How to identify pages losing traffic

Noticing a drop in organic performance? You can use Google Analytics 4 (GA4) and Google Search Console to identify pages that are losing traffic and investigate the cause. Follow these steps to find underperforming pages quickly and accurately.

1. Log in to Google Analytics 4

Go to analytics.google.com and log in.
Select the correct property from your account.

2. Go to the Pages and Screens Report

In the left-hand menu, click Reports.
Go to Engagement.
Click Pages and screens.
Ensure the primary dimension is set to Page path and screen class.

3. Set a Date Comparison

In the top-right corner, click the date range selector.
Choose a recent period (e.g., last 28 days).
Toggle on Compare.
Compare it to a previous period (e.g., previous 28 days or same period last year).
Click Apply.

4. Sort by Views or Users

Click on the Views or Users column to sort descending.
Look for pages showing a negative percentage change in the comparison column.
Identify significant traffic drops rather than minor fluctuations.

5. Filter for Organic Traffic Only (Recommended)

Click Add filter.
Set Session default channel group to Organic Search.
Apply the filter to focus only on SEO-related traffic changes.

6. Cross-Check in Google Search Console

Open Google Search Console in a new tab.
Go to Performance > Search results.
Click the Pages tab.
Set the same date comparison as in GA4.
Sort by Clicks difference to see which pages have lost search clicks.

7. Investigate the Cause

For pages with significant drops:

Check for keyword ranking declines.
Review recent content changes.
Look for technical issues (indexing, noindex tags, broken links).
Compare competitor performance for the same keywords.

8. Export the Data

In GA4 or Search Console, click Export.
Download the data as CSV or Google Sheets.
Use this to prioritise updates and recovery actions.

What are Google Analytics 4 and Google Search Console

Google Analytics 4 (GA4) and Google Search Console are two essential tools for monitoring website performance. GA4 focuses on user behaviour, showing how visitors interact with your pages, including metrics like views, users, engagement time, and conversions. It helps you understand what happens after someone lands on your site. Google Search Console, on the other hand, provides insight into how your website performs in Google Search results. It shows clicks, impressions, average position, and the queries driving traffic to each page. When combined, these tools give you a complete picture of performance. GA4 highlights traffic changes, while Search Console helps explain why those changes happened, such as ranking drops or reduced impressions. Using both together allows you to diagnose traffic losses accurately and take informed action.

Benefits of using GA4 and Search Console to identify pages losing traffic

Using GA4 and Search Console together helps you spot traffic declines early, understand the cause, and prioritise updates that protect your organic visibility.

1. Detect performance drops quickly

Date comparison features in GA4 and Search Console make it easy to identify sudden or gradual declines in page traffic. By reviewing percentage changes and click differences, you can quickly isolate underperforming pages before the issue significantly impacts leads or revenue.

2. Understand whether the issue is traffic or rankings

GA4 shows traffic changes, but Search Console reveals whether impressions, clicks, or keyword rankings have declined. This distinction is important. A ranking drop requires SEO optimisation, while reduced engagement may indicate content quality or user experience issues.

3. Make data-driven optimisation decisions

Instead of guessing which pages to update, you can focus on URLs showing measurable declines. This ensures your optimisation efforts target high-impact pages, improving efficiency and increasing the likelihood of recovering lost traffic.