How to See Non-Blog Traffic from Organic vs PPC in Google Analytics 4

To create a report in Google Analytics 4 (GA4) that shows non-blog traffic from organic versus paid search, follow these steps:

Step 1: Create an Exploration Report

1. Go to the Explore Section:
   • In the GA4 interface, click on “Explore” in the left-hand navigation.
2. Create a New Exploration:
   • Click on “Blank” to start a new exploration report.
3. Add Dimensions:
   • In the Variables column on the left, click “Dimensions.”
   • Click the “+” icon to add new dimensions. Add the following dimensions:
     • “Session medium” (to distinguish organic vs. paid).
   • Click “Import” to add these dimensions to the report.
4. Add Metrics:
   • Click “Metrics” in the Variables column.
   • Click the “+” icon and add relevant metrics such as:
     • “Sessions”
     • “Total users”
     • “Checkouts” (optional)
     • “Total revenue” (optional)
   • Click “Import” to add these metrics to the report.

Step 2: Set Up Filters and Segments

1. Add the Non-Blog Traffic Audience as a Segment:
   • Click on “Segments” > “+” > “User segment”.
   • Set the conditions to Include users not in blog pages:
     • Name it “Non-Blog Traffic”.
     • Under “Include users when” click “Add new condition” and search then choose “Page path + query string”.
     • Click “+ Add filter” then choose the condition “does not contain” and add blog to the blank box below it then click “Apply”.
     • Click “Save and apply” in the top right.

Step 3: Build the Report

1. Add Rows and Columns:
   • Drag the “Session medium” dimension to the Rows section.
   • Drag relevant metrics (e.g., Sessions, Users) to the Values section.
2. Visualize Data:
   • You can choose different visualization options like tables, line charts, or bar charts depending on your preference.
   • The table will show sessions and other metrics for “organic” vs. “cpc” traffic filtered to only include non-blog traffic.

Step 4: Save and Share the Report

1. Save the Exploration:
   • Click the back arrow button at the top left (don’t worry, the report will be saved in your list as “Untitled exploration”).
   • Click the three dots next to your report, click “Rename” and name it “Non-Blog Traffic”.
   • If you want to share the report, click the three dots next to your report, click “Share” (optional).

GA4 can be confusing and it is not as intuitive as Universal Analytics was, so I wanted to write this out step by step to show you how to begin using the “Explorations”. You can substitute whatever metrics, dimensions, and segments with specifically what you want to see.