Lesson 3 of Google Analytics – Notes
Lesson 3 – Setting up Google Analytics
This video details how to create a Google Analytics account, placing the Analytics tracking code, website setups that require certain customisation and how to verify an installation.
Getting Started With Google Analytics
- Sign up
- Add the tracking code
- Link to AdWords (To report costs and click data)
Create a New Account
- Google.com/Analytics – Sign Up
- You can create a new Google Analytics account in your Google AdWords account under the “Reporting” tab.
Google Analytics Tracking Code (GATC)
- Uses JavaScript to gather first-party cookies to gather anonymous information about your visitors.
- As you setup your Google Analytics account you’ll be provided with a tracking code.
- The tracking code needs to be setup on all pages of your site in order to track use throughout the entire website. The data will be collated and then used throughout your Google Analytics account.
Finding your tracking code
- Go to “Analytics Settings”. (Now “Admin” Settings)
- Click on edit for the appropriate profile.
- Click “Check Status” in the top right hand corner.
- Your tracking code and instructions for how to add to your site will be displayed.
Asynchronous tracking code
- The asynchronous tracking code allows your site to render the tracking code as fast as possible.
- Google recommends that this should be used for faster page loading time.
Using Google Analytics with AdWords and Other Google Products
- If you are using Google AdWords you can see how your paid keywords perform in terms of ROI, conversion rates and revenue.
- Ad performance
Checking Reports for Data
- Once you’ve installed the tracking code it can take up to 24 hours for data to show up in your reports.
- Best way to verify data is by checking your reports.
- Check your pages’ source code for the tracking code – to ensure that it has been installed.
- Search for ga.js in the source code to search for the tracking code.
Understanding the tracking code
<script type=”text/javascript”>
var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push([‘_setAccount’, ‘UA-27159470–2‘]); _gaq.push([‘_trackPageview’]);
(function() { var ga = document.createElement(‘script’); ga.type = ‘text/javascript’; ga.async = true; ga.src = (‘https:’ == document.location.protocol ? ‘https://ssl’ : ‘http://www’) + ‘.google-analytics.com/ga.js’; var s = document.getElementsByTagName(‘script’)[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })();
</script>
- Unique Google Analytics Account Number
- Property Index – in this case, the 2 represents the the 2nd most account/property that I’ve added to my Google Analytics account
- Detects secure (https) vs non-secure pages (http)
Custom Website Setups
- The basic tracking code works with most site setups
- There are certain situations where small changes will need to be made with the tracking code
- Examples:
- Track multiple domains in one profile (Main site as well as a secure store site)
- Track more than one sub-domain under one profile
- Track multiple domain aliases under one profile
Placing/Installing the JavaScript
- It’s best to place the JavaScript snippet/code in the head section of your website, as you preferably want it to load first to capture visits to your site quickly.
- JavaScript should be added to every page to track visitor flow and traffic throughout the entire site.
<html>
<head>
Information about this page goes here (Meta tags, descriptions, etc)
Google Analytics Tracking Code [Insert]
</head>
<body>
Content
</body>
</html>
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