Author | Lightnews

Dana DiTomaso

Dana DiTomaso

@danaditomaso.com

1.2K followers 320 following 140 posts

I'm just a girl standing in front of GA4 asking it to make sense. Helping you level up your analytics and digital marketing skills. https://linktr.ee/danaditomaso

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

Dana DiTomaso @danaditomaso.com · Sep 17

Every time I show GA4 reports to non-analysts, the conversation stops at "Unassigned" traffic.

"What does that mean? Is our tracking broken?"

Then we end up discussing Google's weird terminology instead of discussing actual performance.

There's a better way... 🧵

#analytics #GA4 #marketing

Dana DiTomaso @danaditomaso.com · 1d

I would assume but I haven't tried it yet either.

Dana DiTomaso @danaditomaso.com · 1d

Here's how to approach this:

1. Add an annotation documenting the launch
2. Watch New Users for bumps (not daily, don't go wild)
3. Prepare stakeholder language if questions come up

Nothing dramatic, just aware monitoring.

And you can find my expanded thoughts here: kpplaybook.com/resources/go...

When a New Browser Launches: What I See in Google Analytics for ChatGPT’s Atlas

Atlas just launched, and I'm testing how it affects Google Analytics. Here's why you might see a 'new users' spike that isn't actually new traffic—and what to watch in your GA4 data.

Dana DiTomaso @danaditomaso.com · 1d

This is privacy-preserving behavior working correctly. Browsers shouldn't share cookies with each other.

But it creates an analytics interpretation challenge: Your stakeholders see "new users up 15%" and think growth.

You know it's just people trying a new browser.

Dana DiTomaso @danaditomaso.com · 1d

But here's the important part: when you import your Chrome data into Atlas, you get bookmarks + passwords + history. Great!

You know what you DON'T get? Cookies.

Which means GA4 can't recognize you as a returning visitor. You're "new" again, even if you've been visiting that site for years.

Dana DiTomaso @danaditomaso.com · 1d

We installed Atlas yesterday to test the analytics behavior. First thing I checked: user agent string.

Result? Identical to Chrome. EXACTLY the same. Which means GA4's Browser dimension is going show Atlas as "Chrome" not as its own thing.

Dana DiTomaso @danaditomaso.com · 1d

New browser! Exciting! But I need to talk about something I'm seeing with ChatGPT's Atlas browser because I have thoughts 🧵👇

The short version: if you serve tech-savvy audiences, your GA4 "new users" metric is about to get weird for a few weeks.

Dana DiTomaso @danaditomaso.com · 14d

Full walkthrough here: youtu.be/l_gz2SRrMec

If you're dealing with this, hope the video helps. Reply if you have questions or comments, and I will share updates if I find better solutions or if Google fixes this.
#analytics #GA4 #dataQuality

How to Filter GA4 Spam Traffic (Started Oct 7 2025 - Here's the Fix)

YouTube video by Analytics Playbook: Analytics Workshops & Courses

Dana DiTomaso @danaditomaso.com · 14d

I just recorded a quick video showing how to filter it out using browser version segments in GA4 explorations. It's not perfect - browser version isn't available as a custom dimension outside explorations (GA4 limitation) - but it's what we've got for now.

Dana DiTomaso @danaditomaso.com · 14d

Here's what's happening: People are seeing massive spikes in organic search traffic in GA4, but Search Console is completely flat. The engagement rate is terrible. It's spam traffic coming from Chrome 139.0.0.0 on Windows 10.

@rustybrick.com covered it here: www.seroundtable.com/ga4-surge-or...

Google Analytics Showing Surge In Organic Search Traffic But Search Console Flat

There are a nice number of reports of GA4, Google Analytics, showing a huge surge in organic search traffic over the past couple of days, but Google Search Console is not showing any increase, it rema...

www.seroundtable.com

Dana DiTomaso @danaditomaso.com · 14d

Guess what! You might have spam traffic flooding your GA4. Just started this week because of course it would, right before a long weekend. 🙃 (Thanksgiving here in Canada)

Thread on the spam traffic spike you might be seeing (and how to filter it out) 👇🧵

Reposted by Dana DiTomaso

Sitebulb @sitebulb.com · 15d

Stop Explaining GA4 Unassigned Traffic - Rename Confusing Channels - via @danaditomaso.com #seo

Stop Explaining GA4 Unassigned Traffic - Rename Confusing Channels

Turn GA4's confusing "Unassigned" traffic into clear, professional reports. Learn how to rename default channels for better client communication and meeting efficiency.

