Google Analytics
Google Analytics empowers businesses to gain a deeper understanding of their website performance, user behavior, and the effectiveness of their marketing strategies, ultimately leading to improved decision-making and enhanced online success.
What is Google Analytics?
Google Analytics is a powerful web analytics service offered by Google that allows website owners to track and analyze various aspects of their website and user behavior. It provides valuable insights into how users interact with a website, helping businesses make data-driven decisions to improve their online presence.
Contents
Key Components of Google Analytics
- Tracking Code:
- Google Analytics requires a tracking code (a JavaScript snippet) to be added to each page of your website. This code collects data about user interactions and sends it to Google’s servers for processing.
- Real-Time Reporting:
- This feature allows users to see live data about the number of visitors currently on the site, their geographic locations, the pages they are viewing, and how they arrived at the site (e.g., through search engines, direct visits, or referrals).
- Audience Reports:
- These reports provide insights into the demographics, interests, and behaviors of your website visitors. Key metrics include age, gender, location, and device used, which help in understanding the target audience better.
- Acquisition Reports:
- Acquisition reports show how users arrive at your website, breaking down traffic sources such as organic search, paid search, social media, direct traffic, and referrals. This helps evaluate the effectiveness of different marketing channels.
- Behavior Reports:
- These reports analyze how users interact with your website, including metrics like page views, average session duration, bounce rate, and the flow of users through the site. This information is crucial for optimizing user experience and content.
- Conversion Tracking:
- Google Analytics allows you to set up goals and track conversions, such as form submissions, purchases, or downloads. This helps measure the effectiveness of your marketing efforts and understand user actions that lead to business objectives.
- E-commerce Tracking:
- For online retailers, Google Analytics provides e-commerce tracking features that allow businesses to monitor sales performance, transaction details, revenue, and product performance metrics.
- User Segmentation:
This feature enables users to segment their audience based on specific criteria, such as behavior, demographics, or traffic sources. Segmentation helps in analyzing subsets of data for more targeted insights
When do businesses use Google Analytics?
Businesses use Google Ads because it offers a powerful way to connect with potential customers and boost sales. Here is why:
Measure Web Performance
It is essential for tracking how well a website is performing. It provides valuable insights into which pages are popular, how visitors are interacting with the site, and where improvements can be made.
Evaluate Campaigns
Track the effectiveness of their advertising campaigns. They can see which channels are driving the most traffic and conversions, allowing them to optimize their marketing spend.
Improve User Experience
It can help identify areas of a website that need improvement.Businesses can pinpoint where users are struggling or dropping off, and make changes to enhance the overall user experience.
Track Conversion
Businesses can monitor the actions they consider valuable, such as purchases, form submissions.This data is crucial for determining the effectiveness of marketing efforts and identifying areas for improvement.
Audience Analysis
It can provide a detailed information and data about a website’s visitors. Businesses can use this information to create targeted content and marketing campaigns which is key for making informed business decisions.
Competitive Analysis
By analyzing the traffic sources and content performance of competitor websites, businesses can gain valuable insights into their marketing strategies. It can reveal opportunities for differentiation and help businesses stay ahead of the competition.
Our Google Analytics services
Google Ads Dashboard
Have an overview of your ad campaign performance real-time. Track clicks, conversions, and leads for optimized ad spend.
Google Analytics 4 Dashboard
Understand your website traffic and how visitors engage with your website and optimize for better conversions.
Google Search Console
Track keyword rankings, topic trends and uncover page rankings from search results and make informed Google SEO decisions.
Youtube Dashboard
Track your YouTube channel data, to gain valuable insights and trending topic ideas to that your audience loves and improve your YouTube channel.
Google Tag Manager
Simplify website tracking management! Easily add and manage Google conversion tracking tags for easy data collection and tracking management.
Microsoft Clarity HeatMaps
Connect and get data on parts of your website that get the most clicks from visitors. Monitor how your audience uses it in real time before they buy or submit a form.
What do we need to prepare before creating a Google Analytics Dashboard?
Define Your Goals
- Identify Key Questions: Determine what specific business questions you want the dashboard to answer. This could include tracking overall website performance, monitoring traffic sources, or analyzing user behavior.
- Set Goals: Establish clear goals for what you want to achieve with the dashboard, such as improving conversion rates or understanding user engagement.
Choose Metrics: Decide on the key performance indicators (KPIs) that are most relevant to your objectives. Common metrics include:
- Total traffic (users, sessions)
- Conversion rates
- Bounce rates
- Average session duration
- Traffic sources (organic, paid, referral)
Avoid Information Overload: Focus on a manageable number of metrics that provide meaningful insights rather than trying to include every possible data point.
Gather Necessary Data
- Access Google Analytics: Ensure you have access to your Google Analytics account and the necessary permissions to create and customize dashboards.
- Familiarize with Data Sources: Understand where the data for your selected metrics resides within Google Analytics, including reports and dimensions.
