Google Analytics 4 measures SEO and AI traffic properly only after a few settings are changed from their defaults: enquiries and sign-ups marked as key events, a custom channel group that separates AI assistants from ordinary referrals, Search Console linked, data retention extended, internal traffic filtered, and consent handled. With those in place, you can report visits, conversions and landing pages for organic search and AI assistants side by side. This checklist covers each setting and where to find it.
The settings that matter
| Setting | Where | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Key events | Admin, Events, mark as key event | Count enquiries, sign-ups and purchases by channel |
| AI assistants channel group | Admin, Data display, Channel groups | Separate AI referrals from other referrals |
| Search Console link | Admin, Product links, Search Console links | See queries and landing pages alongside engagement |
| Data retention | Admin, Data collection and modification, Data retention | The default is two months for exploration data; set 14 months |
| Internal traffic filter | Admin, Data streams, Define internal traffic, then Data filters | Exclude your team’s visits |
| Enhanced measurement | Admin, Data streams | Site search, scrolls, outbound clicks and file downloads |
Key events
Mark the actions that matter to the business as key events: contact form submissions, calls from click-to-call, WhatsApp clicks, sign-ups, purchases. If your form shows a thank-you page, an event on that page view is simple and reliable; otherwise use a form submission event from your tag manager.
The AI assistants channel
Create a custom channel group, copy the default channels, and add a channel named “AI assistants” above Referral, with the condition that session source matches this regular expression:
chatgpt\.com|chat\.openai\.com|perplexity\.ai|gemini\.google\.com|copilot\.microsoft\.com|claude\.ai|meta\.ai
Order matters: if the channel sits below Referral, AI visits are counted as referrals. Add new assistants as they appear in your referral reports. The wider tracking method is in tracking brand mentions for free.
Reports to build
- Sessions and key events by your custom channel group, monthly
- Landing pages for the AI assistants channel: which pages assistants send people to
- Landing pages for organic search, with key event rates
- Search Console queries and landing pages, in the linked reports
A dashboard combining these is described in the Looker Studio guide.
Consent and privacy
- Analytics cookies collect personal data. In India, the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 requires notice and consent for processing personal data; show a clear cookie notice and respect choices.
- If you have visitors from the European Economic Area, implement Google’s consent mode, which Google requires for certain features and measurement there.
- Do not send names, emails or phone numbers into GA4; Google’s policies prohibit personally identifiable information in analytics.
Common mistakes
- No key events, so reports show traffic but not results
- AI referrals mixed into Referral
- Default two-month retention, which limits year-on-year exploration
- Staff visits and testing inflating numbers
- Form events firing on page load instead of submission
Frequently asked questions
Why do some AI visits show as direct?
Some apps and browsers do not pass a referrer. ChatGPT often adds utm_source=chatgpt.com to links, which helps, but part of AI traffic will always appear as direct.
Does GA4 show AI Overviews clicks separately?
No. Clicks from AI Overviews and AI Mode appear as Google organic. Search Console includes them in its totals.
Can we track conversions from AI assistants accurately?
Partly. Combine the AI channel with self-reported “How did you hear about us?” answers for a fuller picture.
Sources
- Google Analytics Help: key events, custom channel groups, data retention, internal traffic, Search Console integration
- Google Analytics Help, consent mode
- Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023