What to look for in your Google Analytics Stats
In a recent business network I was asked a good question about web stats – what can they teach us and what to look for. I was amazed to see that all 10 business owners in the room had Google Analytics installed but not only did not know ‘what to do with it’ but more importantly never look at it.
Once you install and verify Google Analytics on your site, here are my tips on what to look for.
General website traffic:
Look at the graph: Is there a peak? If yes, what happened that week – maybe you promoted your business at a network? Sent an email campaign to your clients?
If there is a ‘down’ or a trend going down – is my business slow as well? Maybe a new competitor is ranking better?
You can learn a lot by just looking back into your business activities and how they affect your site. This is why it is important to check at least once a month when your business activities are still fresh in your mind.
2. Referral Traffic:
Are there websites that refer constant traffic to yours? In addition to search engine you might get referrals from online directories or affiliates. In case of directories, if one stands out in particular and all you have is a ‘free listing’ it might be worthwhile upgrading to a full listing.
3. Key Words:
What are you found for – it might surprise you to find you are found for terms on your site you did not put attention to. Tracking these terms and increasing throughout the site or even dedicating a page will help boost your ranking.
For example, I found that my site is found for ‘websites for schools’ this was only mentioned once on my site as it was one of my first clients. By taking this term and turning to a page called ‘websites for schools’ and explain how I can help, I improved my ranking for this niche.
4. Browsers & devises:
From Google Analytics you can view the percentage that viewed your site from different browsers. You might use Internet Explorer and your website looks fine but your target market might be using mainly Safari for example. By looking at the stats you can make sure your site is compatible with the right browsers and if changes are required, let your web designer know which browser to focus on.
Devises:
Another interesting statistic is the access to your website from a mobile phone or a tablet. If you find that a high percentage does, you might want to consider a mobile site – especially if your website is full with information and images – make it more accessible for your potential visitors.
These are only a few things you can look at as Google Analytics offers much more.
