What is direct traffic in Google Analytics?
Direct traffic in Google Analytics refers to visitors who navigate directly to a website by typing the URL into the browser or clicking on a bookmark. Direct traffic is an essential metric for tracking website performance, as it provides insight into user behaviour and can help indicate when marketing efforts are working.
Google Analytics also classifies any traffic sources it does not recognize as other traffic sources. This includes certain referral links, social media platforms, and campaigns with untagged URLs. Tracking this type of traffic allows website owners to monitor how users interact with their website and adjust their campaigns accordingly.
Direct traffic can come from different sources:
- If a visitor knows your URL and enters it directly into their browser’s address bar ;
- If a visitor has bookmarked your site or saved it as a favourite in their browser ;
- If a visitor clicks on a link contained in an email (a third person has shared the URL).