You need google analytics to track traffic to your website and the people coming and visiting. You want to know where they are from and what they are reading. The best way to learn all this information is with a Google Analytic account. To learn more about why you need an account, check out our post, What is Google Analytics and Why Do You Need It?
For now, we are going to provide the instructions for creating a Google Analytic account and setting the tracking up on your site.
Creating a Google Account
You must have a Google account before you can install Google Analytics.
Do you have a YouTube or Gmail account? If so, you are ready to get started. If not, go to accounts.google.com and sign up for a free account.
Upon completion, you will be automatically logged into your new Google account.
Set Up Google Analytics
After logging into your existing Google account or creating a new one, head over to Google.com/Analytics. Sign up in the upper right-hand corner of the Google Analytics homepage. Choose Google Analytics from the drop-down menu.
You will be taken to a page where you will see the phrase Start using Google Analytics right above a Sign-Up button on the right-hand side of the page.
Click the Sign-Up button. You’ll be taken to a page that looks like the picture below. Under New Account at the top of the page, choose Website. (Note: whether you have a blog or a website-based business, click on the Website option, and not Mobile App.)
Choose an Account Name. Fill in the fields for your Website Name and URL. You will be asked to choose how much data you would like to share with Google. When you are done setting up this basic level for your Google Analytics account, click on Get Tracking ID.
Congratulations! You now own a Google Analytics account, and are ready to start tracking, interpreting, and benefiting from traffic data.
Installing Google Analytics on Your Website
When you clicked on the Get Tracking ID option, you were taken to a page that displays your tracking code. This code needs to be installed on your site.
NOTE: multiple properties (websites or blogs) can be added to a single Google Analytics account. For the purpose of simplification and limiting confusion, this module will show you how to associate one website with the GA account you just created. Simply repeat the process to add additional properties.
There are a few ways to do this…
1. You can copy and paste your tracking code into your header.php file. Place it before the <head> section, and after the <body> tag. Please only attempt this if you are very comfortable handling code, as an error here could cause problems with your website. (There is a much easier way to do this….read on!)
2. The simplest way (and the way I recommend) to install your Google tracking code is to use a Google Analytics plug-in. WordPress and other platforms offer plug-ins that handle this job for you quickly and painlessly. Google Analytics by MonsterInsights is a popular plug-in for WordPress websites that installs your Google tracking code in a matter of seconds. You won’t have to worry if you did it right with this plugin. (This is the easiest way! Even if having someone else install, doing it this way means you can easily check and remove if necessary.)
3. Hand this job over to a technical virtual assistant. If you don’t have someone who handles web design and coding for you, you could consider hiring someone from sites like Fiverr, or a technical virtual assistant. You’ll find someone that can install your tracking code for a small fee (usually less than $50).
Check that you Installed it Correctly.
Before you install your code you’ll see this message in your Analytics account:
Check back after you’ve installed the tracking code.
If everything is set up properly that message will change to this message:
Once Google starts receiving data, it will start collecting the data that is going to help you make future decisions on the marketing and messages you set forth in your business.
Your account is created!
Take Action
Complete these tasks to get started with Google Analytics:
1. Create a free Google account. If you already have one, log in.
2. Sign up for a free Google Analytics account.
3. Install your unique Google tracking code onto your website.
Now that Google Analytics is set up on your website or blog, you need to give Google up to 24 hours to begin collecting data.
Watch for our next post about Setting Up Your Google Analytics Dashboard. Before you know it you will be using Google Analytics to make your business more successful.
