How to Use Google Analytics 4 for Paid Search

The lines between organic and paid search are blurring. GA4 empowers you to bridge the gap.

By analyzing organic search traffic sources alongside paid search data, you can identify high-performing keywords that are already driving organic traffic.

According to Moz, 70% of Paid Search Traffic Comes from Keywords Already Ranking Organically.

In addition, partnering with an SEO service provider can unlock even greater potential for your website.

They can leverage the data to refine your website content and technical SEO, ensuring a seamless user journey from organic discovery to paid conversion.

What is Paid Search in GA4?

Paid Search in Google Analytics 4 (GA4) refers to the traffic that comes to your website through paid search advertisements.

This traffic comes from the user click that you have paid for. It comes from platforms such as Google Ads, Bing Ads, or any other search engine marketing services.

The ads appear on the search engine result page (SERP) whenever users search the relevant query or data.

According to Semrush, 73% of e-commerce businesses get paid search traffic by keeping the relevant keywords.

GA4 categorizes paid search traffic in the ‘Acquisition’ section. This helps you know the real performance of the paid advertisement.

Here are some key metrics that you can track for paid search:

• Session: The session helps you understand how many times the user visited your site from the paid search ads.
• Users: The user par allows you to know the exact number of users who visited your site under paid search ads.
• Engagement: How users interact with your site after arriving via paid search, including metrics like engagement time, pages per session, and bounce rate.
• Conversions: The number of goal completions, transactions, or other defined conversions that resulted from paid search traffic.

How Does GA4 Define Paid Search Traffic?

In Google Analytics 4 (GA4), Paid Search traffic is defined as the visits to your website that originate from paid search advertisements. These ads are typically placed on search engine results pages (SERPs) through platforms like Google Ads, Bing Ads, and more.

Here’s how GA4 identifies and categorizes Paid Search traffic:

Identificatification of Paid Search Traffic:

Source/Medium Parameters

• Source: This indicates the origin of the traffic, such as Google, Bing, Yahoo, and many more.
• Medium: Medium specifies the type of traffic, such as ‘CPC’ (cost-per-click), PPC (pay-per-click), or paid search.

Automatic Identification

• Google Ads Linking: If you have linked your Google Ads account with GA4, then traffic coming from your Google Ads account campaign will automatically be categorized as a paid search.
• Automatic Tagging: Automatic ads can be enabled when you use Google Ads. This appends special parameters to your URLs. Then GA4 reads these parameters to analyze the paid search.

Differences Between Paid Search and PPC in GA4

Paid Search: This is used to explain site visitors. This is produced by subsidized listings on search engines like Google and Yahoo. The narrow category focuses on clicks that drive users to your site from search engine ads.

Identification in GA4: It is identified with the source being the search engine (eg: Google and Bing) and the medium being CPC (cost-per-click)

Pay-per-click, or PPC: 

PPC is a widespread term for any online advertising and marketing in that you are charged a fee each time a user clicks on your advertisement.  PPC clicks originate from a variety of resources in addition to search engines. Such as:

• Social media ads: Facebook Ads, Instagram Ads, etc.
• Display advertising: Banner ads on other websites.
• Email marketing clicks: When someone clicks a link in a marketing email you sent.

Related: Top 5 Ways to Get PPC and SEO Working Together

Identification in GA4:

Identified with medium typically being ‘CPC’ or ‘PPC’. The source could be a search engine or another platform that offers PPC advertising (e.g., Facebook, LinkedIn).

Image Source- Outreach Monks

Setting Up Google Analytics 4 for Paid Search

1. Create a GA4 Property

If you haven’t already created a GA4 profile, comply with these steps:

• Go to the Google Analytics Website.
• Click on “Admin” inside the lower-left corner.
• In the “Account” column, pick the account you need to use.
• In the “Property” column, click “Create Property.”
• Follow the prompts to set up your new GA4 property.

Image Source- Google Help

Image Source- Search Engine Land

2. Add the GA4 Tracking Code to Your Website

• Go to “Admin” > “Data Streams” > “Web” for your GA4 property.
• Click on your web data, move, and copy the Measurement ID ( starts with “G-“).
• Add the GA4 tracking code to your website’s header. You can do this manually or use a tag manager like Google Tag Manager.

