Understanding your website’s traffic is crucial for the growth and success of your online presence.
It gives clear data into what is and isn’t working, so you can optimize accordingly. You don’t need to shell out for high-priced tracking software when you can use Google Analytics, a free tool that equips you with all the necessary insights.
Here’s how to use Google Analytics to monitor your website traffic in 5 easy steps.
See Your Competitors' Website Traffic and Beat Them!
5 Easy Steps For Using Google Analytics
By following these 5 steps, you’ll soon understand enough to improve your website traffic using Google Analytics.
With the valuable insights gained, you’ll make data-driven decisions to optimize your website, increase conversions, and grow your online presence. Please don’t underestimate the power of monitoring your website traffic. It’s a vital component of your business’s online success.
Step 1 – Set Up a Google Analytics Account
Before you can start tracking your website traffic, create a Google Analytics account. Visit the Google Analytics website and sign up using your Google account. Once you’ve signed up, follow the prompts to set up a new property for your website.
Step 2 – Install Tracking Codes
After you’ve set up your account, you’ll receive a unique tracking code to be added to your website.
This code allows Google Analytics to collect data about your website traffic. Depending on your website platform, the process of adding the tracking code may vary. Refer to your platform’s documentation for specific instructions on how to add the tracking code.
Step 3- Check Your Website Traffic
After installing the tracking code, Google Analytics will collect data about your website visitors.
To view this information, log in to your Google Analytics account and navigate to the “Audience Overview” report. Here, you’ll see key metrics such as the number of users, sessions, pageviews, and more.
Step 4- Analyze Traffic Sources, Top Pages, and Keywords
Now that you can access your website traffic data, it’s time to dig deeper into the insights. Some important reports to explore include the following:
Traffic Sources – Find out where your visitors are coming from (e.g., search engines, social media, referrals) by navigating to “Acquisition” > “All Traffic” > “Channels.”
Top Pages – Discover which pages on your website are performing best by going to “Behavior” > “Site Content” > “All Pages.”
Keywords – Learn what search terms people are using to find your site by visiting “Acquisition” > “Search Console” > “Queries.”
Use screenshots and graphics to help illustrate these reports and make the information easier to digest.
Step 5 – Set Up Goal Tracking and Monitor Conversions
Evaluating the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns necessitates the tracking of conversions. To configure goal tracking in Google Analytics, follow these steps:
- Go to the “Admin” section, select “Goals”
- Â Click “New Goal” and follow the prompts to create a tailor-made goal. This functionality empowers you to monitor your website in areas like form submissions or product purchases.
Free Lesson: Google Page Experience and Core Web Vitals
Ranking on Google today involves more than including the right keywords in your content. As Google focuses its algorithms on user experience, SEOs and marketers need to keep this critical aspect in mind if they want their website to be seen.
In this free lesson from the HubSpot Academy, you’ll learn about Google’s Page Experience metrics, including core web vitals, and how they affect your website’s ranking power. You’ll also discover strategies to improve these metrics on your own website and fix common problems to help you rank.