Google Analytics is a free tool that allows you to review data about your website’s traffic. It can be an extremely useful tool and we highly recommend that you review it regularly it to keep tabs on your website’s performance. Google Analytics provides so much information that it can sometimes be overwhelming; you may not know where to start looking or understand exactly what you’re looking at. Here are 5 Google Analytic statistics we recommend checking regularly and how to locate them.
1. Audience
In the menu to the left, click Audience > Overview
Review:
Total Users
New Visitor vs Returning Visitor
Pages/Session (total page views per session)
Bounce Rate (a bounce rate over 60 percent is alarming, and may be due to a content issue, broken links, poor call to actions, etc.)
2. Organic Traffic
In the menu to the left, click Acquisition > Campaigns > Organic Keywords
Review what words users are typing into an internet search in order to find your website. This data is extremely helpful in analyzing how your SEO efforts are performing.
3. Direct Traffic
In the menu to the left, click Acquisition > Overview
Review the Direct traffic Acquisition and Behavior data. Direct traffic is when a user types your URL directly into the address bar rather than searching for your site indirectly. This data will help you analyze traditional marketing efforts that aim to grow brand recognition
4. Location
In the menu to the left, click Audience > Geo > Location
Review City and state in order to pinpoint PPC opportunities and ensure that you are reaching your target markets.
5. Visitor Flow
In the menu to the left, click Audience > User Flow
Review what page a user entered the site on, what pages they visited, and what page they were on when they exited the site. This can tell you how effective certain campaigns are and if improvements need to be made in order to boost traffic to certain page.
If you still have questions about how to best utilize and understand Google Analytics, please contact us. We offer training that will help you monitor your website’s performance. If you’re short on time, we can also monitor your site for you.