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Alongside bounce rate and average session duration, the “Pages per Session” metric in Google Analytics (“Views per session” in GA4) helps assess user behavior on your website.
But what should you do if this metric’s value is below 1?
Pages per Session: Definition
The “Pages per Session” metric signifies the average number of pages viewed by a user during each session, including repeated views of a single page.
Unsure about how to interpret this value? Here are some references:
- <1,5: Low
- 1,5 – 3,5: Good, average
- 3,5 – 6,0: Excellent
- >6,0: Exceptional
Keep in mind that evaluating this metric should consider your website’s specific characteristics and your business.
What Does a Value Below 1 Indicate?
If you notice that the average pages per session on your website is below 1 (e.g., 0.86), it’s highly likely that there’s a tracking issue. A value below 1 suggests that in some instances, users visited the website without viewing any pages!
Seems unlikely, right? Then why does Analytics show this data?
Typically, reports display this data when Analytics receives Events during a session, but no Pageviews.
Let’s explore situations where this tracking error can occur and how to resolve it.
1) Missing Google Analytics Tracking Code on Some Pages
First and foremost, ensure that the Google Analytics tracking code is correctly inserted on all pages of your website.
You may have configured your website as follows:
- Pageviews are tracked with the Google Analytics tracking code directly placed on the page, and
- Some events are sent to Analytics through another tool, such as Google Tag Manager.
In this scenario, if only the Google Tag Manager code is present on the page but not the Google Analytics code, only events configured with GTM will be tracked (which initiate the session), but no pageviews will be recorded. As a result, Analytics will record a session with events but with 0 pageviews.
2) Incomplete Cookie Consent Configuration
Have you chosen to block Analytics cookies until user consent is given to make your website GDPR-compliant? Ensure you’ve correctly set up blocking not only for pageviews but also for all events tracked in Analytics.
If the configuration is incomplete, the registration of pageviews will be correctly blocked when the user withholds consent, but Analytics will still receive triggered events and record a session. The result will be a situation like the one described above, with a session containing events but with 0 pageviews.
What About Google Analytics 4?
A curiosity: In Google Analytics version 4, the metric “Pages per Session” has become “Views per session” and includes the number of web pages or app screens viewed by users per session.
In addition to views per session and bounce rate, another new metric that allows you to assess user engagement is the “Engagement Rate,” which indicates the percentage of sessions with engagement. An engagement session is a website visit that:
- Lasts more than 10 seconds, or
- Includes a conversion event, or
- Records two or more pageviews.
If you haven’t yet configured a GA4 property for your website, we recommend doing so as soon as possible, as Universal Analytics properties will stop recording data in July 2023. Our suggestion is to implement tracking in both Universal Analytics and GA4 properties in parallel, allowing the new version of Google Analytics to begin data collection.
In the meantime, ensure correct data recording in your existing Universal Analytics properties by:
- Correcting excessively low bounce rates,
- Eliminating spam referrals,
- Analyzing direct traffic correctly.
If you need assistance with data analysis or implementing Google Analytics on your website, feel free to reach out to our agency for consultation.
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