Web Analytics Glossary
Understand every term in your analytics dashboard. Plain-language definitions for all the metrics and concepts that matter.
B
Bounce Rate
The percentage of visitors who leave your website after viewing only one page. A high bounce rate may indicate that visitors aren't finding what they're looking for.
C
Conversion
When a visitor completes a desired action on your website, such as making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, or filling out a contact form.
Cookieless Tracking
A method of tracking website analytics without storing cookies on visitors' devices. This approach is more privacy-friendly and doesn't require consent banners.
Core Web Vitals
A set of metrics from Google that measure user experience, including loading performance (LCP), interactivity (FID), and visual stability (CLS).
D
Direct Traffic
Visitors who arrive at your website by typing your URL directly into their browser or using a bookmark. This traffic has no referrer information.
E
Exit Page
The last page a visitor views before leaving your website. Unlike bounce rate, this applies to all sessions regardless of how many pages were viewed.
G
GDPR
General Data Protection Regulation. EU legislation that governs how personal data must be collected, stored, and processed. Requires consent for tracking cookies.
L
Landing Page
The first page a visitor sees when they arrive at your website. This is where they "land" after clicking a link or entering your URL.
O
Organic Traffic
Visitors who find your website through unpaid search engine results. This traffic comes from Google, Bing, or other search engines.
P
Page View
A count of how many times a page on your website is loaded or viewed. If a visitor refreshes a page, it counts as an additional page view.
Pageviews per Session
The average number of pages viewed during a single session. Higher values typically indicate more engaged visitors.
R
Real-Time Analytics
Analytics data that is processed and displayed immediately as events occur, showing you what's happening on your website right now.
Referrer
The website or source that sent a visitor to your site. For example, if someone clicks a link on Twitter to your site, Twitter is the referrer.
S
Session
A group of interactions that take place on your website within a given time frame. A session ends after 30 minutes of inactivity or at midnight.
Session Duration
The total amount of time a visitor spends on your website during a single session. Calculated from the first page view to the last.
T
Traffic Source
The origin of your website visitors. Common sources include direct, organic search, paid search, social media, email, and referral.
U
Unique Visitors
The number of distinct individuals who visit your website during a specified time period. Each person is counted only once, regardless of how many times they visit.
UTM Parameters
Tags added to URLs to track the effectiveness of marketing campaigns. Common parameters include utm_source, utm_medium, utm_campaign, utm_term, and utm_content.
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