Why You Need to Use Google Analytics
If you’ve got a website, it makes sense to want to know how well your website is doing. The Alexa Ranking, which I’ve introduced you in a previous post, will give you an indication of how well your website is doing relative to other websites in terms of traffic, but it will not reveal to you exactly how many people are visiting your website and from where in the world.
In this post I will introduce to you tools that will perform the function of counting the exact number of visits your website is getting. They are called “website analytics” or “website metric” tools. I’ve personally used two of these tools, namely SiteMeter.com and Google Analytics.
My first experience with a website metric tool was SiteMeter.com which I used with my blogger blog. After a few years I started using Google Analytics.
When I first started to use Google Analytics, I found it hard to use because it presents its data differently to SiteMeter, which I was familiar with, and Google Analytics is not very simple or very intuitive to use.
Nevertheless, it’s not that hard to make sense of Google Analytics if you have an inquisitive mind and like to experiment with the tools. Once you start to understand the data presented in Google Analytics you wouldn’t want to do without it.
If you are not currently using a website analytics tool, please do so. The effort is worthwhile because through it you will be able gather Intelligence statistical data about your website. For example, with a website analytics tool you will be able to measure the return on investment (ROI) for your website, monitor your search engine optimisation (SEO) effort, find out which keywords your visitors are using to find your website, find out the most popular page of your website, find out which other websites are sending traffic to your website, etc.
If you ask me which website analytics tool to use, I would highly recommend you use Google Analytics. Here are the reasons why:
a) It’s free.
b) It integrates nicely with other Google applications, like Google Adwords, Google Adsense, and Google Webmaster Tool. Actually if you intend to use Adwords to advertise your website, integrating Google Analytics to your website isn’t even a choice, it’s a must.
c) Google likes to see activity on your website, by using Google Analytics you are letting Google know your website is alive and well.
Now, I am going to briefly explain how to get started with Google Analytics. For a more detailed explanation please follow the help provided by Google as you sign up.
You can get started with Google Analytics if you already have a Gmail account. You can use your Gmail account to sign up for a Google Analytics account. However, I would advise you to use a different or new Gmail account for your Google Analytics. This is for security reasons, as you may want to keep the email address connected to your Google Analytics, Adwords, Adsense, or WebMasterTools accounts private because it will be linked up to your credit card account.
You can access or sign up to Google Analytics through the following link http://www.google.com/analytics
After you sign up you will need to create a New Website Profile then comes the tricky bit. After you’ve created the new website profile Google Analytics will give you a special code (more precisely a JavaScript code) which you must insert into your website. How you insert the JavaScript code into your website will be different depending on how your website is constructed, whether it is a WordPress blog, or another Content Management Software site or just plain html. If you don’t know how to do this or you are not confident about doing this, I would suggest you let someone with more technical knowhow help you with this, because you may break your website in the attempt of inserting the Google Analytics code to your website.
If you need help with inserting the Google Analytics code to your website, I can provide this help to you, you just need to contact me here.
After the Google Analytics code has been inserted into your website, you’ll need to wait up to 24 hours to start viewing the traffic statistics for your website.
Below are some action steps you can take after reading this post.
Action Steps
1. Sign up for Google Analytics
2. Insert the JavaScript code into your website or contact me to help you with connecting Google Analytics to your website.
3. Learn how to interpret the data of Google Analytics: well, interpreting the data will be the subject of a future post, I will walk you through how to interpret the data of Google Analytics, for example what does “bounce rate” mean?
Have fun, and see the number of your website visitors increase every day.
If you’ve liked this post, please click the Like button below, share it with your friends on Twitter and bookmark it.
More From benwan
Incoming search terms:
Tagged with: Alexa Ranking • Google • Google Analytics • google analytics code • Google Analytics Help • SEO • set up google analytics • sitemeter • use google analytics • website analytics • website metric
Filed under: How To • SEO • What-is
Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!
Welcome, my name is Ben Wan. I help people get started online by building their website. I also train them to run their own website.
Solar Energy Facts and News Website
Eco-Office for Rent near Perth
Succinct advice thanks. I signed up for Google Analytics but as you said, inserting the JavaScript code is daunting. I think I need your help ! Appreciate your caution about the credit card connection.
JULIA HAYES recently posted..“So you want to know more about Solar Power”
[Reply]
Followed your advice. With some concentration it worked. Now I can learn to use it. Your mentoring is practical and effective.
[Reply]
Hi Ben
Thanks for visiting my all things lavender blog. Great to have some local bloggers visiting.I would love to meet up with other Perth bloggers. I am sure we can all pool our knowledge and help one another become successful on the net.I am meeting some really nice ppl in the blogosphere and learning heaps. Hopefully catch up with you soon.
Patricia Perth Australia
[Reply]
Ben Wan Reply:
August 20th, 2010 at 3:20 pm
Hi Patricia,
Welcome to my blog.
All who’ve commented on my blog are from Perth and I know them personally. Please interact with them and get to know them (if you don’t already know them) and come back again.
Ben Wan recently posted..Why You Need to Use Google Analytics
[Reply]
From Google Analytics I noticed some readership from Melbourne and Sydney. If you are from there and you like this blog, please make yourself known and leave some comments. I’d love to know who is reading my blog.
Ben Wan recently posted..Why You Need to Use Google Analytics
[Reply]
Thanks Ben. I will get to know some more ppl as I blog comment that is for sure. Met some really interesting and nice bloggers already.
BTW I was hoping for a more informal meetup like suggested rather than formal. That way us newbies won’t be too overwhelmed by you techies lol
Patricia@lavenderuses.com recently posted..Lavender Health-Embracing An Organic Lifestyle
[Reply]
Ben I agree that Google is better than Alexa as far as accuracy of analytics go, at least until recently. Lately I’ve found them to be way out. As an example its showing that WassupBlog is getting an average of 4 visits a day and I know that is completely wrong. Any idea why that may be happening?
BTW, I’m from Adelaide Australia.
Sire recently posted..How To Save Time Replying To Comments
[Reply]
Ben Wan Reply:
August 24th, 2010 at 10:07 am
Hey Sire,
Thanks for commenting here.
To answer your question, I’ve checked the html source for your website. I don’t see any Google Analytics code on your blog. I can see you using statcounter.com. Are you sure you meant you are having trouble with Google Analytics or statcounter?
Ben Wan recently posted..Why You Need to Use Google Analytics
[Reply]
Ben,
Google analytics is one of my favorite Google tools. I check my analytics once a week so I can plan for the week ahead.
I love knowing where my traffic is coming from and which posts they like the best.
Sheila Atwood recently posted..Premium WordPress Plugins – Amazon Affiliates Rejoice!
[Reply]