Whether you are already using Google Analytics to track your website data or not, it’s important for you to know the terms of the metrics to understand fully the information Google Analytics provides.
When starting, it can be overwhelming. But we advise you begin with the basics. Below is a glossary that defines the metrics most commonly found in Google Analytics reports.
Bounces – represents a Session with only one Page View. Whether it’s a bad thing depends on the webpage content. Some visitors enter the site on the one page of content they want, but you’ll mostly want to limit bounces.
Bounce Rate – represents the percentage of single-page sessions (Total Bounces divided by Total Sessions).
Exits – signify the number of Sessions that ended on a specific web page or group of web pages. Exits are different from bounces as they occur in all sessions as opposed to denoting single page sessions.
Pages per Session – denote the average number of Page Views during a Session (Total Page Views divided by Total Sessions). They measure the depth of a Session and can be a measure of engagement.
Page Views – represent anytime one of your website pages is viewed (loaded) in a browser. Multiple views of the same Web page are counted in this metric. They measure traffic volume over time on a page level.
Session – represent the full timespan a Visitor spends on a particular site from when the first page is loaded to when a Visitor either leaves the site, closes the browser, or times out from 30 minutes of inactivity.
Time on Page – is the average amount of time in seconds a Visitor spends on a particular page, which can measure how long/much users are engaging with a web page’s content.
Unique Page Views – signify the number of Visits during which the specified page was viewed at least once. Each web page can garner only one Unique Page View per visit.
Unique Sessions – represent the number of unique web browsers that access a website during a specified period. Helpful for long-term analysis to see how many new visitors you are attracting.
Session Duration – the average amount of time in seconds of a Visit.