How To Set Up Google Analytics on My Website

Tracking your website’s traffic is an integral part of maintaining that site, knowing how to install Google Analytics is a crucial first step towards this goal. No matter the purpose of your website, every domain owner wants their personal site to succeed. This is where web analytics tools step in, providing support from the sidelines by collecting your website data. This data is compiled into easily understandable charts and graphs that help you interpret and act upon the data in front of you. With a web analytics tool at your side, your website should begin to thrive in no time.

Google analytics setup

What is Google Analytics?

Google Analytics is a web analytics tool that Google provides in order to help website owners effortlessly track their digital presence. The difference between Google Analytics and other helpful tools that provide a similar service is that Google Analytics setup is completely free. This is quite the notable thing, considering that Google Analytics finds itself directly associated with the most popular search engine on the web, allowing it the inside edge against competing web analytics tools.

Google Analytics Setup

How do I add Google Analytics to my website? Well, a Google Analytics install begins with the creation of a simple account that you likely already have. In order to begin your setup, you will need to create a Google account, which will come accompanied by a Gmail.  Just as all things are when installing Google Analytics, this process is completely free. From there, you will be able to sign in to your Google Analytics account. You will need to assign a name to your account. At long last, you have successfully learned how to install Google Analytics onto your computer. While this is not the final step in our process, you can now begin measuring your data.

how to install Google analytics

Step-by-step Google Analytics Install

Google provides its own step-by-step tutorial on how to install Google Analytics, which allows you the opportunity to get started.

  1. Visit Google.com/analytics.
  2. Use that nifty account you’ve already created and select “sign in to analytics.” If you have yet to create an account, you can select “start for free.”
  3. At this point, you will begin to have to set up one of the many tools Google provides. These tools will be individually covered throughout this tutorial. Take the time to learn the names of them now, as they will appear once you have signed into Google Analytics.
  4. Set up a property for your Google Analytics account. The basic function of a property is to collect your website’s data. This data will later be filed into a number of reports.
  5. Set up a reporting view in your Google Analytics property. This function presents all the data that your property has collected. In this view, you can customize how you want to receive your data.
  6. Add a tracking code to your website. This code acts as the barrier to entry between your website and Google Analytics. In order to successfully complete a Google Analytics install, you will need to ensure that you have this code. Otherwise, the web analytics tool will be unable to provide any function for your website.

Tools Provided

Upon learning how to install Google analytics, you will find a number of new analytical tools at your disposal. The first of these comes in the form of the data Google Analytics will automatically collect for you. The software categorizes into customizable reports that you can view and edit at your own pace. Within these reports, you will find information such as the preferred social platforms of your traffickers. This, alongside the age and gender of your traffickers, will allow you to begin drawing your own conclusions on what to do with your newfound data.

Google analytics install

A Property

Using a data analytics tool is slightly more complicated than just a simple setup. Knowing how to install Google Analytics is only half the battle because you now need to implement it. This is where properties come in. A property is a digital representation of whatever website you intend to track. During your setup of Google Analytics, it will begin to act as the collection point of data for your site.

Create a Property

As was the case when setting up your account, your property will need a name. This is a surprisingly essential part of installing Google Analytics. A name is a necessity when it comes to keeping tabs on different properties. A property can only apply to one website at a time. Different websites will require different properties, and websites with more than one property will need different names in order to be tracked. Property creation also requires time zone specification. A property cannot function without its specific time zone, otherwise, it does not know the time it received its information. Once your property contains all the information it requires it will begin tracking for your website. 

Reporting View

Properties provide Google Analytics users with the most important aspect that the service offers by collecting data. In that manner of speaking, the reporting view acts as an extension of this idea. When it comes to a Google Analytics install, the reporting view offers a certain perspective that previous tools lacked. A report is automatically generated for every property on your Google Analytics account. Reporting view allows users the ability to filter reports based on the type of information they want to see. Each individual view filter contains a subset of data. An example of this would be internal or external traffic on your website from links. You are able to delete or add your own filters to a report. This capability allows you to completely customize your reports in a manner that best befits you.

Tracking Code

When it comes to learning how to install Google Analytics, everything that has previously been touched upon is important, but tracking code finds itself among the most important parts of Google Analytics setup. The Google Analytics tracking code allows the web analytics tool to optimally scan the data on your website. This code extends to each and every page on your website. This data is sent back to your analytics report and then compiled into the reports found in the reporting view. Ensuring that you have successfully set up your tracking code is a necessity when it comes to Google Analytics installation. If this is not done successfully, the properties will not know how to collect data from your website, and the reports will not know how to itemize it. Upon completion of the tracking code setup, make sure that you verify that the tag is working by viewing your reports.

how to setup Google analytics on my website

Finishing Up Google Analytics Installation

Now that you have successfully learned how to install Google Analytics, you can begin implementing it in order to allow your website to thrive. The tools provided by the software are the basis of this implementation, but Google also provides a number of other services that are worth noting. These services, such as Google Ads, are purely supplemental. With that said, they are still great viable options for taking the next step when it comes to your Google analytics setup.

Linking Google Ads and Google Analytics

Google Ads is an online advertising platform that allows advertisers the opportunity to display their products across the web. The same principle goes for your website or ads that you would like to appear on your website. In order to connect this function to your Google Analytics account, you will need to create a Google Ads account and link the two. In doing so, you will begin to unlock a number of new opportunities previously unavailable within base Google Analytics. The most prominent of these new functions being ad performance now being attached to your reports. This will allow you the opportunity to cross-reference ad data with website traffic.

Analytics App

We live in a world where people are constantly on the go, and Google has taken notice of this. The Google Analytics app provides those who have successfully set up Google Analytics the ability to check their data while away from home. This service is available from the Google Play store.

The Playbook

If you begin to require assistance in regard to any aspect of Google Analytics, Google has set up a playbook just for you. It provides step-by-step instructions on all of the most important features of Google Analytics. The same applies to Google Ads, allowing both tutorials to reside in the same location. This playbook is not only a great way to get basic assistance, but it provides users with further in-depth knowledge of the services.

Testing Google Analytics

Now that you know how to add Google Analytics to your website, it is incredibly important that you check and make sure that all your functions are working properly. The easiest way to accomplish this goal is to locate the “send test traffic” button in your reporting dashboard.  If you receive a response, you will know that everything is working properly. With that in order, you have successfully learned how to install Google Analytics, allowing you to now be able to track your website’s every detail. 

FAQ:

  • How do you set up Google Analytics?
  • Can I use Google Analytics on any website?
  • How do I download Google Analytics?
  • What should I use Google Analytics for?

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