# GA4 for SEO and AI Referral Cheatsheet

**Last updated:** 2026-06-19  
**Source:** https://www.lawrencehitches.com/ga4-seo-cheatsheet/

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The GA4 dimensions, metrics and reports that matter for SEO and AI referral, in one reference. Session source, landing page and key events are the core. AI traffic hides inside the Referral channel until you group it: filter Session source for chatgpt.com, claude.ai, perplexity.ai and copilot, then build one AI Referral channel. For the Claude rows specifically, see [claude referral traffic explained](https://www.lawrencehitches.com/claude-ai-referral-traffic/).

Build a dedicated AI channel group to separate AI traffic from the rest. Download PNG

## The GA4 dimensions and metrics that matter for SEO

| Dimension / metric | What it is | SEO use |
|---|---|---|
| Session source / medium | Where the visit came from | Isolate organic search and AI referral |
| Landing page | First page of the session | See which content earns sessions |
| Sessions | Count of visits | Traffic volume by page and channel |
| Engagement rate | Share of engaged sessions | Judge content quality |
| Key events / conversions | Goal completions | Tie SEO and AI traffic to outcomes |
| Channel: Organic Search | Google and Bing organic | Your core SEO channel |
| Channel: Referral | Visits from other sites | Where AI referrals currently land |

## Tracking AI referral: the source filters

AI traffic hides in Referral until you group it. Filter Session source for these and build one channel.

| Source contains | Tool |
|---|---|
| chatgpt.com | ChatGPT |
| claude.ai | Claude |
| perplexity.ai | Perplexity |
| copilot.microsoft.com | Microsoft Copilot |
| gemini.google.com | Gemini |

**Setup:** Admin > Data display > Channel groups > create an 'AI Referral' channel grouping those sources; segment by landing page; tie to key events for ROI. Full walkthrough in [how to measure AI search traffic](https://www.lawrencehitches.com/how-to-measure-ai-search-traffic/), and the [UTM and AI referral parameters cheatsheet](https://www.lawrencehitches.com/utm-parameters-cheatsheet/).

## Watch: how this works in practice

Tracking SEO and AI referral traffic properly.

Bookmark this GA4 for SEO quick guide: keep it handy for your next audit.

For platform-level reporting at scale, see the [enterprise SEO tools](https://www.lawrencehitches.com/enterprise-seo-tools/).

Skip the re-prompting with the [ready-made Claude SEO skills](https://www.lawrencehitches.com/claude-seo-skills/), free and open source.

Looking for more? Browse [browse all SEO cheatsheets](https://www.lawrencehitches.com/cheatsheets/) in one place.

For the full category, see the [Technical SEO cheatsheet](https://www.lawrencehitches.com/technical-seo-cheatsheet/).

## Frequently asked questions

### How do I track AI traffic in GA4?

Filter Session source for chatgpt.com, claude.ai, perplexity.ai and copilot.microsoft.com, then build a custom channel group called AI Referral so it reports as one channel instead of scattering through Referral.

### Which GA4 report shows landing pages?

Reports, then Engagement, then Landing page. Add a Session source filter to see which pages earn organic and AI referral sessions.

### How do I create a custom channel group in GA4?

Admin, then Data display, then Channel groups. Create a new group and add a channel whose condition matches the AI source domains, positioned above the default Referral channel.

### Does GA4 show ChatGPT traffic?

Yes. ChatGPT referral visits appear in GA4 as referral traffic with the source chatgpt.com, though a portion also lands as direct when users copy and paste the URL.

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*Lawrence Hitches is an AI SEO consultant in Melbourne and Chief of Staff at StudioHawk, Australia's most awarded SEO agency. Agent edition of this site: https://www.lawrencehitches.com/md/index.md*