Google Analytics Demystified
I have had a plethora of pm's since I strongy suggested that someone remove Jetpack and install Google Analytics. The reasoning behind my suggestion is this Jetpack is like installing thirty odd independent plugins, and most people only use it for one thing and that is analytics. So you have thirty odd plugins all grinding away on your site to see an inaccurate picture of what is happening.
Google Analytics is awesome, do you know you can even tell how many people accessed your site from a mobile phone. Unfortunately as well as being awesome Google Analytics is also a bit daunting when you first start. It has loads of bolt on goodies that most people ignore because they don't quite know what to do with them!
One of the advanced features of Google Analytics is the fact that you can set gaols. Jay has done some great training here:-
https://my.wealthyaffiliate.com/training/setting-up-tracking-goals-in-google-analytics
However let's not get ahead of ourselves, the first thing to do is sign up for Google Analytics if you have a site rubix site.
If you are just starting to build your first website you want a simple solution to install it. You can put it into your header but the coding and complexity of that is enough to give you the screaming abjabs when you are starting out, not to mention it will frazzle a few people in chat as well trying to help you. Sooo let's do this Google Analytics thing the dsimple way to start with Use Kyles tutorial here
Now the next thing to do is to take a beverage of your choice, gin and tonic is an excellent choice and sit back and congratulate yourself on making the excellent choice of choosing Googe analytics, but dont get too chilled there is still a bit of work too do (isn't there always?
Feeling smug, well it's a bit early yet, but you can do after you have mastered the basics.
https://my.wealthyaffiliate.com/training/beginner-s-guide-to-google-analytics
I told you it's not that hard Google Analytics, it's just a question of getting your head around it.
Google Analytics - like any other analytical tool will do exactly as it's told, I know it doesn't feel like, when you first start using it, but it does. If you don't tell it not to it tracks your visits as well, and you know that when you start you are like a jack in a box checking your stats - How Many Times A Day- You have to be kidding! So without further ado go and take yourself out of the equation
Feel better know you are on the sidelines, don't get too comfy we haven't finished yet. You can even track what is going on socially, and you can't do that in Jetpack . Again we have Jay to thank for this one
https://my.wealthyaffiliate.com/training/tracking-social-metrics-in-analytics
Again Jay has come to the rescue like a knight in shining armour he has explained here how you can track you affilaite gaols, are you chasing the right customer. Are you targetting the right audience now is the time to find out?
https://my.wealthyaffiliate.com/training/tracking-affiliate-goals-in-analytics
If you need to install Google Analytics with the SEO plugin by Yoast you can see the instructions here
https://my.wealthyaffiliate.com/training/how-to-install-google-analytics-with-yoast
Google Analytics shouldn't be daunting and if you break it down into these steps you will be able to track every part of your business. Google Analytics is an essential step towards maximising your profit and potential earnings, go and install it now.
Don't forget you can use this content to promote WA using your own affiliate link its at the top of the page under title.
If you have any questions regarding GGoogle Analytics feel free to ask below.Don't be frightened by Google Analytics. Install it, even if you don't take any other action, but please don't install jetpack as plan B. Whilst you go slowly figuring your way around Google analytics it is qworking quietely and effectively in the background, squirreling information away for you waitying until you need it. However if you don't install it, it will take a few weeks to get a picture when you do need it.
Troubleshooting Google Analytics
Bounce Rates.
There's lots of reasons why a high bounce rate is not all bad. The best reason is when you have a clear call to action like go here and create your free account. When somebody does that immediately it counts as a bounce rate although it is a sale. However there are other times when you feel the whole of Russia is waging a personal war with you because of Russian spam. If you want to know how to exclude certain areas geographically from your Google analytics then this is the training for you
https://my.wealthyaffiliate.com/andreass/blog/block-unwanted-traffic-in-google-analytics
https://my.wealthyaffiliate.com/training/how-to-block-referral-spam
Recent Comments
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Thank you Catherine for this! I thought I was going to have to figure the best outline of action on my own! lol! All I have is wine on hand, hope that is enough, lol! Christa :)
Are you kidding, I have been taking everything in small steps, lol! I have to, my mind learns in detail only, lol!
The point is you are taking steps that is what is important, better than standing still wishing hoping and waiting
Definitely! Now if I could just get my cursor to stop jumping around in these answer boxes! It is so frustrating and it is the only place it happens!
I have 2 complaints but clicked a like anyway, just for all the help I got.
First complaint is that the gin and tonic didn't work. Since I know you are never very far off target I tried Scotch and Water and it worked great.
2nd complaint. You mentioned getting our head around GA but I found that first it took me a while to extract it from where I already had it! Thanks again for a really great post and have a great night.
Harold
Well you should have not got too engrossed in that Scotch I did warn you - you had m ore work to do. Now at 4.47 am I am off to bed
I thought I was the only one on that crazy schedule. It's just when the spirit moves us, isn't it? Thanks for all.
Harold
I still haven't figured out how to track my clicks without jetpack. I use pretty links for my affiliate links, of which I can track. But how can I use GA to track all the rest of my clicked links?
There are two steps to this
STEP 1 WITHIN THE HEADER
Use the JavaScript code below within the <head> tags of each page you want to track affiliate links. This code has two functions, it directs the tracking action and delays the loading of the outbound link by 100 milliseconds akllowing Google Analytics time to track the click:
[removed] function recordOutboundLink(link, category, action) { try { var myTracker=_gat._getTrackerByName(); _gaq.push(['myTracker._trackEvent', category , action ]); setTimeout('document.location = "' + link.href + '"', 100) }catch(err){} } [removed]
STEP 2 WITHIN THE POST
you need to add an anchor code for want of a better description which is a follow up instruction to Google Analytics from step 1
'Affiliate Links' is the category variable and "http://your-affiliate-link.com" which follows it is the action variable; both will appear in Google Analytics event tracking. You may change either or both the category and action names .The first psrt of hte code folling the code cannot be changed it is the actua affilaite link you want to track
The "return false" statement is required for link tracking and must not be changed.
Hope this helps, if so I have earned my gin and tonic!
The reply alone earned you two gin and tonics! Thank you for the step by step detail, I needed it. I'm gonna try this out now and see if I can get it. Thank you so much..
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Thank you for this. I've been completely ignoring it because I feel like I'm way out of my depth, but I know I've got to get my head around it sooner or later and you may just have nudged me into action!
if you have installed all in one SEO then at least install it ifb you have any problems shout