When the internet was invented it opened up a whole new world to how a customer behaves online. This information started to be measured through analytics. Information that would have been really hard to find out before, is now freely given through analytics platforms like Google Analytics. Showing your website visitor's demographics, interests, online behaviour, the list goes on.
When all of this data is thoroughly analysed you can understand who your main visitors are, and who you're the main demographic you're writing for. In layman's terms web analytics can be used as a tool to grow your business online.
What, Why and How Google Analytics is so Crucial to SEO
What
Part of the Google Marketing Platform, Google Analytics is the handy tool that allows website owners to track, analyse and report data about their own website. All information is gathered from Google search and neatly packaged and put into the analytics platform.
This is done by a simple piece of JavaScript code that is added or placed on each website page, enabling the tracking and monitoring of activity.
Google Analytics can show website owners:
- If their clicks are converting to paying customers.
- How visitors spend their time on a website.
- The length of time spent on a website.
- Where each visitor comes from.
- The demographics of each visitor.
Why
The data Google Analytics provides is vital, and can prove invaluable if you know what you're looking at.
The data gained from analytics is so comprehensive and accurate, it allows website owners everywhere to gain valuable insight into their targeted audience and demographic. Once you have this, data changes can be made that will help bring in new readers, and also make the audience's experience more interesting. With this kind of data it's also handy to know where you're making the most mistakes, especially if it's with a particular page which might be causing the problem.
How
If you were handed a bunch of data that hadn't been indexed and sorted properly you wouldn't know where to start, and that's the whole point of analytics it's neatly packaged for you to dig into straight away.We're going to take a look at how you can use all of the information that's already prepared for you on the analytics platform.
Create Your Google Analytics Account and Tracking Code
When you create your Google Analytics account you'll be given a tracking code that will go somewhere in your website settings, HTML or code page. This code will gather up the data it needs every time someone comes on your website, which is then collated by Google.
Enables Tracking of Visitors Demographics and Interests
Information about age and where a visitor comes from is essential and enables you to tailor your content and advertising to suit a particular kind of website visitor. Keeping track of not only location but also, interests, age, gender will help you build a picture of your visitors persona which is an important part of marketing your business.
You can head over to your Google Analytics account, then property, under property settings, advertising features, click on enable demographics and interests reports to on. Then simply click save.
Examine Landing Page Traffic
To analyse who is coming to your website's main landing page click on landing pages, behaviour. You'll find a list of all of your best performing pages. This will tell you what people enjoy reading the most, and what might need updating.
This page can be sorted by clicking on impressions, then average position. It will help you make any needed tweaks and improvements to your current blog posts.
Track Your Google AMP
Google AMP (accelerated mobile pages) is a useful tool that will tell how well the mobile version of your website is performing. You can find this information by first setting up the code. Once the data starts coming in, go to behaviour, site content, then all pages, type in "/amp" into the search bar to generate the traffic reports for your AMP pages.
Use Conversion Goals to Set Targets
Now that your tracking code has been added you can start creating your own Google Analytics goals.
Go to admin, goals, new goals and set up your conversion goals. You'll be able to track your page views, but also see when people actively engage with your website, helping you discover when your visitors fill out a form or buy a book from your website.
View Visitor Conversion Rates
Conversion rates can be seen not only through goals, but an overview of both desktop and mobile views.
Go over to audience, overview, conversions, you can see your average bounce rate and how long visitors spend on each page.
Build Your Own SEO Dashboard
Google Analytics enables you to create your very own dashboard that you can tailor to your own needs. Visually this will help you digest the information you see more easily, with graphics and images.
Monitor Visitor Bounce Rates
When a visitor comes to your website and they don't find the information they're looking for they will go somewhere else, when this happens it's called the bounce rate. You need a low bounce rate if you're going to make money online.
There are numerous reasons why people will go to another website for their information, it could be something to do with your website loading time, or low quality content on your site. This information can be found in audience, then click on overview.
"404 - Page Not Found" error is one of the most common errors you will come across on Google Analytics and Search Console.
You may already have the ability to add in a simple message telling your visitors that a particular page has gone.
Optimise SEO on Highest Converting Pages
With Google Analytics you get an insight into your visitors' activity like never before. This allows you to see where your highest converting pages are really working. You can decide if you need to add more CTA's (call to action), or add more keywords.
Use Annotations Feature
Tracking your results is a good way to see the progress you're making. You can do this through the Google Analytics annotations feature.
Utilise Social Shares
Getting your brand seen through social media is a huge part of growing your business online. With the help of Google Analytics you can set up tracking from website sources.
To set this up just click on the acquisition menu, all traffic, channels, then you can view the sources of website traffic you've been receiving.
Sync Google Search Console With Analytics and Track Keywords
By simply synching Google Analytics with Search Console you can see where you need more improvement with your keywords, which will help people find your content online.
Google Search Console will give you a thorough look at CTR %, impressions, clicks and search queries.
Discover Where Your Website Traffic is Coming From
Google Analytics can show you exactly where your website referral traffic is coming from. Which is a valuable tool for knowing how people are finding you, and where most of your traffic is coming from.
To find this data, click on traffic sources, sources, referrals.
Make Use of Google Analytics Reports
An overall view of your analytics is a great tool to have. Google Analytics reports will show you how people are finding your website, how well your website is performing, and the amount of conversions you have. Analytics allows you to create yearly, monthly or quarterly reports.
Enable Alerts for Dips in Traffic
Site problems are the bane of most website users' lives, you can use analytics to set up an alert for any dips or spikes in traffic you come across each week.
Do this by clicking on admin, view column, custom alerts, create a new alert, then save.
Create Behaviour Reports Using Analytics Data
Behaviour reports will tell you your best performing pages, so go over to site content, all pages.
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