What does the metric 'average session duration' measure in Google Analytics?

The metric 'average session duration' in Google Analytics specifically measures the average length of time that users spend on the site during a session. This metric provides valuable insights into user engagement by indicating how long visitors are interacting with your website's content. A longer average session duration typically suggests that users are finding the content interesting or useful, while a shorter duration may indicate that users are not engaging as deeply with the site.

This metric is calculated by taking the total duration of all sessions in the selected reporting time frame and dividing that by the number of sessions. This means it gives an aggregate view of user engagement and helps in assessing the effectiveness of the website's content and layout.

In contrast, the other options do not capture this specific measure. For instance, total pages viewed during a session looks exclusively at the number of pages rather than the time spent. The maximum time a user spends on the site does not reflect average behavior and could be influenced by outlier sessions. The frequency of sessions per user measures how often users return to the site but doesn't provide information about how long they stay during each visit. Understanding 'average session duration' is essential for optimizing website performance and user experience.