In a recent update, Google Analytics has added a new medium to its default channel group.
Traffic referred to a site via a recognised AI assistant will not be grouped under “AI Assistant”.
Google has named ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude as examples of recognised AI assistants that will fall into this category, although they have not yet published a full referral list.
This means traffic from tools such as Grok, Perplexity and other AI platforms may also be categorised this way.
Until now, this type of traffic has typically appeared under “Referral”.
This can make it difficult to identify the true source of traffic, as visits from AI tools are grouped alongside referral traffic from other third-party sources.
By separating AI assistant traffic into its own channel within Google Analytics, this should make it easier to see how many users are discovering your website through AI tools.
These changes will happen automatically, so website owners utilising Google Analytics to track performance metrics don’t need to configure anything.
At Engage Web, this is something that we have already been doing for our clients.
We have created custom channel groups within Google Analytics to separate traffic from AI Tools, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook Organic Social and other specific sources.
This allows us to give our clients a clearer picture of where their website traffic is really coming from, and what is driving performance.
For example, if a business is investing in search engine optimisation (SEO), Facebook Ads or advertising through an online newspaper, accurate channel grouping makes it easier to see which channel is bringing the most traffic and contributing to the most conversions.
Instead of grouping all third-party traffic together, each channel can be measured separately. This helps clients see where their budget is being spent most effectively and help them to make informed decisions about future marketing spend.
Do you need help understanding where your website traffic is coming from? Reach out to the team at Engage Web today.
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