How to set up Google Analytics for your website

A simple guide

If you’ve ever wondered how your website is performing or where your visitors are coming from, then Google Analytics is the tool for you. It’s like a health check for your website. It tells you what’s working, what’s not, and how to improve. And the best part? It’s free! So, let’s take a look at how to set up Google Analytics for your website in the easiest way possible.

Step 1: Create a Google Analytics account

First things first, you’ll need a Google account. If you don’t already have one, it’s time to make one. Once you’ve got your Google account, go to the Google Analytics website.

Head to Google Analytics and sign in with your Google account. If you don’t have an account yet, you’ll be prompted to create one. Just follow the on-screen instructions. When you’re all signed in, click on “Start measuring” to begin the setup process.

Step 2: Set up your account and property

After signing in, you’ll be asked to set up an account. Don’t worry, this is just the way Google keeps everything organised. You can think of the account like the big box that holds all your websites.

• Account name: This is the name of your business or website.
• Property name: This is the specific website you want to track. If you’ve got more than one site, you can add them here later.
• Timezone and currency: Choose the right time zone (so you know exactly when things are happening) and the currency you use.

Once that’s done, click “Next” to go to the next step.

Step 3: Add your website’s details

Now, Google will ask you for some details about your website. This is where you’ll type in your website’s name and URL. Don’t forget to pick the right “industry category” and “reporting time zone” again.

• Website name: Enter your website’s name (it could be your business name or just the name of your site).
• Website URL: This is the link to your site (like www.boostmybusiness.co).
• Industry category: Choose the category that best fits your website. If you’re not sure, it’s okay, just pick the closest one.
• Reporting time zone: Make sure you pick the right time zone so your data makes sense.

Once you’ve filled all that out, hit “Create.” You’re on your way!

Step 4: Agree to the terms

Now, you’ll see a terms of service agreement. It’s pretty standard, so just read through it and click “I Agree.” This is basically you saying you’re good with Google’s rules.

Step 5: Get your tracking code

Here comes the fun part – getting the tracking code. Google Analytics needs to know when people visit your website, so it gives you a small piece of code to put on your site. This code tells Google to start collecting data.

• Once you’ve agreed to the terms, you’ll be taken to a page with a tracking code.
• It’s a small snippet of code that looks like a bunch of numbers and letters.

Now, copy this tracking code. You’re going to add it to every page of your website so Google can track your visitors. Don’t worry, we’ll get to that.

Step 6: Add the tracking code to your website

Here’s where things get a little technical, we’ll walk you through it. You need to add the tracking code to the HTML of your website. This will allow Google to track every time someone visits your site. There are a few ways to do this, depending on how your website is built:

• For WordPress users: If you’re using WordPress, there are easy plugins like “Insert Headers and Footers”, “Site Kit” or “Google Analytics for WordPress by MonsterInsights” that will help you add the tracking code. Just paste the code into the plugin settings, and you’re good to go.
• For website builders: If you’re using website builders like Wix, Squarespace, or Shopify, they usually have a simple spot in their settings where you can paste the tracking code. It’s usually under “Settings” or “Integrations.” Just paste the code in and save.
• For hand-coded websites: If you’re coding your website yourself or working with a developer, you’ll need to paste the code right before the closing </head> tag on each page. If you’re unsure, it’s always good to ask your developer for help.

Once the code is in place, save your changes and move on to the next step.

Step 7: Confirm tracking is working

Now, we wait a little while to make sure the tracking code is working. You can check if it’s set up correctly by going back to your Google Analytics account.

• In the admin section, click on “Real-time” in the left-hand menu.
• Then, click on “Overview.” If everything is working, you should see data popping up as you visit your site.

If you don’t see any data after a few hours, double-check that the tracking code is installed correctly. Sometimes it can take a little while to kick in.

Step 8: Set up conversions in GA4

In GA4, you set up conversions by marking events, rather than creating goals. Here’s how to do it:

1. Track events: GA4 automatically tracks some events (like page views), but you can create custom events for actions like form submissions.
2. Mark an event as a conversion:
   • Go to Admin > Events.
   • Find your event (e.g., contact_form_submission), and toggle it as a conversion.
3. View conversions: After marking the event as a conversion, GA4 will track it in the Conversions report.

Step 9: Dive into your data

Congratulations! You’ve successfully set up Google Analytics. Now it’s time to dig into your data and see what’s happening on your website.

You can check things like:

• Where your visitors are coming from (social media, search engines, direct traffic, etc.)
• Which pages are the most popular
• How long visitors stay on your site
• What devices they’re using (mobile, desktop, etc.)

The more you explore, the more you’ll learn about your website’s performance. And the best part? You can use that data to make your website better.

Setting up Google Analytics may seem like a lot at first, but once you get the hang of it, it’s pretty straightforward. The key is to check in regularly and use the data to make smarter decisions about your website. So, go ahead, take a deep dive into your data, and get ready to make your website even better!