What is the key difference between "Users" and "Sessions" in Google Analytics?

The distinction between "Users" and "Sessions" fundamentally revolves around the nature of each metric and how they contribute to understanding website interactions.

Users are defined as unique visitors to your website over a specific time frame. This metric allows analysts to assess how many distinct people are engaging with the site, regardless of how many times they visit. In contrast, Sessions represent all the interactions a user has with the site during a specified period, typically a single visit. A session generates various data points, including pageviews, events, transactions, and more, all occurring during that visit.

By capturing both metrics, Google Analytics provides insights into not just the size of the audience (Users) but also the level of engagement and activity (Sessions) that those users exhibit. This understanding is crucial for evaluating the effectiveness of a website’s content and overall user experience.

Other options are less accurate as they misinterpret the definitions or relationships between Users and Sessions. For instance, measuring traffic duration corresponds more closely to user engagement metrics rather than being an exclusive measure for either Users or Sessions. Similarly, associating Users with device types or Sessions with geographical locations does not reflect the core meaning of these terms in analytics reporting.