What is the Second Page in Google Analytics?

Chances are you've stared at a Google Analytics report wondering, "What do my visitors actually do after they land on a page?" The "Second Page" dimension in the old Universal Analytics was crucial for answering that question, but in Google Analytics 4, things look a little different. This article will show you what the "second page" concept really means, how to find these powerful user journey insights in GA4, and how to use that data to improve your website's navigation and keep visitors engaged.

What is the “Second Page” and Why Does It Matter?

The "Second Page" refers to the very next page a user clicks on after their initial landing page. Think of it as the first decision a visitor makes on your site. They’ve arrived, judged the book by its cover (your landing page), and now they’re deciding whether to venture deeper or head back to the Google search results.

This single data point is incredibly revealing:

• It tells you if your landing page delivered on its promise.
• It shows you which calls-to-action (CTAs) and internal links are working.
• It reveals potential dead ends or points of confusion in your user journey.

A visitor landing on your blog post titled "The ultimate guide to XYZ" and then clicking to your "XYZ Services" page is a fantastic sign. But a visitor landing on that same post and immediately clicking back to your homepage? That might indicate they didn't find the practical solution they were hoping for and are now reorienting themselves. Analyzing this first step is fundamental to understanding user flow and optimizing your conversion paths.

From Universal Analytics to GA4: The BIG Shift

In Universal Analytics (UA), finding this data was relatively straightforward using the Navigation Summary under the Pages reports. But Google Analytics 4 is a complete remodel, shifting from a pageview-centric model to an event-based one. This means there is no pre-built, one-click report called "Navigation Summary" or a dimension named "Second Page."

Don’t panic! While the label is gone, the capability is not. GA4’s Path exploration report is a far more powerful and flexible tool for getting these same insights and much, much more. Instead of just seeing the next page, you can visualize the entire user journey, multiple steps at a time, for any segment of users you want.

How to Find Second-Page Insights in Google Analytics 4

The key to unlocking user journey data in GA4 is the Explore section. This is where you can build custom reports that go far beyond the standard, out-of-the-box dashboards. Here’s how to build a report that shows you where users go after a specific page.

Using the Path Exploration Report: A Step-by-Step Guide

Follow these steps to visualize the most common "second pages" for your visitors.

Step 1: Navigate to the Explore Section In the left-hand navigation menu of GA4, click on Explore. This will take you to your exploration hub where you can create new reports or view previously saved ones.

Step 2: Create a New Path Exploration Report Click on the Path exploration template from the gallery. This will open a new, unsaved report with a default setup that you can customize.

Step 3: Define Your Starting Point The path exploration report is like a "choose your own adventure" for your data. You have to tell it where to begin. By default, it often starts with Session start.

• Click the Start over button in the top right of the report visualization.
• A choice will pop up: "Starting Point" versus "Ending Point." Select Starting point.
• Choose your starting node. A good option is to select Page path and screen class from the list of dimensions. This allows you to specify a URL path as your beginning.

Step 4: Filter Down to a Specific Landing Page You now have a massive path visualization showing how all users flow through your entire site. To find "second page" data, you need to isolate a single landing page.

• In the "Path exploration" graph you just created, hover over the dimension you wish to filter. Let's imagine one of your biggest landing pages is /blog/content-marketing-strategy. You click on it to select it.
• This action focuses the entire report, making that single page the starting point for all subsequent paths displayed on the report. Every page you see in "Step +1" is now a "Second Page" that a visitor navigated to from /blog/content-marketing-strategy.

The lines connecting the pages visualize the volume of traffic following that specific path. The thicker the line, the more popular the route. You can immediately see the most common "second pages," giving you a clear picture of user intent and the effectiveness of your CTAs.

What is Your Second Page Data Trying to Tell You?

Once you have the report built, the real work begins: interpretation. This data isn't just a set of stats, it’s a story about your users' experience. Here’s how to decipher what it's telling you.