Plan Tool and Widget Types
- Select Widget Types: Determine what types of widgets you want to include in your dashboard. Common widget types are:
- Metric: Displays a single numeric value.
- Timeline: Shows trends over time.
- Table: Provides detailed data in a tabular format.
- Pie or Bar Charts: Visualize data distribution.
Design Layout
- Organize Tools: Plan how you want to arrange the widgets on your dashboard for optimal readability and usability. Consider grouping related metrics together.
- Customize Titles and Filters: Prepare to customize widget titles and apply any necessary filters to ensure that the data displayed is relevant to your analysis
How can Build Ads help?
Here are our core values regarding when working with customers:
Collaborate
We work closely with our customers to understand their unique business goals, target audience, and marketing challenges. By fostering open communication and actively involving our customers in the process, we ensure that the final strategy aligns perfectly with their needs and expectations.
Concise
We understand that our customers’ time is valuable, which is why we strive to deliver concise and actionable recommendations. Our team of Google Ads experts distills complex data and insights into clear, easy-to-understand strategies that can be quickly implemented. We focus on the most impactful tactics, cutting out the noise, and providing our customers with a streamlined path to success.
Control
We empower our customers with the knowledge and tools they need to check, adjust, and improve their campaigns as their business evolves. Our transparent reporting and regular check-ins ensure that our customers have a deep understanding of their campaign performance and can make informed decisions to drive even better results.
Our Process
Set a Meeting
We’ll discuss your priority business goals and website traffic. We’ll learn about your current analytics setup and identify areas for improvement.
Milestone: The meeting is scheduled and confirmed.
Deliverable: Meeting agenda
Identify Priorities
Based on your define key performance indicators (KPIs) and analytics priorities. This might include tracking website traffic, conversions, user engagement, or marketing campaign performance.
Milestone: Trackable Key performance Indicators (KPIs)
Deliverable: Google Analytics strategy
Build
We’ll develop customized dashboards in your chosen platform (e.g., Google Analytics, Looker Studio) based on your agreed-upon KPIs. These dashboards will visually represent key website metrics and allow you to easily monitor performance.
Milestone: Google Analytics dashboard.
Deliverable:Visually appealing dashboards.
Access
We’ll provide you with access to your newly built dashboards in the chosen platform. This will allow you to view reports, analyze data, and track progress towards your goals.
Milestone: Google Ads performance review
Deliverable:Google Ads Performance Report
Ready to start a Project?
Get in touch with Builds Ads today!
Our Certification
Google Analytics Certification
Google Measurement Certification
Google Foundations of Data
Google Data Exploration
Google Data Process
Google Data Driven Decisions
Case study
Explore our portfolio of successful projects created into a case study, showcasing our diverse industries and tangible results. See how we help businesses thrive in the digital landscape.
How long before I see reliable data on my Google Analytics dashboard?
0-7 Day(s)
Project Launch
Set up the dashboard and select relevant metrics, adding widgets that align with the business objectives.
2-4 Week(s)
Data Collection Period
Allow a few weeks for data to accumulate. During this period, observe how users interact with your website and how the metrics on your dashboard reflect this behavior.
1 Month(s)
Adjustment and Refinement
Make Necessary Changes Based on your analysis, adjust the dashboard by adding new widgets, removing underperforming ones, or modifying existing metrics. Ensure that the dashboard remains aligned with your business goals.
1-3 Month(s)
Ongoing Monitoring
Continue to monitor the dashboard weeklyto track performance and make note of any further adjustments needed. Solicit Feedback: If applicable, gather feedback from team members or stakeholders.
How can I measure the success of my Google Marketing Campaigns using an Analytics Dashboard?
To effectively measure the success of your Google Ads campaigns against your investment, you should focus on several key metrics and methodologies that provide insights into performance and return on investment (ROI).
Count Key Metrics
- Click-Through Rate (CTR): CTR is the percentage of people who click on an ad after seeing it. This metric shows how often people click on your ad after seeing it. The formula is:
CTR= number of clicks ÷ number of Impressions x 100%
Example: If an ad was shown 10,000 times and received 200 clicks, the CTR would be:
CTR= 200 Clicks ÷ 10,000 impressions x100%= 2%
Note: A higher CTR suggests that your ad is relevant to the audience.
2. Conversion Rate: The Conversion Rate measures the percentage of users who take a desired action after clicking your ad, such as making a purchase or signing up for a newsletter. The formula is:
Conversion rate= Number of Conversion÷ Number of click or Visitors X 100%
Example: If 500 people clicked on your ad, and 25 made a purchase, the conversion rate would be:
Conversion rate= 25 purchases÷ 500 People x 100% = 5%
Note: A high conversion rate indicates effective ad targeting and messaging.
