure 3

View Attribution Data:

• Once you have selected a date, you will be able to see your attribution traffic data from after going live with Elevar.
  • (See Figure 4)

_Figure 4_

Comparing Attribution Data and Analyzing Results

Once you have created and examined the datasets from the Traffic Acquisition Reports in Google Analytics 4, one from before and one from after implementing Elevar, you can compare the data to evaluate the benefits of Elevar.

Compare Custom Channel Groupings:

• If you have set up custom channel groupings for your traffic acquisition reports, you can analyze the performance of specific marketing channels. This enables you to see how each channel has performed before and after the Elevar implementation.
  • For example, if you have assigned traffic to categories like “Direct/none” or “Facebook/Paid,” you can track how these traffic sources have changed since implementing Elevar.

Evaluate Key Metrics:

• Focus on critical metrics such as the percentage of “Direct/none” traffic and the share of traffic from paid sources.
  • Ideally, “Direct/none” traffic should constitute less than 35% of your total traffic. If it exceeds this threshold, it may indicate a lack of clear attribution for your marketing efforts.

Focus on Top Channels:

• To get a betting understand for your analysis, focus the top four or five channels from both datasets for comparison. This should reveal whether there has been an improvement in attribution accuracy and channel performance after implementing Elevar.

Assess Over Consistent Time Periods:

• For a more accurate assessment, analyze data from consistent time periods—ideally, 7 to 14 days. This timeframe helps smooth out any anomalies and provides a clearer view of Elevar’s impact on your attribution data.