Part 1 – Getting started
As organic traffic to your website (aka: website traffic you don’t have to pay for) becomes a vital method of marketing, selling and branding for any size site, Google Analytics can play an important role in helping you understand your visitor, generate additional traffic, analyze campaigns and more.
An enterprise-class tool, this service is offered free by Google, and it takes only minutes to setup and begin tracking. The search engines already track your site’s performance and traffic – you now have the ability to see what they see and use this information to put yourself ahead of the pack. Follow these four simple steps to get started:
1. Get a Google account.
If you already have a Google account, you can simply use it to sign in. If you do not already have an account with Google, you can sign up for one (it’s also free and easy and gives you access to all of Google’s tools). You can use any emaiI on your account (it does not have to be a Gmail address). When you sign up for a new account, be sure to check your Inbox to confirm your account.
2. Sign up for Google Analytics.
Now that you have a Google account, and are signed in, you will need to signup for Google Analytics (another free and easy signup):
Enter the details regarding your website (in two very short forms, and agree to their terms), and you’ll be off and running!
3. Add the tracking code to your site.
Once you’ve created your Google Analytics account, you’ll be given a script which needs to be placed within the code of the website you’re tracking.
If you’re unsure how to add the tracking code to your website, copy and paste the script to a text file and save it. Then contact the Brookfield Group, and a representative can help you place the code on your site. Without the tracking code on your site, Google will be unable to track and display your website data in your Analytics account.
You can also click here to use Google’s handy online guide to troubleshoot.
4. Check your status.
It may take up to 24 hours for Google to begin tracking. If your tracking code was placed on the site correctly, then once Google detects the tracking code on your website, your “status” icon will change. Click here to see the icons and definition for each or view diagram below.
If you have any issues getting the tracking code to work properly, please contact a Brookfield Group representative to assist you.
Google also offers a video tutorial to help you get started quickly and easily:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8BYmKvMSW8
Once you’ve successfully setup your Google Analytics account and your website data is being populated into your reports, it’s time to begin analyzing the data and using it to improve your business. To learn more, come back next week to read Part 2 of Using and Understanding Google Analytics.
