URL segment analysis helps you understand how different sections of your website perform by comparing traffic patterns, engagement metrics, and conversion rates across multiple URL segments simultaneously. This analysis reveals which parts of your site drive the most value and where optimization efforts should focus.
Before you start
You need:
- A connected Google Analytics 4 property in Settings → Connections
- At least 30 days of traffic data for meaningful comparisons
- Starter plan or higher (8 credits per analysis)
If you haven't connected Google Analytics 4 yet, follow the connection guide.
What you can analyze
URL segment analysis provides comprehensive comparison across:
Performance metrics:- Total sessions and page views per segment
- Average engagement rate and session duration
- Bounce rates and exit rates
- Conversion rates and revenue contribution
- How each segment acquires visitors
- Channel performance by URL pattern
- Organic vs paid traffic distribution
- Engagement patterns per segment
- User journey patterns through segments
- Content consumption by section
- Revenue generated by each segment
- Conversion rates compared to site average
- Value per session by section
Analyzing URL segments
To compare URL performance:
- Go to Insights in the main navigation
- Select Google Analytics 4 from the submenu
- Choose URL segment analysis
- Select your date range (defaults to last 30 days)
- Enter URL segments to compare (2-10 segments)
- Click Analyze
The analysis typically takes 15-30 seconds and costs 8 credits.
Defining URL segments
URL segments let you group pages for comparison:
By category:/products/- All product pages/blog/- All blog content/support/- Help and documentation
/guides/- Educational guides/case-studies/- Customer stories/resources/- Downloadable resources
?utm_campaign=summer-sale- Specific campaign pages/landing/- All landing pages/promo/- Promotional content
/checkout/- Checkout process/account/- User dashboard/pricing/- Pricing pages
Understanding segment metrics
Each segment shows:
Traffic volume - Total sessions visiting pages in this segment. Higher traffic segments need more attention since they impact more users. Page views - How many pages within the segment users viewed. Higher page views suggest engaged, exploring users. Engagement rate - Percentage of engaged sessions. Industry average is 50-70%. Lower rates suggest content relevance or user experience issues. Average session duration - Time users spend in this section. Longer duration typically indicates valuable, engaging content. Bounce rate - Percentage of single-page sessions. High bounce rates (above 60%) suggest users aren't finding what they need. Pages per session - How many pages users view within the segment. Higher values show engaged exploration. Conversions - Conversion actions completed in or after visiting the segment. Track which sections drive business results. Revenue contribution - Total revenue attributed to the segment. Shows which sections generate business value. Conversion rate - Percentage of sessions that convert. Compare to site average to identify high and low performers.Comparing performance
The analysis highlights differences between segments:
Top performers - Segments with above-average engagement, conversion rates, or revenue. Study these for insights to apply elsewhere. Underperformers - Segments with below-average metrics. These are optimization priorities. Traffic distribution - Which segments receive the most visits. Ensure high-traffic areas are optimized since they have the most impact. Engagement gaps - Differences in how users interact with each section. Reveals which content types resonate best.Common use cases
E-commerce optimization:Compare product category performance. Identify which categories drive the most sales, which have high bounce rates, and where to focus merchandising efforts.
Content strategy:Compare blog topics, guide categories, or content types. Understand what content engages your audience and generates leads.
Landing page analysis:Compare campaign landing pages or paid traffic destinations. Optimize underperforming pages and replicate successful patterns.
Conversion funnel optimization:Compare key funnel steps like pricing page, checkout, and confirmation. Identify where users drop off.
Site section evaluation:Compare main website sections like shop, learn, support. Ensure critical sections meet user needs.
Optimizing based on insights
For high-bounce segments:- Review content quality and relevance
- Improve page load speed
- Add clearer calls to action
- Enhance internal linking to encourage exploration
- Match content to user intent from traffic source
- Test different content formats
- Add interactive elements
- Improve readability and structure
- Update outdated or thin content
- Add multimedia (images, videos)
- Clarify value propositions
- Reduce friction in conversion process
- Add trust signals and social proof
- Test different calls to action
- Improve mobile experience if device-specific
- Improve internal linking from high-traffic pages
- Enhance SEO optimization
- Promote through email or social channels
- Consider if segment is truly valuable
- Consolidate or remove if consistently low value
Advanced filtering
Refine your analysis with URL filters:
Prefix matching:Analyze all URLs starting with a pattern. Example: /blog/guides/ for all guide articles.
Find URLs with specific keywords. Example: sale to find all sale-related pages.
Complex patterns for precise matching. Example: ^/products/[^/]+/$ for product detail pages only.
Remove test pages, admin sections, or other URLs that skew results. Example: exclude /test/ or /admin/.
Best practices
Choose meaningful segments:- Pick segments that align with business goals
- Compare similar content types for fair analysis
- Include your most important sections
- Limit to 3-5 segments for clearest insights
- Run analysis monthly to track trends
- Compare same segments over time
- Watch for seasonal patterns
- Monitor impact of changes
- Use insights to prioritize optimization
- Set improvement goals for underperforming segments
- Test changes and measure impact
- Document what works and replicate across segments
- Some segments naturally have higher bounce rates (contact pages)
- Consider user intent for each segment
- Account for seasonal variations
- Look at segment relationships, not just individual performance
Combining with other data
Get deeper insights by correlating with:
Traffic source analysis - Understand which channels drive traffic to each segment and optimize acquisition strategy. User path analysis - See how users navigate between segments and optimize flow. Site speed data - Correlate performance issues with engagement problems. Content suggestions - Identify optimization opportunities within underperforming segments.Common questions
How many segments should I compare?Start with 3-5 key segments. Too many makes patterns harder to spot. Focus on your most important sections first.
What date range should I use?30 days provides a good balance of data volume and recency. Use 90 days for seasonal businesses or lower-traffic sites.
Can I analyze individual pages?Yes, though URL segment analysis is designed for comparing groups. For individual page analysis, use content performance analysis instead.
Why do metrics differ from Google Analytics?ConvertMate and GA4 may calculate some metrics slightly differently or use different time ranges. Trends matter more than absolute numbers.
Can I track changes over time?Run the same analysis periodically and compare results. Look for improving or declining trends in key metrics.
What's next
After analyzing URL segments:
- Analyze user paths to understand navigation between segments
- Check site speed for underperforming segments
- Review content performance for specific pages
- Analyze conversion paths to understand segment contribution
Need help with URL segment analysis? Use the chat widget in the bottom-right corner or email support@convertmate.io.