In a recent 2–3 day web performance analysis project for lawn-care provider ExperiGreen, we dove into GA4 web analytics data to understand overall site performance and engagement. Using Google Analytics 4 (GA4) as our primary data source, we exported key reports and visualized them in Looker Studio (formerly Data Studio) before crunching numbers in Excel for deeper insights. The goal was not to target specific campaigns or audiences, but to diagnose how well the site was performing across channels and user behaviors. Our findings reveal where traffic is coming from, how visitors engage with content, and where conversions are happening – all of which provide actionable SEO insights and a clear path for optimization.

Tools & Methodology

To perform this analysis efficiently, we combined three tools:

• Google Analytics 4 (GA4): The cornerstone of our analysis. We extracted raw data on sessions, users, events and conversion activities. GA4’s reports on traffic acquisition, user engagement, and conversions guided our investigation (for example, GA4 defines “engaged” sessions as those >10 seconds, 2+ pageviews or a convers).

• Looker Studio: We connected GA4 to Looker Studio to build custom dashboards and charts, enabling us to quickly visualize trends (traffic by source, engagement over time, etc.). Looker Studio made it easy to iterate on queries and share interactive reports.

• Excel: Finally, we exported GA4 data to Excel for pivot-table analysis and calculated summary statistics. In Excel we could compare regions, segment new vs returning users, and compute conversion rates (e.g. submissions per session). This hybrid approach ensured we had both high-level visuals and detailed data validation.

Using these tools, we prepared a traffic source report, user engagement report, and conversion analysis. Below are the key insights by KPI, along with text-based charts/tables and recommendations.

Traffic Source & Top Regions

The GA4 Traffic Acquisition report showed that ExperiGreen’s largest traffic driver is Google / Organic Search. For example, GA4 recorded roughly 231K sessions from Google’s organic channel over the month (mostly from Georgia and Illinois). By contrast, untagged sources (“(not set)”) and direct traffic only contributed on the order of 5–10K sessions each. This indicates that SEO efforts are driving the majority of visits.

Importantly, the top-performing regions are Georgia and Illinois. For instance, Georgia alone accounted for ~230K sessions from Google Organic, while Illinois added ~11. This suggests high local interest in ExperiGreen’s service area. (In fact, GA4’s location reports confirm that the vast bulk of users come from these states.) In practice, this means marketing and content can be tailored to these markets. As one SEO guide notes, understanding which regions bring engaged traffic helps “adapt your content to the most promising markets”A simple table of top sources might look like:

• Google / Organic: ~85% of all sessions (GA & IL dominant)

• (not set) / Unidentified: ~3% of sessions (various states)

• (direct) / (none): ~1% of sessions (e.g. Ohio, Michigan)

Key takeaway: ExperiGreen’s traffic is overwhelmingly organic. SEO is clearly working, but the business should double down on content/keywords that drive Google search visits. Focusing SEO and local marketing (e.g. state-specific landing pages or ads) on Georgia and Illinois could amplify results.

New vs. Returning Users

GA4 defines “New Users” as visitors who have never been to the site before in the date range, and “Returning Users” as those who have visited previously. Our analysis showed that new visitors far outnumber repeat ones. For example, the page “Are Pets Safe Outside in Cold Weather?” received about 41,992 new users, whereas the page with the highest returning count (“Best Lawn Mowers”) only had 68 returning users.  Overall, the most-viewed pages are drawing tens of thousands of fresh visitors, while returning visitors are in the dozens.

This indicates strong reach but an opportunity to increase loyalty. Actionable insight: review why so few users are coming back. Possible steps include adding email capture or retargeting audiences to convert new visitors into repeat visitors. GA4’s user-type metrics helped us see this imbalance and prioritize pages with lots of new traffic but few returners.

Engagement (Bounce Rate & Average Time)

GA4 no longer reports “Bounce Rate” in the old sense; instead, it uses Engagement Rate (inverse of bounce). In GA4, a session is considered “engaged” if it lasts >10 seconds, has 2+ page views, or includes a conversion.  Thus, “Bounce Rate = 100% – Engagement Rat.” In our data, engagement rates were moderate: for top sources (e.g. Google/organic), only ~37–61% of sessions were engaged (meaning 39–63% “bounced”).For example, in Illinois we saw an average engagement of just ~0.36 (i.e. 36%). These figures tell us many users leave quickly.

