Hi there!
I'm Benjamin from Loves Data.
In this video I'm going to show you how to get started and begin using Google Analytics.
I've been using Google Analytics since it was first released, my company is a Google
Analytics Certified Partner and I've trained thousands of people on how to get the most
out of their data and reports.
In this video you'll learn important terminology, how to begin collecting data from your website
and I'll also show you how you can start to use your reports.
Let's get started!
When you're getting started with Google Analytics for the first time, you'll need
to install the tracking code on your website.
The tracking code is what collects data when people view pages and engage with your website.
There are different ways to install the tracking code – generally this will depend on the
platform you're using to run your website.
For example, if you're using Wordpress then you can use a plugin or add the tracking code
to your template.
You also have the option of using Google Tag Manager which is installed on your website
in a similar way.
Once you have Google Tag Manager on your website, then you can install Google Analytics inside
Google Tag Manager.
If you're just getting started and want to keep things simple, I'd recommend just
using the tracking code, since you can always migrate to Google Tag Manager in the future.
However, if you're comfortable with basic coding, then you can probably jump straight
to using Google Tag Manager.
Let's head to Google Analytics to find the tracking code…
We can navigate to the 'admin' area and then select 'Tracking Info' and then 'Tracking
Code'.
This gives you the tracking ID which you would use in Google Tag Manager or a plugin to begin
collecting data.
And then below this we have the Google Analytics tracking code – which is the easiest way
to get up and running quickly.
I've included more resources about how to begin tracking data into Google Analytics
in the description below this video.
Once you have the tracking code on your website, you'll begin to see data coming into your
reports.
Data is only collected from the time you add the tracking code, so make sure you select
the appropriate date range when using your reports for the first time.
Let's head back into Google Analytics to see this…
We're still in the 'admin' area, so let's select 'Audience' and then 'Overview'.
You'll find the date range on the top right corner of the report.
You can click the date range to change the data that's included in the report.
For example, I can select the current day, just to view data for today.
This report tells us the number of users who have been to our website.
The simplest way to think about users is that it counts the number of people who are coming
to our website.
While sessions tells us how many times they have been to the website.
For example, if we had two users and each of these users came to the website twice,
then we'd have a total of four sessions.
Pageviews tells you the number of pages they've viewed and then we can also see some engagement
metrics which provide a general indication of how people engage with our website's
content.
We can see 'pages per session' which tells us how many pages each person views on average
during a session.
If we want people to navigate to lots of pages, for example on our blog, then we might aim
to increase the 'average pages per session'.
We can also see 'average session duration' which tells us the average amount of time
people spend on the website and 'bounce rate'.
Bounce rate tells us the percentage of sessions that only include a single pageview.
This can be a useful way to understand how 'sticky' the pages are on our website.
We might aim to reduce the bounce rate, which would mean people are more likely to navigate
deeper into the website.
So remember the difference between 'users' and 'sessions', and the engagement metrics
we've covered, including 'bounce rate' and 'pages per session'.
To learn more about the terminology you'll see inside your Google Analytics reports I
recommend checking out my Google Analytics Glossary and my free Analytics Essentials
course.
You can find links to these resources in the description below this video.
Before we look at a couple of ways we can use our reports I want to briefly explain
the main reporting menu, so let's jump back into Google Analytics…
The menu on the left groups all of the reports.
At the top is the 'home' report which provides a comprehensive overview for your
whole website.
This is a great starting point.
'Customization' lets you create things like custom dashboards and reports.
You can create these whenever you like, so don't feel like you need to configure them
straight away.
Then you'll see 'Real-Time'.
These reports show you the number of people currently on your website.
The 'Audience' reports give you all the details about your users.
They include details like, where they're geographically located and what devices they've
used to load your website.
The 'Acquisition' reports tell you how people are finding you.
Are they coming from Google, links from other websites or even your paid advertising campaigns.
The 'Behavior' reports tell you about the content people have viewed on your website.
Finally, the 'Conversions' reports allow you to track the most important actions that
people take.
These need to be configured, but they do provide valuable insights.
Now let's look at two ways we can use our reports.
First I want to show you the landing pages report.
To find the report, select 'Behavior', then 'Site Content' and then 'Landing
Pages'.
This report shows you the first pages that are viewed during a session.
This report will order your pages, so that your most popular landing pages are first.
My action item for you is to review your top five landing pages and make sure that you're
using them to cross promote the most important actions you want people to perform.
For example, if you want people to submit your contact form, then make sure that a link
to your contact page is clearly highlighted on your top five landing pages.
This will make it easier for people to navigate and then complete your objective.
The next report I want to show you is the 'Channels' report.
You can find this report by selecting 'Acquisition', then 'All Traffic' and 'Channels'.
This report shows you the top-level marketing channels that are sending people to your website.
My action item for you is to review the different marketing channels and identify opportunities
to increase the performance of at least two of your channels.
For example, if you see that the social channel isn't sending much traffic to your website,
then you could adjust your social media strategy so that your posts include more links back
to your website.
They are just two ways that you can begin to make your reports actionable.
This is how you get value out of Google Analytics – by using the reports to make positive
changes to your website and your marketing.
So that's how you can begin using Google Analytics!
Remember that you'll need to install the tracking code on your website before you can
use the reports.
And remember the important terminology you'll see in your reports, including 'users',
'sessions' and 'pageviews'.
They tell you how many people have been to your website, if they're coming multiple
times and how many pages they've viewed.
What's your favourite Google Analytics report?
I'd love to know!
Let me know in the comments below.
And if you found this video helpful, then please like it, so I know to make more videos
like this.
And take a moment to check out the extra resources in the description below this video.
See you next time!
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