Organic vs other channels#
| Channel | Source |
|---|---|
| Organic search | Unpaid search results |
| Paid search | Search ads (Google Ads, Microsoft Ads) |
| Direct | Typed URL, bookmarks — and unattributed visits |
| Referral | Links from other websites (including many AI assistants) |
| Organic social / paid social | Social platforms, unpaid or paid |
| Newsletters and campaigns tagged with UTMs |
Where to measure it#
- Google Search Console — clicks, impressions, CTR and position for Google search specifically, by query and page.
- GA4 — Reports → Acquisition → Traffic acquisition, “Organic Search” channel; see what organic visitors do and whether they convert.
- Bing Webmaster Tools — the Bing and Copilot equivalent of Search Console.
Numbers won’t match exactly between tools — Search Console counts clicks, GA4 counts sessions, and consent banners or ad blockers affect analytics.
Growing organic traffic sustainably#
- Fix technical issues that stop pages being crawled and indexed.
- Target topics with clear intent you can genuinely satisfy.
- Refresh pages ranking in positions 5–20.
- Improve titles to lift CTR.
- Build topical authority and earn links.
Related: branded keywords, GA4 guide for SEO.