Dana DiTomaso @danaditomaso.com · 15d

Thanks for sharing!

Dana DiTomaso @danaditomaso.com · 22d

The difference this makes is incredible. Clean platform names, easy totals, professional reports that make you look good.

Here is the full breakdown with all the regex patterns: kpplaybook.com/resources/tr...

Questions? Ask away!

#analytics #GA4 #socialmedia #marketing

How to Track Social Media Traffic in GA4 | Step-by-Step Tutorial

Learn how to create custom channel groups in Google Analytics to properly track and report on social media traffic.

Dana DiTomaso @danaditomaso.com · 22d

Here's the process:

1. Create custom channels for each platform using regex patterns (I have a list for you!)

2. CRITICAL: Reorder these channels ABOVE "Organic Social"

3. GA4 processes top-to-bottom, so order = everything

Dana DiTomaso @danaditomaso.com · 22d

The fix is a custom channel group, and they aren't difficult to set up, BUT the channel order matters! If you don't reorder them correctly, your lovely new channels never get used.

Dana DiTomaso @danaditomaso.com · 22d

GA4's default channel grouping system wasn't designed for how social platforms actually work.

When someone clicks your link from the LinkedIn mobile app vs desktop vs a shortened link, GA4 sees three different sources instead of just one LinkedIn channel.

Dana DiTomaso @danaditomaso.com · 22d

Okay, social media managers, let's talk about something that's probably making your life way harder than it needs to be.

GA4 lumps ALL your social media traffic into one generic "Organic Social" bucket. When you try to see which platforms are actually performing, your reports become a mess.

🧵 👇

Dana DiTomaso @danaditomaso.com · 25d

Here is my full breakdown with step-by-step guides: kpplaybook.com/resources/re...

And the replay of the webinar where I went over this process: www.youtube.com/watch?v=qw0z...

Questions? I genuinely want to hear about your GA4 experiences!

#analytics #GA4 #marketing #AIanalysis

Referral Traffic in GA4: AI Tools + Privacy Framework [Webinar Recap]

Learn to track AI referral traffic in GA4 with privacy compliance. Dana's complete framework from recent webinar covers tracking, analysis & legal considerations.

Dana DiTomaso @danaditomaso.com · 25d

The framework I shared in my recent webinar works because it acknowledges LLM limitations while leveraging their pattern recognition strengths.

Your business context is what turns AI-identified patterns into actual strategic insights.

Dana DiTomaso @danaditomaso.com · 25d

Here's what to do:

1. Create a custom channel group in GA4 using my regex pattern (10 minutes of hands-on time)

2. Set up text highlighting tracking for AI Overviews (another 15 minutes)

3. Build a framework for AI data analysis

(And check with legal first to make sure you can use AI)

Dana DiTomaso @danaditomaso.com · 25d

Here's the thing that really gets me excited: AI traffic is QUALITY traffic.

Visitors from AI tools show higher engagement rates, spend longer on the website, and view more pages than your average visitor.

This isn't just a measurement exercise - it's a revenue opportunity hiding in your data!

Dana DiTomaso @danaditomaso.com · 25d

🧵 AI tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity are sending visitors to your site right now, but they're buried in your referral traffic, or worse Unassigned (because these platforms don’t know how to properly set UTM parameters).

Thread below 👇

Dana DiTomaso @danaditomaso.com · 29d

Hey friends! I'm hosting a free webinar October 21st with @britneymuller.bsky.social, discussing what marketers get wrong about AI.

I'm really looking forward to it. You can register here, it's free! www.linkedin.com/events/73727...

LinkedIn Login, Sign in | LinkedIn

Login to LinkedIn to keep in touch with people you know, share ideas, and build your career.

www.linkedin.com

Dana DiTomaso @danaditomaso.com · Sep 21

Didn't take long to make a new friend at #brightonSEO. Who else will I see here this week?

Dana DiTomaso @danaditomaso.com · Sep 17

We used to say tab hoarders but then we were thinking that's a bit making fun of the actual mental illness so let's come up with something better.