Introduction

Measuring user engagement accurately is crucial for evaluating the effectiveness of advertising campaigns. Our time spent metric provides a detailed and continuous measurement of how long users interact with content after clicking an ad. This article explains how we track time spent, how it differs from Google Analytics 4 (GA4), and why variations may occur between platforms.

How we measure time spent

The Readpeak platform’s ping-based tracking system ensures a more precise and continuous measurement of user engagement. Here’s how it works:

Ping-based tracking

• Our tracking code sends pings every few seconds while the user remains on the site.
• This enables real-time tracking of actual time spent.

Multi-page tracking

• We track time spent across all pages that contain the tracking script, not just the initial landing page.
• This approach provides a holistic view of user engagement throughout their journey.

Calculation method

• The total time spent is calculated as an average across all visited pages after an ad click.
• The system tracks:
  a) Total time spent by all users
  b) Number of unique ad clicks

Segmented data for optimization

• Engagement data is collected for each combination of site, ad, and device type (desktop, mobile, tablet).
• This granular segmentation allows for precise campaign adjustments.

Tracking script options

• We provide both consent-requiring and consent-free tracking scripts.
• The measurement methodology remains consistent across both options.
• The key difference is coverage:
  • Consent-requiring script: Tracks across multiple pages within the same domain.
  • Consent-free script: Only tracks engagement on the landing page.

This comprehensive approach ensures a more accurate representation of user engagement beyond traditional click and bounce rate metrics.

How our time spent differs from GA4

Google Analytics 4 (GA4) has a different methodology for measuring user engagement, which can result in discrepancies between our ‘time spent’ metric and GA4’s reported engagement time.

How GA4 measures engagement time

Engagement metrics
A session is considered “engaged” in GA4 if the user:

• Spends more than 10 seconds on the site
• Triggers a conversion event
• Views multiple pages/screens

Average engagement time per session

• Measures the time your site or app is in focus (actively viewed by the user)

Foreground focus

• GA4 pauses the engagement timer if the user switches tabs, minimizes the browser, or becomes inactive
• This may underreport actual time spent if users are still engaged but have switched windows

Session definition

• Sessions end after 30 minutes of inactivity
• If a user returns after 30 minutes, GA4 starts a new session, which can split tracking data

Why our time spent may be higher or lower than GA4

We may report higher time spent if users engage across multiple pages or switch between active/inactive browsing sessions.
GA4 may report lower engagement time due to its stricter focus on foreground activity.

Why this matters

• Advertisers using our platform gain a more complete picture of how long users are engaging with their content post-click.
• Combining GA4 insights with our data provides a more holistic view of user engagement.
• Higher time spent on our side doesn’t mean GA4 is incorrect—it’s just a different measurement approach.

Best practices

To get the most accurate insights:

• Use both our time spent and GA4’s engagement metrics to cross-analyze performance
• Consider session depth (pages per session) in GA4 alongside our multi-page tracking
• Test tracking setups before launching campaigns to ensure correct data flow

Conclusion

Our measurement provides a continuous, multi-page view of user engagement, which differs from GA4’s foreground-focused approach. By understanding these differences, advertisers can better evaluate campaign performance and make data-driven decisions to optimize engagement strategies.