In a nutshell, ‘Paid traffic’ is what Google determines as traffic that comes from individuals clicking on your adverts.

Paid adverts can be…

  • Those marked as ‘Sponsored’ or ‘Ad’ within Google’s search engine results
  • Shopping ads appearing in the ‘Shopping’ section of Google’s search engine results
  • Any social media adverts
  • Any video adverts
  • Affiliate links

 

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I see my website’s paid 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 paid traffic your site receives by clicking on ‘Paid’.

I can’t see any ‘Paid Traffic’ in my GA4 account

If you can’t see any direct traffic in your GA4 account then you don’t currently have any paid traffic. However, if you are certain that you are running adverts 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 paid traffic metrics?

You can improve your paid traffic metrics by...

  • Improving your ads and ad copy
  • Improving the landing pages that your paid adverts use to make them more relevant
  • Improve the quality score of your paid advert
  • Create more paid adverts in the location that works best for your target audience
  • Create more affiliate links

Published: 6th Feb 2024

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