Knowing how to check website traffic is the foundation of every growth strategy. Without traffic data, you're flying blind — guessing which pages work, which channels matter, and whether your efforts are paying off.
Quick answer
The best free way to check your own website traffic is Google Analytics 4 + Google Search Console. GA4 shows you visitors, sessions, and behavior. Search Console shows you impressions, clicks, and rankings from Google search. For competitor traffic estimates, use SimilarWeb (free tier) or Ahrefs/SEMrush (paid).
This guide shows you how to check website traffic, compare website traffic tools, and monitor website visits that turn into signups. Whether you're launching a startup or optimizing an established site, you'll learn exactly which metrics matter and which tools to use.
Why tracking website traffic matters
Traffic data tells you three critical things:
- What's working: Which pages attract visitors, which sources send them, and what they do after arriving.
- What's broken: High bounce rates, low time on page, or traffic drops signal problems worth fixing.
- Where to invest: If SEO drives 80% of your signups, that's where to double down.
The compounding effect of traffic awareness
Teams that check traffic weekly make faster decisions:
- They catch ranking drops before they become catastrophic
- They identify viral content early and amplify it
- They stop wasting money on channels that don't convert
If you're building in public or running growth experiments, traffic data is your scoreboard.
Key metrics to understand
Before diving into tools, let's clarify what the numbers actually mean.
Traffic volume metrics
| Metric | What it measures | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Sessions | Total visits to your site | Overall reach and trend direction |
| Users | Unique visitors (deduplicated) | Actual audience size |
| Pageviews | Total pages loaded | Content consumption depth |
| New vs Returning | First-time vs repeat visitors | Loyalty and content quality |
Traffic quality metrics
| Metric | What it measures | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Engagement rate | Sessions that meet engagement criteria | Stronger GA4 engagement signal |
| Bounce rate | Sessions that were not engaged | Quick relevance check |
| Avg. engagement time | Time your site was in focus | Depth of attention |
| Pages per session | Navigation depth | Site structure effectiveness |
| Conversion rate | Goal completions / sessions | Business impact |
Traffic source metrics
| Metric | What it measures | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Organic search | Visitors from Google, Bing, etc. | SEO effectiveness |
| Direct | Typed URL or bookmark | Brand strength |
| Referral | Links from other sites | Partnership and PR value |
| Social | Twitter/X, LinkedIn, Reddit | Community reach |
Metric that matters most
For most startups, conversion rate by source is the single most actionable metric. A channel sending 100 visitors who convert at 10% beats a channel sending 10,000 visitors who never sign up.
GA4 engagement math (quick refresher)
In GA4, an engaged session lasts 10+ seconds, includes 2+ page/screen views, or triggers a key event. Engagement rate is engaged sessions / total sessions. Bounce rate is the inverse (non-engaged sessions / total sessions).
Sources:
Google Analytics 4: Step-by-step setup
Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is the industry standard for website traffic tracking. It's free, powerful, and integrates with nearly everything.
Step 1: Create a GA4 property
- Go to analytics.google.com and sign in with your Google account.
- Click Admin (gear icon) → Create Property.
- Enter your website name, timezone, and currency.
- Select your business size and objectives.
Step 2: Set up a data stream
- After creating the property, click Data Streams → Web.
- Enter your website URL and stream name.
- Copy the Measurement ID (starts with G-).
Step 3: Install the tracking code
Option A: Google Tag Manager (recommended)
- Add your Measurement ID to a new GA4 Configuration tag.
- Fire on all pages.
Option B: Direct installation
Add this to your site's <head>:
<!-- Google tag (gtag.js) -->
<script async src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-XXXXXXXXXX"></script>
<script>
window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || [];
function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);}
gtag('js', new Date());
gtag('config', 'G-XXXXXXXXXX');
</script>Step 4: Verify data is flowing
- Go to Reports → Realtime.
- Visit your site in another tab.
- You should see yourself as an active user shortly after.
Key GA4 reports to check weekly (to monitor website traffic)
- Acquisition → Traffic acquisition: See which channels drive sessions
- Engagement → Pages and screens: Find your top-performing pages
- Retention: Track new vs returning users over time
Google Search Console: SEO traffic insights
While GA4 shows all traffic, Google Search Console (GSC) shows specifically how you appear in Google search results.
What Search Console shows you
- Impressions: How often a link to your site appeared in search results
- Clicks: How often someone clicked from Google to your site
- CTR: Click-through rate (clicks ÷ impressions)
- Average position: The average ranking position of your link when it appeared
Sources:
Setting up Search Console
- Go to search.google.com/search-console.
- Click Add property and enter your domain.
- Verify ownership via DNS record, HTML file, or GA4 connection.
- Give it a little time for data to populate.
Weekly Search Console workflow
- Check Performance → Search results for impression and click trends.
- Filter by query to see which keywords drive traffic.
- Filter by page to see your top-performing URLs.
- Compare date ranges to spot growth or drops.
Pro tip: Find low-hanging fruit
Filter Search Console for queries where you rank positions 8-20 with high impressions. These are pages one small optimization away from page 1 traffic.
Free tools to check website traffic
If you want to see website traffic free without guessing, start with GA4 + Search Console, then layer in lightweight website traffic tools for monitoring.
