In a nutshell, ‘Direct traffic’ is what Google determines as traffic that comes directly to your website.
Visitors who have typed in the URL of your website into their website address bar and clicked ‘Go’. Visitors who have not searched in a search engine, haven’t come from clicking on adverts or social posts, they have come directly to your website.
Another example of direct traffic is when people come to your website via a bookmark that the website visitor has created on their browser.
Website visitors from direct sources have…
- usually heard of you or your business before
- are existing customers
- or they have been interested in your product/service before but have yet to have converted.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I see my website’s direct traffic?
Head to your website’s Google Analytics account.
Within GA4 all types of traffic can be found under ‘Acquisitions’ > ‘All Traffic’ > ‘Channels’.
You can focus purely on the direct traffic your site receives by clicking on ‘Direct’.
I can’t see any ‘Direct Traffic’ in my GA4 account
If you can’t see any direct traffic in your GA4 account then you don’t currently have any direct traffic. However, unless your website is brand spanking new, you should have direct traffic coming to your website. After all, I am sure you have visited your website yourself.
If you have visited your website yourself then you may need to double-check your Google Analytics account to ensure that the tracking has been set up correctly.
Don’t forget to amend the calendar range to ensure you are looking at the right dates.
How do I improve my direct traffic metrics?
You can improve your direct traffic metrics by...
- By showcasing your website URL on print material
- By making your website’s URL easy to remember so that people are encouraged to type it in and head to you directly
- You can suggest in your marketing efforts that people should ‘Bookmark’ your site in case they need your services in the future.
Published: 6th Feb 2024