Cohort Analysis

Cohort analysis groups people by a shared characteristic, usually the period when they first became customers or used a product, and tracks how each group behaves over time. Instead of combining all customers into one retention average, a business compares like-for-like groups at similar stages of their relationship.

A residential cleaning company might group first-time customers by booking month, then measure what proportion books another visit within 90 days. An apparent difference can arise from seasonality, customer mix or service changes, so the comparison should use consistent definitions and enough observations. A cohort report reveals patterns; it does not identify the cause without further analysis.

Google Analytics 4 provides Cohort exploration for certain user-based comparisons with defined inclusion and return criteria. That product report is one implementation, not the meaning of cohort analysis itself. A basic spreadsheet can also perform a cohort study if the data has reliable start dates and repeat-event definitions.