How to set up Google Analytics

Google Analytics 4

Google Analytics 4 Track? Important Google Metrics in 2024

Creating exceptional content takes time and effort, and naturally, you want to know how well it’s performing. How many people are reading your articles, pages, or white papers? Are they finding your content engaging? Is it driving them to take further action?

The only way to find out is to start measuring! For those new to this, opening Google Analytics might seem overwhelming with its myriad of reports, charts, graphs, and metrics. However, spending a little time exploring this tool will yield valuable insights.

In this post, you will learn:

How to set up Google Analytics

How to set goals before you start measuring

How to interpret various metrics and what they mean

A bonus: a few easy-to-find reports that quickly provide great insights

Start by setting up your analytics

Google Analytics is a freemium web analytics service. Like most Google products, setting up your account is straightforward. Here’s a step-by-step guide to get you started:

1. Create or Log into Your Account

   The first step is to log into your Google account or create a new one.

2. Add a New Property

   Next, create a new property for your website or interactive web publication. Google Analytics will provide you with a unique UA-Code (e.g., UA-12345678-9) and a JavaScript tracking code, though you might not need the latter.

3. Connect to Your CMS

   Link your new Analytics property to your content management system (CMS). This can be done in a few ways, such as implementing Google Tag Manager.

   Add your UA-Code or tracking code to your CMS (most likely)

   Add your tracking code to your website pages (rarely the case)

   Most CMS platforms, like WordPress, have numerous plugins to help you connect Google Analytics. Ensure the plugin you choose is well-maintained and regularly updated to avoid security issues; use Google Tag Manager for added safety.

Once your setup is complete, you’re ready to start analyzing your data. Let’s move on to setting clear objectives for your measurements.

Analytics Begins with Clear Goals

Measuring only works if you know what you want to measure. For example, if you created a digital brochure to drive sales, you’ll need to check how many visitors ordered products after viewing it using Google Analytics. If your goal is to improve brand awareness, look at the number of new visitors and how often they share your marketing material. For engagement, metrics like the number of pages per visitor and average time spent on a page will be key.

Identify the purpose of your content and establish specific objectives. Examples include:

70% new visitors, as reported by Universal Analytics.

Readers to view at least 8 pages

80% of readers to visit the magazine

15 business inquiries

3% of visitors to share the magazine on social media

Without predefined goals, the numbers won’t tell you much. With goals in place, you can determine whether your content is performing better or worse than expected and optimize accordingly.

Understanding Key Google Analytics Metrics

Familiarize yourself with some essential Google Analytics metrics:

Sessions: A session is a visit to your site that can include multiple page views, events, and transactions.

Users: The number of unique visitors to your site.

Avg. Session Duration: The average amount of time visitors spend on your site during a session.

Pageviews: The total number of pages viewed, including repeat views by the same person.

Exit Rate: The percentage of sessions that ended on a specific page.

Bounce Rate: The percentage of sessions that ended after viewing only one page.

Key Google Analytics Reports and How to Interpret Them

Approach your data with the right questions, aligned with your objectives. Here are some key reports:

Audience Overview Report (Audience > Overview):

Helps gauge audience engagement.

Questions to answer: How many users visited? How many pages did they view? What’s the average bounce rate?

 Insights: High traffic but high bounce rate? Use Google Analytics to analyze why. Improve your content. Engaged users but low traffic? Focus on promotion.

Channels Report (Acquisition > All Traffic > Channels):

Shows where your visitors come from.

Questions to answer: Which channels attract the most traffic? How does bounce rate differ between channels? Which channels convert the most?

Insights: Misaligned content and link messaging? Check consistency. High-performing but low-traffic channels? Invest more in promotion.

All Pages Report (Behavior > Site Content > All Pages):

Identifies top-performing pages.

Questions to answer: Which pages get the most views? Which have the highest bounce rates? Check using Google Analytics.

Insights: Highlight or optimize well-performing pages. Emphasize or revise underperforming pages.

Mobile Overview Report (Audience > Mobile > Overview):

Breaks down metrics by device type, helping to understand user behavior better.

Questions to answer: Ratio of mobile to desktop visitors? Use Google Analytics to find out. Differences in bounce rates and conversions?

Insights: High bounce rates on mobile? Use Google Analytics to identify potential issues. Optimize for smaller screens.

And We’ve Only Scratched the Surface of important Google Analytics metrics.

Google Analytics provides additional features such as custom dashboards, audience segmentation, event tracking, and personalized metrics. For those looking to enhance their skills, Google offers free video courses at the Analytics Academy, including a Google Analytics 4 tutorial.

Even at a basic level, translating the data you collect into actionable insights is crucial. Set clear objectives, determine the key metrics to track, and ask insightful questions to make your analytics meaningful.

For more detailed guidance or personalized advice, contact Swafoo Digital Marketing Agency. We’re here to help you make the most out of your content and analytics

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