How to Make Better Use of Google Analytics and Get Outstanding Results

Does My Business Need to be on Google?

Yes, in these modern times, your presence on the internet is vital. People search for companies online to see if they are trustworthy or to buy from them. And anyone looking to make waves online needs to have a firm presence on Google. Google forms the backbone of online marketing campaigns and allows customers to find you on the internet.

Do I Need Google Analytics for a Successful Website?

And anyone on Google, whether small business or big business, needs Google Analytics. If used right, Google Analytics can become your best friend. On it, you can get insights to guide your digital strategy. You can also find ways to improve your marketing and website content that are based on evidence. There's just one problem: many entrepreneurs and freelancers don't know how to use it in a way that produces the best results.

What Can Google Analytics Do for My Business?

The biggest value Google Analytics provides is its ability to track just about every important statistic relating to your online presence. With it, you can monitor how effective your SEO and social media campaigns are. You can track who visits your website, from direct traffic to organic search traffic.

You can see if your site suits different devices and how to optimise it for a better overall user experience. Find out which content is most effective, like which blog post is most read and which video is watched through the most. In short, all the numbers and statistics you need to assess your effectiveness online accurately are here, all in one place.

Based on what you observe, you can make changes to your marketing strategy and website until you find the sweet spot and more traffic, leads, or sales start rolling in. You can look at numbers like your bounce rate and conversion rate to see if traffic to your website is leading to sales, and if not, Google Analytics can help you discover why.

People who know how to turn these numbers into meaningful insights that inform their actions access the true power of this digital tool. For example, if your bounce rate is high at checkout, there may be something on the page you need to fix. You might target different keywords or make changes to your website's look and feel.

When you've got solid data backing the changes you make, it gives you more confidence. What results will be a more user-friendly site, a more effective marketing strategy, and more accurate execution that leads to goal conversions.

7 Ways to Make Better Use of Google Analytics and Get Outstanding Results

1. Add Up-to-Date Tracking Codes to All Active Pages on Your Site.

Many newbies on Google Analytics run into problems because they haven't added tracking codes to the pages on their website. Each individual page needs a code, otherwise the system doesn't gather information from that page. A tracking code is vital for effective use of Google Analytics.

And if your tracking code is invalid or outdated, it also won't work. To make the best use of analytics, add valid and functional tracking codes to each page on the site. You will then be able to see how site visitors interact with your site more accurately.

2. Don't Mess with the Code. Just Use Google Tag Manager.

As a webmaster or freelancer, you may think to get the best results you need to deep-dive into your website's code. If you aren't a coder or computer programmer, that's not a good idea. You might end up breaking something (it's very easy to do with code). And even minor errors in the code can crash your site.

Instead, use Google Tag Manager to add or update your tracking codes without breaking your website. It's a quick and easy tool meant to make managing your google tags simpler and much faster. To save time and cut out stress, use Google Tag Manager.

3. Avoid Double Tracking.

Newbies can easily create two tags for a single page by accident. This is a small action that has big consequences. Double tracking is when you put the same tracking ID and tracking script onto one page multiple times. Doing this will mess up the data coming in. Your metrics will include duplicates of data from this page, making it impossible to get accurate information to inform your tactics.

4. Exclude Robots and Spiders from Your Tracking.

If you aren't in the know about website building and search engine optimisation, you could easily make the mistake of including spiders and robots in your tracking.

What is a Robot, Bot, Spider, or Crawler?

Crawlers, robots, or spiders are programs that search engines use to explore the internet. They download content from sites and the text and links on it to help the search engine to locate and index new pages. Search engines keep their databases and information up to date using these programs. There's more to it, but this is a summation of how they work.

The point is, tracking crawlers won't give you a clear picture of how visitors interact with your website. They aren't real people, so it's best to exclude them from your tracking. Otherwise, you'll see inflated numbers for your traffic that give you an inaccurate picture of your site's true performance.

5. Monitor Your Bounce Rate Like a Hawk.

One of the most important stats to monitor is your bounce rate. It can tell you whether your audience and webpage suite each other or whether you need to make changes.

What is a Bounce Rate?

It's a metric that lets you know when someone visits your website or a page and does not interact with it at all. Engagements could be things like clicking a link on the page, clicking on a menu item, or browsing the site further. When there is no engagement, the Google Analytics server doesn't receive a trigger.

Basically, people who "bounce" are those who click away from your site almost as soon as the page has opened. This number helps you figure out what to change on your website to lower the bounce rate and increase your on-site conversion rates.

6. Focus on Improving Organic Traffic.

One of the greatest mistakes a person can make when using Google Analytics is tracking the wrong stats. It's important to look at the statistics that are material to your site's success, like organic traffic and bounce rates. When using analytics, focus on building your organic traffic.

While getting lots of paid traffic is good, it may not give you an honest idea about the quality of your page. Organic search traffic gives you key insights into your audience and their behaviours. You can interpret these behaviours to help you understand your target audience better. Then you can adapt your strategies to reach more users.

7. Use Tools Alongside Your Analytics for Even More Optimisation.

Plug-ins can make a world of difference to your efficiency on Google Analytics and to the scope of functionality you can enjoy. Try adding tools like MonsterInsights, ExactMetrics, Analytify, or WebLeads 6.0 from Fastbase.

If used right, Google Analytics can give you a massive competitive advantage over competitors. It doesn't have to be a complicated or intimidating tool. By doing these seven things, you can get better results and use the tool to its full potential. And if you still feel intimidated, we're here to help. Hiring experts in analytics may be the simplest solution.

Looking for the best Google Analytics experts in the business? We've got a trained and experienced team ready to optimise your performance and bring you better returns on investment! Contact us today!

Sources: forbes.com; meltwater.com;