3. Cost per click (CPC): CPC is the amount you pay for each click on your ad. Monitoring CPC helps evaluate the efficiency of your ad spending. The formula is:
CPC= Total cost of the campaign ÷ Total number of clicks
Example: If you spent $300 on a campaign and received 1,000 clicks, the CPC would be:
CPC= $300÷ 1000 Clicks= $0.30
4. Cost per acquisition (CPA): CPA is the cost associated with acquiring a customer. Knowing your CPA helps you determine if your ad spend aligns with your campaign budget per acquired customer. The formula is:
CPA= Total Cost÷ Number of Conversion
Example: If you spent $500 on a campaign and acquired 25 customers, the CPA would be:
CPA= $500÷ 25=$20 dollars per customer.
Note:CPA should be lower than the profit generated by each customer.
5. Return on Ad Spend (ROAS): This metric calculates the revenue generated for every dollar spent on advertising. It helps assess the profitability of your campaigns. The formula is:
ROAS= Revenue from Ads ÷ Cost of Ads
Revenue from Ads: The total revenue generated from your advertising campaigns.
Cost of Ads: The total amount spent on the ads.
Example: If you made $10,000 in revenue from ads and spent $2,000 on those ads, ROAS would be:
ROAS=$10,00÷2,000=$5.
Note:This means you earned $5 for every $1 spent on advertising.
Absolute Key Metrics
1. Total Users: refer to the number of unique individuals who have visited a website or used an app during a specified period. This metric counts each person only once, even if they visit multiple times.
Formula: It is counts the number of unique devices or user identifiers that interact with your site.
Example: If 1,000 different people visit your website in August, your Total Users for August would be 1,000.
2. New Users: represent the number of first-time visitors to your website or app within a specific period. These users have not interacted with your website before (within the tracking timeframe, usually tied to cookie data).
Formula: It can be expressed as: New Users=Total Users−Returning Users
Example: If you had 1,000 Total Users in August, and 600 of them were visiting for the first time, your New Users for August would be 600.
3. Traffic Sources
Traffic Sources indicate where your website’s visitors are coming from. It includes categories like Organic Search, Direct, Referral, Social, and Paid Search.
Analytics tools categorize the traffic based on the referral information:
- Organic Search: Users who arrive through unpaid search engine results.
- Direct: Users who type your URL directly into their browser.
- Referral: Users who click on a link from another website.
- Social: Users who come from social media platforms.
- Paid Search: Users who click on paid advertisements in search engines.
Example: If in August, 50% of your visitors came from Organic Search, 20% from Direct, 15% from Social, 10% from Referral, and 5% from Paid Search, these would be your traffic sources breakdown.
Example: If your website had 1,000 sessions in August, and 400 of those sessions resulted in users leaving after viewing just one page, your Bounce Rate would be 40%.
4. Average Session Duration
Average Session Duration is the average length of time that users spend on your website during a session.
Formula: Average Session Duration=Total Number of Sessions ÷Total Duration of All Sessions (in seconds)​.
Example: If the total duration of all sessions in August was 200,000 seconds, and there were 1,000 sessions in total, the Average Session Duration would be 200 seconds (or 3 minutes and 20 seconds).
5. Top Landing Page
The Top Landing Page is the first page that most users visit when they arrive at your website. It is a key metric for understanding which pages are attracting the most traffic.
Analytics tools rank landing pages based on the number of sessions that start on each page.
Example: If your website had 10,000 sessions in August, and 3,000 of them started on your “Homepage,” then the “Homepage” would be your Top Landing Page for that month.
6. User Behavior Flow
User Behavior Flow is a visual representation of the path users take through your website, from the landing page to exit pages. It helps identify where users drop off or where they engage most.
Formula: There isn’t a direct formula, as it’s a visual tool in analytics platforms that maps out the user journey based on their interactions with the website.
Example: In Google Analytics, you might see that users typically start on your “Homepage,” then 50% navigate to the “About Us” page, and from there, 30% move to the “Contact Us” page. This visual flow would highlight common paths and potential bottlenecks.
Got Questions? We Have Answers.
Discover answers to frequently asked questions about our services and how Build ads can drive your business forward in the digital age.
Q: Is Google Analytics free?
Q: How do I access Google Analytics?
Q: How do I know if Google Analytics is working?
A: You can verify if Google Analytics is working by checking the Real-Time reports in your dashboard, using browser extensions like Google Analytics Debugger, or testing a goal you have set up.
Q: Can I use Google Analytics with other tools?
A: Yes, Google Analytics integrates with various Google products like Google Ads, Google Search Console, and Google Data Studio. It also connects with third-party tools for more advanced analysis and reporting.
Q: How often should I check Google Analytics?
A: It’s recommended to check your Google Analytics dashboard regularly, at least once a week, to monitor performance and identify trends. However, the frequency may vary depending on your business needs and marketing activities.
Contact Us!
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Kristofer Lazona
Build Ads Agency Partner
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