A "Golden Path" is Being Traveled Consistently

What it looks like: A very thick line connects your landing page to another, highly relevant page. For example, a big chunk of visitors move from a product feature page to your pricing page, and then on to your sign-up page. What it means: Congratulations! Your navigation, content, and calls-to-action are perfectly aligned with user intent for that group. Your job here is to protect and enhance this path. Can you make the CTA even more prominent? Could you add social proof to the pricing page to increase conversions in the final step?

You Are Seeing High Drop-Offs

What it looks like: Below the list of "second pages," there is a large, gray bar labeled "Drop-offs." A significant portion of your users aren’t clicking anywhere else at all. What it means: This is a major red flag. Users are landing on the page and finding no compelling reason to continue their journey. Ask yourself:

• Does the page content match the promise of the ad or source link that brought them here?
• Is there a clear, single call-to-action above the fold?
• Is the page a "dead end" with no intuitive next steps or internal links?
• Is page load speed an issue, causing users to get frustrated and leave?

A quick sidebar for former Universal Analytics masters who may miss bounce rate as their go-to stat for these analyses – engagement rate in GA4 is a great alternative when you don’t have drop-off metrics on a particular report.

Visitors Are Taking An Unexpected or Confusing Detour

What it looks like: You expect visitors on a service page to click "Contact Us," but instead, a large number are navigating to your "About Us" page or back to the homepage. What it means: There’s a disconnect. They may be looking for information or trust signals that your service page is lacking. Maybe the service description is unclear, the pricing is missing, or they don’t yet trust your brand enough to reach out. Navigating to the "About Us" page is often a hunt for social proof, case studies, or brand legitimacy before they’ll feel comfortable converting.

How to Improve Your Second Page Experience

Finding the insights is one thing, acting on them is what drives growth. Use your path exploration findings to make targeted improvements.

1. Strengthen and Clarify Your Calls-to-Action

If users aren't taking the step you want them to take, your CTA is likely the cause. Make it ridiculously clear what you want them to do next. Use action-oriented language (Get a Free Demo, Read the Case Study, Shop the Collection) instead of vague terms (Learn More, Click Here). Ensure it’s visually distinct and positioned where the user's eye naturally falls after consuming the page's core content.

2. Build Smarter Internal Linking Networks

Pages should never be dead ends. Every blog post and landing page is an opportunity to guide users deeper into your site. If your path analysis shows high drop-offs on a blog post, scrub through the content and find relevant opportunities to link to other articles, product pages, or gated resources. This not only improves user flow but is also fantastic for SEO.

3. Align Page Content with User Intent

Think critically about the "why" behind a visit. Someone landing on an informational blog post, such as "What is a Funnel Chart?," is likely in a learning phase, not a buying phase. Hitting them with a hard "Buy Now" CTA might fail. A better next step would be a link to another article like, "how to create your own funnel charts." Matching the "second page" offer to the user's mindset on the "first page" is critical.

4. Simplify Your Website Navigation

Sometimes, unexpected journeys are a symptom of a confusing or overwhelming main navigation menu. If users constantly retreat to the homepage, it might be their only way to reorient themselves. Ensure your primary navigation is simple, logical, and uses clear, intuitive labels for each section. Less is often more.

Final Thoughts

While the "Second Page" label may be gone in Google Analytics 4, its spirit lives on in the potent Path exploration report. Mastering this tool bridges the gap between seeing what users do and understanding why they do it. By analyzing these critical first steps, you gain an actionable roadmap to fix leaky funnels, strengthen your content strategy, and build a website that elegantly guides visitors from curious prospects to happy customers.

Building these user flow reports, while powerful, can sometimes feel like a repetitive chore, especially when you need to analyze dozens of key landing pages every week. This is exactly why we created Graphed. We wanted to help you discover the valuable marketing information available in complicated dashboards, without spending countless hours and financial resources to come away with the same insights as before. Imagine asking questions in plain English, like "Show me the top pages people visit after my pricing page," and getting an instant, live-updating chart. Graphed connects to your accounts effortlessly, so that you can automate the busywork and stay engaged making the important decisions based on your accurate, beautiful charts and dashboards.