Next Action in Funnel Explorations
Funnel explorations in GA4 have a number of handy features, including the next action option.
When you create a funnel in GA4, one of the options in the settings panel is next action. That will show you a list of the most common actions users in the funnel took as their next step. Here’s an example from our own site, of users who triggered the begin_checkout event—when they add a course to their cart to purchase.
How next action helps you improve your funnels
Most marketers focus on drop-off rates, but next action reveals the "why" behind user behavior. Instead of just knowing that 30% of users dropped off after adding to cart, you can see exactly where they went:
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Did they navigate to your FAQ page? (Potential trust issues)
- Did they go to your pricing page? (Pricing confusion)
- Did they trigger a "view_item" event on a different product? (Cross-selling opportunity)
Add your desired dimension (Event Name, Page Path, etc.) to the Dimensions section first, then drag it into the Next Action area in the Settings. Hover over any funnel step to see the top 5 next actions instantly.
Most of the dimensions that you can use on a funnel exploration can be added as a next action. The ones that we use most often are page path and event. Try it out in your funnels today!
WEBINAR
Uncovering AI Insights in Your GA4 Data
Many marketers don’t realize how much AI-driven traffic is already hitting their site or how invisible it is in GA4.
Join Dana as she breaks down how to track and analyze AI-powered visits from tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity and how to spot traffic from AI Overviews, Featured Snippets, and People Also Ask. She will also walk you through her favorite AI prompts for analyzing GA4 data. You’ll learn:
- How to identify and measure AI-generated traffic in GA4
- JavaScript methods to capture what standard reports miss
- How to use AI tools to surface patterns and opportunities in your data
If you care about content strategy or measurement, this session will help you get ahead.
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Break Free from the CRO Hamster Wheel: How to Run Tests That Drive Real Growth
If your CRO tests aren’t working, it might not be your CTA! It might be your lack of emotional insight.
Talia Wolf argues that most marketers are stuck testing surface-level elements (like button colors or headlines) without understanding the emotions driving customer behavior. And that’s the real issue.
You might know your customer’s job title or device, but do you know how they feel before buying? What are they afraid of? What do they hope your solution will help them feel instead?
💡 Talia’s emotional targeting framework starts with two simple, but game-changing questions:
- What is the customer feeling right now?
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What do they want to feel after using your product or service?
Get the answers through methods like review mining, voice-of-customer surveys, and social listening, then build your experiments. That’s how you move beyond the “guess-and-test” hamster wheel and start optimizing pages that actually convert.
Read the full recap for more on emotional targeting and smarter CRO strategy →
How do you run competitor ads in Google the right way?
Don't just toss in a couple of brand names and hope for the best. If you're going to target competitor keywords, you need a plan.
Here’s how to do it right:
- First, create a separate campaign just for competitor terms. That way you can control the budget and clearly see what’s working.
- Next, send people to a comparison landing page. It makes your ad more relevant and helps potential customers see why you're the better choice.
- Be clear about your edge. Whether it's better support hours or lower pricing, highlight what you offer that your competitors don’t.
- Turn off automatically created assets. Google can grab text from your landing page, including competitor names, and stick it in your ad. That’s a fast way to get flagged or disapproved.
Trying to run smarter ads without wasting budget? Start here. 🎥
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Articles worth reading
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🐸 Goodbye ContentKing: My free SEO alert system using Screaming Frog
Nick LeRoy built a DIY alert system using Screaming Frog + Python after ContentKing's post-acquisition fade-out. The setup runs daily crawls, flags broken external links (like busted "Apply Now" buttons), and only sends alerts when something actually needs fixing. Best of all? No Conductor subscription required.
Grab the free starter kit + walkthrough →
📣 19 rules for successful Meta Advertising in 2025 and beyond
Jon Loomer breaks down what really matters for Meta Ads in today’s algorithm-driven landscape. Spoiler: It’s not targeting hacks or shiny new settings. From “Keep it Simple” to “Your Ads Do the Targeting,” Jon’s list is packed with practical, battle-tested guidance for results that scale—like letting results (not gut feelings) guide you, and giving Meta multiple creative options so the algorithm can do its thing.
Get all 19 rules here →
🐊 The great decoupling (or why your clicks are down and impressions up)
Does your Google Search Console chart look like a crocodile, with impressions rising while clicks drop? That’s The Great Decoupling, and Ryan Law explains how AI Overviews are changing the rules. Your content can show up twice (blue link + citation), but users get their answers without clicking. It’s time to rethink how we measure success in SEO.
See the data + what it means→
🔗 The case for zero-click content in a zero-trust ecosystem
When platforms suppress links and dark social hides referrals, chasing clicks becomes a losing game. Amanda Natividad lays out the case for zero-click content: valuable, standalone posts that earn trust and algorithmic reach without relying on a click. It’s not “never link”, it’s “don’t depend on the link.” And in a world where attribution is broken, it might be the only strategy that actually builds momentum.
Rethink what success looks like →
🚨 Confirmed - ChatGPT uses Google SERP snippets for its answers
No surprise: ChatGPT relies on Google’s search snippets to generate answers. Aleyda Solis ran a clean test showing her content only appeared in ChatGPT after it was indexed by Google (not Bing), and the AI’s response matched Google’s snippet exactly. Yet another reason SEO’s not dead and why Google’s index still drives the web.
See Aleyda’s full test →
📈 Introducing the Google Trends API (alpha): a new way to access Search Trends data
Google just launched an official Trends API, offering up to 5 years of search interest data with consistent scaling, flexible time ranges, and geographic filters. For anyone researching content or analyzing topics, this could be a much simpler way to tap into the insights Google Trends has long provided without scraping or workarounds.
Access is limited for now, but you can apply to join the alpha testing group →
Reporting & Looker Studio Training at brightonSEO
Tired of templated dashboards that don’t answer your real marketing questions? Join Dana DiTomaso at brightonSEO San Diego for a full-day Reporting & Looker Studio workshop on September 22.
You'll learn how to turn messy data into custom, high-impact reports your team will actually use. From foundational setup to advanced features, this hands-on session will walk you through creating meaningful, actionable reports with Looker Studio.
👉 Enroll now →