the definitive way to track what’s happening with your website, from where the traffic is coming directly, search or referral
the definitive way to track what’s happening with your website, from where the traffic is coming directly, search or referral
If you've been around the blogging world – even for a minute or two – you've heard about Google Analytics. It is the definitive way to track what's happening with your website. It's also kind of confusing. If you want to learn how to set up Google Analytics without panic, here's a simple way to do it.
You can add multiple URLs with Analytics.
Once your Analytics page has been set up, you'll have to figure out what you're looking at when you log into your Analytics dashboard.
The first thing you will see are ‘Traffic Sources.' After that, you will be given the choice between ‘Overview' and ‘Sources.'
Overview: this provides a generalized overview (as the name suggests) of your account. You will see the number of visits, type of traffic (direct, referral, or search), and then you will have the option to select ‘Sources.'
Here's where the real meat of Analytics is. You'll want to know where your traffic is coming from, so that you can perfect those marketing areas. Here's a quick breakdown of what those different types of sources actually mean.
There's lots more to learn about Google Analytics, but these are the basic things that you need to know in order to get started. From there, you can set up specifics, learn to delve deep into your site traffic, and really see where your clients are coming from (this will, in turn, help you with your marketing and content efforts).
Those people in your company that control your content, SEO, or other vital aspects should all have access to your Analytics dashboard, so that everyone can be responsible for what they do as a part of your company. We know that you have more Analytics questions, so feel free to let us know what you need to find out – or, let us know if you'd like to see a few of these guides down the road!
Photo Take from Wikimedia Creative Commons