3. Link Google Ads to GA4

Linking your Google Ads account to your GA4 property so that GA4 can robotically track and categorize your Google Ads traffic as Paid Search.

• In GA4, go to “Admin” > “Product Links” > “Google Ads Linking.”
• Click on “Link” and follow the prompts to link your Google Ads account.
• Ensure you enable auto-tagging in your Google Ads account. This is typically found in “Settings” > “Account Settings” > “Auto-tagging.”

4. Configure UTM Parameters for Non-Google Ads

For different paid search systems, like Bing Ads, manually tag your URLs with UTM parameters. Use the following structure:

The key parameters are:

• utm_source: The source of the traffic (e.g., Google, Bing).
• Utm_medium: The medium has to be ‘CPC’ or ‘paid search’ for paid search.
• Utm_campaign: The marketing campaign is called, which facilitates identifying the specific campaign.

5. Create and Configure Events for Conversions

Set up events and conversions to track actions that matter to your business.

• In GA4, go to “Configure” > “Events.”
• Click on “Create Event” to set up new events if needed.
• To mark an event as a conversion, go to “Configure” > “Conversions” and toggle the switch next to the event you want to track as a conversion.

6. Validate and Test Your Setup

Ensure your setup is working correctly by testing it:

• Use the GA4 DebugView to monitor events and conversions in real time.
• In your browser, visit your tagged URLs and verify that sessions are being recorded correctly in GA4.

7. Analyze Paid Search Traffic

To analyze your Paid Search traffic:

• Go to the “Reports” section in GA4.
• Under “Acquisition,” you can view “Traffic Acquisition” and filter by Session medium to focus on ‘CPC’ or ‘paid search.’
• Create custom reports or use explorations to dive deeper into the performance of your Paid Search campaigns, analyzing metrics like sessions, users, engagement, and conversions.

8. Optimize and Adjust

Regularly evaluate your paid search performance data in GA4. Use insights to modify your campaigns, optimize ad spend, and improve concentration and bidding techniques.

By following those steps, you can successfully set up and leverage GA4 to track and analyze Paid Search site visitors. This helps you make data-driven decisions to enhance your advertising efforts.

Where to Find Paid Search Traffic in GA4?

In your Google Analytics 4 account, go to Reports > Acquisition.

For instance, Paid Search is found under Session default channel groups on the Traffic Acquisition page. You can use several metrics, including total revenue, to analyze the traffic from your paid search ads.

Conversion data is also available in the GA4 advertising section. You can compare conversions based on pre-defined channel groups, such as Paid Search, as displayed below. Hover your mouse cursor over the graph to see more information.

Conclusion

Effectively utilizing Google Analytics 4(GA4) for Paid Search is for optimizing your online advertising efforts and driving better business outcomes. By meticulously setting up GA4 and leveraging its robust feature, you can gain comprehensive insight into your Paid Search traffic, identify high-performing keywords, and fine-tune your campaign for maximum impact.

Also Read: How to Master the Features of GA4 Even if You’re a Beginner

FAQs

How to see paid keywords in GA4?

To see paid keywords in GA4, navigate to the ‘Acquisition’ section, then go to ‘Traffic Acquisition’. Use the “Session source/medium” and add “keywords” as a secondary dimension. This will display the keywords driving paid search traffic to your site.

What is Google paid search?

Google Paid Search refers to advertisements on Google’s search engine result page (SERPs). Advertisers bid on keywords, and their ads and displayed when users search for those terms. They pay for each click on their ads, known as pay-per-click (PPC).

What is an Example of Paid Search?

An example of a Paid Search is a Google Ads campaign where a business bids on the keyword “running shoes.” When users search for “running shoes” on Google, the business’s ad appears at the top of the search results, and they pay each time a user clicks on the ad.

How Can I Find My Paid Traffic in GA4?

In GA4, find your paid traffic by going to ‘Report’ > Acquisition’ > “Traffic Acquisition.” Filter by the session medium to focus on CPC or paid search. This section will provide insights into how paid search campaigns are performing.