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March 7, 2019Google Analytics is a free and powerful web analytic tool offered by Google. It tracks, reports, and analyzes traffic on websites. Below you can see just few of the many questions about your website that Google Analytics can give you answers for:
- How many people visit my website?
- What days of the week/times are the most active?
- What pages on my website are the most popular?
- Where do the visitors live?
- What websites send traffic to my website?…
Some specific functionalities and features are paid but for the most part the free functionalities are enough to get a feel of how a website is performing.
To make the most from Google Analytics you must set up it correctly, because this might be the biggest obstruction for small and medium businesses to use the tool properly. Below you will find detailed guide How To Set Up Google Analytics on your website.
Step 1
Google account.
If you have a primary Google account that you use for other services like Gmail, Google Drive, Google Calendar, Google+, or YouTube, then you should set up your Google Analytics using that Google account. Or you will need to create a new one.
This should be a Google account you plan to keep forever and that only you have access to. You can always grant access to your Google Analytics to other people later, but you don’t want someone else to have full control over it.
Once you have a Google account, you can go to main website for Google Analytics and click the Sign Up into Google Analytics button. You will then be greeted with the three steps you must take to set up Google Analytics.
Step 2
After you click the Sign Up button, you will fill out some information. You’ll need: account name, website name and website URL.
Account Name
Think of this as the category under which your websites are sorted. We recommend you set your brand name as the account name so that if you have multiple brands and websites, you categorize each website under their respective brand/account names.
You can have up to 100 Google Analytics accounts under one Google account. You can have up to 50 website properties under one Google Analytics account. You can have up to 25 views under one website property.
The first step is naming the Account. Though there are always unique circumstances for naming, we generally recommend that the Account is labeled with the name of the Company associated with the Properties that will be tracked. For example: “The Construction Company” (if you are in construction business). Remember, that any account name will work here, and you can always change the name later.
Website Name
This is the name of the website that you wish to track. Something you can recognize like “Main Site” or “Promo Site” would suffice.
Website URL
Put in the URL (web address) of the site you wish to track.
Step 3
Once you’re done, agree to the Google Analytics Terms of Service.
After that you will click the Get Tracking ID button.
Step 4
You will now be given the Tracking ID.
Add your Google Analytics Tracking ID to your site. This must be installed on every page on your website.
The installation will depend on what type of website you have.
Just copy and paste the Tracking ID to the Google Analytics Code section of the site builder. You can find the Google Analytics Code section by clicking Site that’s in the top toolbar, then Site Settings, and finally SEO & Analytics. Once you’re done pasting your Tracking ID, remember to click Save that’s at the bottom of the page.
Step 5
View Google Analytics data.
Once you start getting in Google Analytics data, you can start learning about your website traffic. Each time you log in to Google Analytics, you will be taken to your Audience Overview report. Alternatively, if you have more than one website, you will be taken to your list of websites to choose from, and then taken to the Audience Overview report for that website. This is the first of over 50 reports that are available to you in Google Analytics. You can also access these reports by clicking on the Reporting link at the top.
Google Analytics Plugins
If you are using WordPress, you can use one of the many plugins that will connect Google Analytics with your site. Here are some popular Google Analytics WordPress plugins:
- MonsterInsights
https://wordpress.org/plugins/google-analytics-for-wordpress/
- Google AnalyticsDashboard for WordPress (
https://wordpress.org/plugins/google-analytics-dashboard-for-wp/
- WP Google Analytics Events
https://wordpress.org/plugins/wp-google-analytics-events/
- Analytify – Google Analytics Dashboard Plugin for WordPress
https://wordpress.org/plugins/wp-analytify/
The Google Analytics plugin you choose depends on what features you value and the decision as to which one works best is a difficult one to make. They all offer great features to track your visitors and monitor your site’s performance. If you’re looking for the inexpensive solution, then the free standard Google Analytics plugins will work great. You can always test-drive the free versions of these plugins before you take the plunge and upgrade.
If you want some more details and additional features that the free versions don’t offer, any of the Google Analytics premium plugins will do a great job for you.
Below you can see a screenshot of WordPress and integration with Google Analytics from one of our websites.
We hope you found this easy step-by-step guide of setting up Google Analytics helpful.
If you have any questions or need help with Google Analytics please check our Google Analytics page or Contact Us here.
Kash Data Consulting LLC offers proper setup and configure Google Analytics (including reporting and goal tracking). We also offer Google Analytics training that will teach you how to use this great free tool correctly.
Kash Data Consulting LLC is a Search Marketing firm specializing in providing Google Analytics training and services in Dallas, TX. Our Online marketing experts have significant years of practical experience in SEO, Google Analytics, Google AdWords, Social Media Marketing, Local Search Marketing, YouTube Optimization and Content Writing with WordPress CMS in Plano, Frisco, Allen and surrounding DFW Metroplex areas.
Related links:
https://torquemag.io/2018/07/the-4-best-google-analytics-plugins-for-wordpress/
https://www.orbitmedia.com/blog/how-to-setup-google-analytics/
https://moz.com/blog/absolute-beginners-guide-to-google-analytics
https://medium.com/analytics-for-humans/setting-up-google-analytics-correctly-4f564b739d99
https://www.seerinteractive.com/blog/own-it-how-to-create-a-google-analytics-account/