Qualified Session Rate Stage-Gate Funnel

How the Funnel Is Built

Each stage starts from the paid-like session denominator below, then applies the three gates in sequence: intent source, entry point, and meaningful behavior or outcome.

Session Denominator

Paid-like session pool — all three qualification gates draw from this total

Time Period

Total source sessions 4,744,668

All GA4 sessions

Excluded sessions 4,058,804

Sessions not matching the paid-like rule.

Starting Denominator

685,864

paid-like sessions Feb 2024 to Oct 2025

Paid like definition

is_paid_like = sessionSourceMedium OR sessionManualCampaignName contains cpc, ppc, paid, display, pmax, dv360, programmatic, metaconnect, or cross-network; denominator = sum(sessions) for matching rows.

Technical row diagnostic: 54,990 of 390,567 aggregate rows matched the paid-like rule (14.1% of rows).

Stage

Dream

Qualified awareness session rate

Primary KPI: 22,235 qualified sessions | 3.2% of paid-like sessions

Gate 1

Intent Source

38.2% of paid-like sessions

261,891 sessions

38.2% of shared denominator

Paid-like sessions whose source or campaign naming signals discovery, destination inspiration, Japan interest, or broad awareness.

Calculation details

Data fields used

sessionSourceMediumsessionManualCampaignName

Filter logic

is_paid_like AND (sessionSourceMedium OR sessionManualCampaignName contains any Dream token)

is_paid_like = sessionSourceMedium OR sessionManualCampaignName contains cpc, ppc, paid, display, pmax, dv360, programmatic, metaconnect, or cross-network

Tokens used

awarenesstraffic-drivingengagementguidetojapanguide to japangtjjntovacationdestinationjapanlocalpaid socialdisplay

87.3% continue from Gate 1

Gate 2

Entry Point

33.4% of paid-like sessions

228,744 sessions

87.3% from prior gate

Gate 1 sessions landing on a discovery or inspiration entry point.

Calculation details

Data fields used

landing_page_category

Filter logic

Gate 1 AND landing_page_category IN (GuideToJapan, TravelInfo, Experience)

Landing pages used

GuideToJapanTravelInfoExperience

9.7% continue from Gate 2

Gate 3

Meaningful Behavior

3.2% of paid-like sessions

22,235 sessions

9.7% from prior gate

Gate 2 aggregate rows where avg duration >= 90 seconds OR pages/session >= 2 OR quality score >= 30. Qualified sessions are estimated as sessions x (1 - bounce rate).

Calculation details

Data fields used

averageSessionDurationscreenPageViewssessionsbounceRate

Filter logic

Gate 2 AND (averageSessionDuration >= 90 OR screenPageViews/sessions >= 2 OR quality_score >= 30); qualified sessions = sessions x (1 - bounceRate)

quality_score = ((1 - bounceRate) x 0.3 + min((screenPageViews/sessions) / 10, 1) x 0.3 + min(averageSessionDuration / 600, 1) x 0.4) x 100

Outcome

Directional qualified awareness sessions

Stage

Plan

Cabin-qualified flight search proxy rate

Primary KPI: 21,230 flight search proxy sessions | 3.1% of paid-like sessions

Gate 1

Intent Source

36.5% of paid-like sessions

250,289 sessions

36.5% of shared denominator

Paid-like sessions whose source or campaign naming signals route, cabin, service, destination planning, metasearch, or retargeting intent.

Calculation details

Data fields used

sessionSourceMediumsessionManualCampaignName

Filter logic

is_paid_like AND (sessionSourceMedium OR sessionManualCampaignName contains any Plan token)

is_paid_like = sessionSourceMedium OR sessionManualCampaignName contains cpc, ppc, paid, display, pmax, dv360, programmatic, metaconnect, or cross-network

Tokens used

experiencejalexperience jala350premiumroutefeederconnectbeyonddestinationjntometasearchretarget

99.9% continue from Gate 1

Gate 2

Entry Point

36.5% of paid-like sessions

250,130 sessions

99.9% from prior gate

Gate 1 sessions landing on a planning, service, route, or relevant broad entry point.

Calculation details

Data fields used

landing_page_category

Filter logic

Gate 1 AND landing_page_category IN (Experience, Home, GuideToJapan)

Landing pages used

ExperienceHomeGuideToJapan

8.5% continue from Gate 2

Gate 3

Meaningful Behavior

3.1% of paid-like sessions

21,230 sessions

8.5% from prior gate

Gate 2 aggregate rows where avg duration >= 180 seconds OR pages/session >= 3. Qualified sessions are estimated as sessions x (1 - bounce rate).

Calculation details

Data fields used

averageSessionDurationscreenPageViewssessionsbounceRate

Filter logic

Gate 2 AND (averageSessionDuration >= 180 OR screenPageViews/sessions >= 3); qualified sessions = sessions x (1 - bounceRate)

Outcome

Directional cabin-qualified flight search proxy sessions

Stage

Book

Booking-intent behavior proxy + premium purchase check

Primary KPI: 166 premium purchases | 0.024% of paid-like sessions

Gate 1

Intent Source

72.4% of paid-like sessions

496,324 sessions

72.4% of shared denominator

Paid-like sessions whose source or campaign naming signals high-intent paid search, fare, route, metasearch, brand, PMax, sales promotion, or transactional demand.

Calculation details

Data fields used

sessionSourceMediumsessionManualCampaignName

Filter logic

is_paid_like AND (sessionSourceMedium OR sessionManualCampaignName contains any Book token)

is_paid_like = sessionSourceMedium OR sessionManualCampaignName contains cpc, ppc, paid, display, pmax, dv360, programmatic, metaconnect, or cross-network

Tokens used

conversiontransactionalsalespromobrandpmaxexactgoogleflightsearchgoogle flightfarebookingo&djfklaxordnycchicpcppcmetasearch

29.3% continue from Gate 1

Gate 2

Entry Point

21.2% of paid-like sessions

145,542 sessions

29.3% from prior gate

Gate 1 sessions landing on the broad booking entry point available in the aggregate session data.

Calculation details

Data fields used

landing_page_category

Filter logic

Gate 1 AND landing_page_category = Home

Landing pages used

Home

64.6% continue from Gate 2

Gate 3

Meaningful Behavior

13.7% of paid-like sessions

93,954 sessions

64.6% from prior gate

Gate 2 aggregate rows where avg duration >= 180 seconds OR pages/session >= 3. Qualified behavior sessions are estimated as sessions x (1 - bounce rate).

Calculation details

Data fields used

averageSessionDurationscreenPageViewssessionsbounceRate

Filter logic

Gate 2 AND (averageSessionDuration >= 180 OR screenPageViews/sessions >= 3); qualified behavior sessions = sessions x (1 - bounceRate)

Outcome

Directional booking-intent behavior sessions; completed premium purchase check = 166 paid-attributed premium purchases

These are proxy baselines from aggregate GA4 session data. Gate 3 is estimated because the aggregate file does not expose individual session-level behavior: rows must clear the behavior threshold, then sessions are adjusted by non-bounce rate. Completed premium purchase checks are shown as the Book-stage primary KPI. 2024 Q1 and 2025 Q4 are partial quarters because the source period begins in February 2024 and ends in October 2025.