Measurement
GA4 for SEO: The Reports That Matter
Search Console shows what happens before the click. GA4 shows what happens after it.
Google Analytics 4 groups traffic into channels. Its Organic Search channel covers visits from non-ad links in organic search results, and Google’s documentation says that includes Google’s AI Overviews and AI Mode.
For SEO, the useful questions are simple: how many people arrive from search, where they land, and whether they do anything valuable.
Short answer: For SEO in GA4, use the Traffic acquisition report filtered to the Organic Search channel to see sessions from search, the Landing page report (with a session channel filter) to see which pages receive organic visits, and key events to see whether organic visitors enquire or buy. Use Search Console for queries, impressions and rankings; GA4 doesn’t show search queries.
Key Takeaways
- Organic Search in GA4 includes visits from Google’s AI Overviews and AI Mode.
- Visits from ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot and similar tools fall in a separate AI Assistant channel.
- Session-level channels show how a visit started; key-event channels use your attribution model.
- Mark enquiries and purchases as key events so you can see SEO’s business value.
- Use Search Console for queries; GA4 doesn’t show them.
Which channel is which
| Channel | What Google says it includes |
|---|---|
| Organic Search | Non-ad links in organic search results, including Google’s AI Overviews and AI Mode |
| AI Assistant | Visits from sources such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Deepseek, Copilot or Grok; excludes AI Overviews and AI Mode |
| Paid Search | Ads on search engines |
| Referral | Non-ad links on other sites |
| Direct | Saved links or typed URLs |
The reports to use
- Traffic acquisition: sessions by session default channel group; filter to Organic Search.
- Landing page: add a filter for session default channel group = Organic Search to see which pages bring search visitors.
- Key events: see which channels and landing pages lead to enquiries or sales.
- AI Assistant channel: track visits from AI chat tools separately.
Three channel dimensions
| Dimension | What it shows | Attribution |
|---|---|---|
| Session default channel group | How each session started | Last click (paid and organic) |
| First user default channel group | How the user first arrived | Last click (paid and organic) |
| Default channel group | Channels credited with key events | Your property’s model (data-driven by default) |
GA4 vs Search Console
| Question | Use |
|---|---|
| Which searches show my site? | Search Console |
| How often am I shown and clicked? | Search Console |
| What do search visitors do on the site? | GA4 |
| Do search visitors enquire or buy? | GA4 key events |
Next: how to track organic conversions in GA4.
Frequently asked questions
Does GA4 show keywords?
No. Use Search Console’s Performance report for search queries.
Is AI Overview traffic counted as organic in GA4?
Yes. Google’s default channel definitions include AI Overviews and AI Mode in Organic Search.
Where does ChatGPT traffic appear in GA4?
In the AI Assistant channel, according to Google’s default channel definitions.
Not sure what your data is telling you?
Request a free SEO audit. We’ll review your Search Console data and tell you what’s working and what to fix first.
Sources
- Analytics Help: Default channel group
- Analytics Help: Mark events as key events
- Search Console Help: Performance report (Search results)
Last reviewed October 14, 2026.
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