In GA4, a “session” refers to a group of user interactions with your website within a given time frame. This metric means more sessions on your site are generally good. More sessions mean users spend time on your site, meaning one (or both) of the following things:
- Your site is gaining new users.
- Users are returning to your site because they find it useful.
“Sessions per user” can help you determine which of the two is truer by deciding how many sessions each user has on your site. If this number is less than one (1), then you may have more new users. If it’s greater than one (1), more users may return than visiting for the first time. Depending on your site, you may want to shift this metric one way or the other.
Q: How can I increase sessions on my site?
A: Both new and returning users can help you increase the number of sessions accounted for in your GA4 analytics. Investing in both audiences is crucial to extending your site’s reach and retaining the attention of users you already have.
Example: If you’re trying to promote a page about an event for veterans seeking benefits, Facebook may promote your ad to users who have shown an interest in local veterans’ affairs, state and federal veteran benefits, veteran events, etc.
- Create new content regularly: Every piece of content is a new reason for users to visit your website. Whether you’re updating a blog, uploading new press releases, or posting information on an upcoming event, these are all new opportunities for users to engage with your site. Creating new content has several benefits–long-term search potential, short-term potential via social media promotions and email, and the potential to continually grow your email subscribers, which will, in turn, drive more traffic.
- Create evergreen content: Another way to improve pageviews is by creating “evergreen content.” That content will still be relevant for months, perhaps even years. Pages of “evergreen content” help your site become a trusted one for people looking for that information, which may, in turn, help it rank higher in search engines like Google. Users may also bookmark these pages for future reference since they know they will stay relevant, which will increase pageviews.
- Optimize your content for search engines: Aside from keywords, several factors affect how high your website ranks on search engines. These attributes include:
1. Titles that match what people are searching for
2. Compelling, high-quality meta descriptions
3. Internal links to and from essential pages... and more!
Learn more about SEO standards >
Build external links: Search engines like Google and Bing rely on other websites to inform their algorithms of the importance of sites. By linking your website to trusted external pages, you’re letting search engines know that your site is part of a trusted network of pages, which may lead to search engines ranking your page higher so that more users can find it and come to your site. And more users means more sessions.
Example: CT.gov’s pages already link to thousands of credible places like the Massachusetts Institute for Technology (MIT), the University of Connecticut (UConn), our 501c3 partners, and more. Outbound links boost page rank, and this growth organically happens because we’re a .gov site with its authority.
Another great way to link to your site externally is through social media posts; this strategy is one of the easiest ways .gov agencies can do it. Always, or often, make sure to link back to your site when crafting social media posts.
A note: Ct.gov is competing with private sites that may use paid Google or social media ads to outrank your agency site. Since most state agencies don’t use paid ads to promote their content. It is important to follow the suggestions above to compete for search engine results and elevate your site’s domain authority.
Learn more about search engine optimization that can help improve your site’s sessions >