Your own site
| Tool | Best for | Limitations |
|---|---|---|
| Google Analytics 4 | Full traffic picture | Requires installation |
| Google Search Console | SEO-specific insights | Only Google data |
| Cloudflare Analytics | Privacy-focused stats | Only if using Cloudflare |
| Plausible / Fathom (free tier) | Simple, privacy-first | Limited free features |
Modern website traffic tools (privacy-first alternatives)
If you want to monitor website traffic with a simpler, modern stack, these tools are popular among teams who want privacy-first analytics or self-hosted control:
- Umami: Open-source, privacy-focused web analytics that can be self-hosted, designed as a lightweight GA alternative.
- OpenPanel: Open-source analytics with privacy-first defaults and self-hosting or cloud options.
- PostHog: Open-source product analytics suite that includes web analytics, session replay, and experimentation with a generous free tier.
Adoption signals: Umami reports 20M+ downloads and 30K+ GitHub stars, and OpenPanel states it is used by thousands of companies.
Sources:
- Umami overview (open-source, privacy-focused, self-hosted)
- Umami usage metrics (downloads, stars)
- OpenPanel (open-source, privacy-first, self-hostable)
- PostHog open-source platform and feature set
Competitor sites (estimates only)
| Tool | What you get for free | Accuracy |
|---|---|---|
| SimilarWeb | Traffic estimates, top pages, sources | Directional (best for comparisons) |
| Ubersuggest | Basic traffic and keyword data | Limited free queries |
| Google Trends | Relative search interest over time | No absolute numbers |
Important caveat on competitor data
All third-party traffic estimates are approximations. Providers blend clickstream data, direct measurement partnerships, and modeling. Use them for:
- Relative comparisons (Site A vs Site B)
- Trend direction (growing vs declining)
- Ballpark sizing (thousands vs millions)
Never treat competitor traffic numbers as exact.
Paid tools for competitive analysis
If you need deeper competitor insights, these paid tools offer more robust data:
Ahrefs
- Best for: Backlink analysis + organic traffic estimates
- Traffic data: Estimates based on ranking positions × estimated CTR
- Pricing: Varies by plan
SEMrush
- Best for: Comprehensive competitive intelligence
- Traffic data: Clickstream-based traffic estimates and source breakdowns
- Pricing: Varies by plan
SimilarWeb Pro
- Best for: Market research and industry benchmarking
- Traffic data: Most detailed source breakdown
- Pricing: Custom (enterprise)
Which paid tool to choose?
| If you need... | Choose |
|---|---|
| SEO and backlinks focus | Ahrefs |
| All-in-one marketing suite | SEMrush |
| Industry-level market data | SimilarWeb Pro |
| Budget-conscious option | Ubersuggest |
How to check competitor website traffic
Here's a practical workflow for analyzing competitor traffic:
Step 1: Identify your competitors
- Search your main keywords and note who ranks on page 1
- Ask customers who else they considered
- Check who sponsors relevant newsletters or podcasts
Step 2: Use SimilarWeb (free tier)
- Go to similarweb.com
- Enter the competitor's domain
- Note: Total visits, traffic sources, top countries, top pages
Step 3: Cross-reference with Ahrefs or SEMrush
If you have a paid account:
- Enter the domain in the Site Explorer
- Check "Organic traffic" estimate
- Review "Top pages" to see what content drives their traffic
- Analyze "Organic keywords" for opportunity gaps
Step 4: Look for patterns
- Which content types rank best for them?
- Which keywords do they target that you don't?
- What's their traffic trend — growing or declining?
Use these insights to inform your own content strategy, not to copy blindly.
Common mistakes when checking traffic
1. Obsessing over vanity metrics
Pageviews feel good but don't pay the bills. Focus on:
- Conversion rate by source
- Revenue per session
- Customer acquisition cost by channel
2. Checking daily instead of weekly
Daily fluctuations create noise. Weekly comparisons show real trends. Monthly is even better for strategic decisions.
3. Ignoring bot traffic
Some traffic tools count bots. Watch for:
- Unusually low bounce rates (<10%)
- Suspiciously high session durations
- Traffic spikes from unexpected countries
4. Not tracking conversions
Traffic without conversion tracking is pointless. Set up goals in GA4:
- Go to Admin → Events → Create event
- Define the conversion (form submit, signup, purchase)
- Mark it as a key event in the Events list
5. Trusting competitor estimates too much
Third-party traffic numbers are directional, not absolute. A competitor "getting 100K visits" could actually be getting 50K or 200K.
FAQs
How do I check my website traffic for free?
Install Google Analytics 4 and Google Search Console. Both are free and provide comprehensive data about your visitors, sources, and search performance.
Can I see how much traffic a website gets?
For your own site, yes — use GA4 or your hosting analytics. For other sites, you can only get estimates from tools like SimilarWeb (free) or Ahrefs/SEMrush (paid). These estimates are directional and best for comparisons and trends.
What is a good amount of website traffic?
It depends entirely on your business model. A B2B SaaS might thrive with 1,000 monthly visitors who convert at 5%. An ad-supported blog might need 100,000+ for the same revenue. Focus on traffic quality and conversion rate, not raw numbers.
How often should I check my website traffic?
Weekly is the sweet spot for most sites. Check high-level trends weekly, dive deeper monthly, and review strategy quarterly.
Why is my website traffic dropping?
Common causes include: algorithm updates, lost backlinks, technical issues (site speed, indexing problems), seasonal trends, or increased competition. Start by checking Search Console for any notices or crawl errors.
How do I increase my website traffic?
Focus on: SEO content that matches search intent, directory listings for referral traffic, email to bring visitors back, and social/community presence for discovery. See our complete guide to driving website traffic.
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