Average on-site time (GA4’s Average Engagement Time per Session) was also fairly low. In Georgia, users averaged ~1 minute 56 seconds, but in Texas only 14 seconds per session. (Georgia’s longer sessions drove the site-wide average up; several states saw engagement under 1 minute.) The relatively short durations suggest that some pages aren’t fully capturing attention. As GA4 documentation notes, this metric “shows the time spent engaged with your website per session”

Key takeaway: Many visitors leave before engaging deeply. To reduce bounce and boost average time, improve on-page content (especially for states like IL/TX where time is very low, add internal links or calls-to-action, and ensure the first 10 seconds hook the user. Better content and UX will drive up engagement metrics as GA4 expects more than a few seconds and pageviews to count as “engaged”

Conversion (Thank-You Page Rate)

For ExperiGreen, the primary conversions are form submissions and click-to-call phone actions (both tracked in GA4). Our GA4 conversion report (via Looker Studio) showed:

• Form Submissions: 194 total form submission events, from 151 unique users (≈1.29 events per user).

• Phone Calls: 84 total call events, from 62 unique users (≈1.38 events per user).

These raw numbers let us compute conversion rates relative to sessions. Given ~230K sessions, a form conversion rate is roughly 0.08%, and a call conversion ~0.04%. These rates are quite low, suggesting friction in the funnel. GA4 helped isolate these figures by marking the Thank-You page as a conversion event.

Looking deeper, the data pointed out issues: for example, many sessions had no conversion at all, even when engaged. In particular, the anonymous “(not set)” source had high sessions but 0 conversions. This suggests problems like unclear CTAs or hard-to-complete forms.

Key takeaway: Use these conversion metrics to guide optimization. Both our analysis and best-practice CRO guides emphasize making it easy to convert. We recommend actions like simplifying the form, making CTAs prominent, and streamlining call buttons (see below). The goal is to lift those low conversion rates by reducing user effort – as one industry analysis notes, shorter forms generally yield higher conversions by reducing friction.

Key Recommendations

Enhance Regional Personalization

Observation: ExperiGreen offers services across multiple regions, including Chicago, Charlotte, and Detroit.

Recommendation: Implement geo-targeted content to cater to specific regional audiences. For instance, highlight region-specific services or testimonials on local pages. This personalization can improve user engagement and SEO rankings in those areas.

2. Optimize Call-to-Action (CTA) Placement

Observation: The “Get a FREE Instant Quote” CTA is present but could be more prominently displayed.

Recommendation: Position CTAs above the fold and ensure they are consistently visible as users scroll. Utilize contrasting colors and compelling language to draw attention.

3. Improve Mobile Responsiveness

Observation: While the website is mobile-friendly, some elements, like navigation menus and forms, can be optimized for smaller screens.

Recommendation: Conduct a mobile usability audit to identify and rectify issues. Ensure that buttons are easily tappable, forms are streamlined, and content is legible without zooming.

4. Streamline the Quote Request Process

Observation: The quote request form requires multiple fields, which might deter potential customers.

Recommendation: Simplify the form by only asking for essential information initially. Consider implementing a multi-step form to make the process feel less overwhelming.

5. Leverage Customer Testimonials

Observation: Positive customer reviews are present but not prominently featured.

Recommendation: Showcase testimonials on the homepage and relevant service pages. Incorporate star ratings and customer photos to build trust and credibility.

6. Enhance Content with Visuals

Observation: Service descriptions are text-heavy.

Recommendation: Integrate high-quality images or short videos demonstrating services, before-and-after scenarios, or team introductions. Visual content can increase user engagement and time spent on the site.

7. Implement Live Chat Support

Observation: There’s no immediate way for visitors to ask questions in real-time.

Recommendation: Introduce a live chat feature to assist visitors promptly. This can improve user experience and potentially increase conversion rates.

8. Regularly Update the Blog Section

Observation: The blog provides valuable information but lacks recent updates.

Recommendation: Maintain a consistent blogging schedule with topics relevant to seasonal lawn care tips, pest control, and company news. Fresh content can boost SEO and establish authority in the industry.

9. Optimize Page Load Speed

Observation: Some pages have large images that might affect loading times.

Recommendation: Compress images without compromising quality and leverage browser caching. Tools like Google PageSpeed Insights can provide specific recommendations.

10. Highlight Certifications and Affiliations

Observation: ExperiGreen has industry affiliations, but they aren’t prominently displayed.

Recommendation: Showcase certifications, awards, and affiliations on the homepage and about us page to build trust with potential customers.

Implementing these recommendations can significantly enhance ExperiGreen’s online presence, user experience, and conversion rates. Regularly monitoring website analytics will further inform ongoing optimization efforts.

Conclusion

This case study illustrates how website data analysis can uncover clear paths to improvement. By leveraging GA4 web analytics with Looker Studio and Excel, we identified that ExperiGreen’s SEO is strong (organic Google traffic is dominant), but user engagement and conversions need work. The data pointed to practical fixes: enrich content, simplify forms, highlight CTAs, and optimize for top regions. In the words of conversion optimization experts, success comes from “research and analysis” rather than guesswork A data-driven approach like this – monitoring traffic sources, user engagement, and conversion events – provides actionable SEO insights and guides ongoing optimization. By iterating on these insights, ExperiGreen (or any site) can steadily improve performance, boost engagement, and increase conversions.