Discover how to effectively view user trends by year and month in Google Analytics 4 (GA4) to analyze growth patterns and seasonal variations through a structured report.
Understanding User Trends by Year and Month in Google Analytics 4
Tracking user trends across different months and years is crucial for understanding your website’s growth patterns and seasonal variations. This analysis helps identify long-term trends, seasonal peaks, and potential areas for improvement in your digital strategy. We’ll show you how to create this essential report in Google Analytics 4
(GA4) to track your user growth over time.
Basic Report Structure
- Report Type: Free Form Exploration
- Primary Dimension: Year Month
- Metrics Focus: User counts and engagement metrics
- Visualization: Line chart and detailed data table
- Time Comparison: Enable year-over-year comparison
Steps to Create the Report
- Open
GA4
and navigate to the Explore section. - Click the Blank template to start a new exploration.
- Under the Dimensions, click the + button and search for Year Month, check the checkbox beside it, and click Confirm.
- Under the Metrics, click the + button and search for Total Users, New Users, and Average Engagement Time, check the checkboxes, and click Confirm.
- Drag Year Month to the Rows section of your report.
- Drag Total Users, New Users, and Average Engagement Time to the Values section.
- Click the Visualization tab and select Line Chart.
- Set your date range to cover your desired analysis period.
- Optional: Add a comparison period by clicking the Compare toggle in date settings.
Important Dimensions and Metrics
- Year Month - Primary time dimension for tracking monthly trends
- Total Users - Shows the overall user base for each month
- New Users - Indicates growth in new audience acquisition
- Average Engagement Time - Measures user interaction quality
Actionable Insights
- Identify months with the highest user growth to replicate successful strategies.
- Spot seasonal patterns to better plan content and marketing campaigns.
- Compare year-over-year growth to assess long-term business health.
- Use engagement time trends to evaluate content quality and user experience improvements.
- Detect declining months early to implement corrective actions.
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