Google analytics, a comprehensive product by Google, generates detailed report of traffic for websites and evaluates conversion and sales, as well. Webmasters use it to tracks visitors different sources like organic traffic, referrals, traffic from social websites, and direct visits.
When setting up Google Analytics for a new project, many things need to be taken care of. That includes tech audit, evaluating content and back links. In most of the cases, reviewing information provided by analytics is overlooked.
Performing other tasks is a mere wastage of time without reviewing how analytics account is created. Here is a comprehensive to-do list when setting up Google Analytics for a new project.
Do not include internal IP addresses
- Including internal and partner IP addresses results in over report traffic and decreases conversion rate
- Go to admin; choose filters, and then new filter to keep out internal IP addresses
Note: It is necessary to create a copy of the profile and apply filter to the created copy. If any issue arises, you will not get the lost data back. Therefore, it is good to create backup for preventing data loss.
Check for the presence of Google analytics codes on all pages
- We will not get accurate conversion data in case Google analytics codes are not present on any page. Have a look at referral reports to see whether these codes are available on all pages or not.
- You will observe all conversions from referral to direct, in case, if GA codes are not available for different pages.
- Make use of screaming frog to check whether Google analytics codes are available for pages or not. Select configuration tab, select, and update custom field to check for the presence of UA ID.
UA account- Listed only one time!
- Running two Google Analytics codes concurrently is not at all an issue but running two examples of identical code is not ok.
- Two examples of same code will mess up entire metrics. For example, two separate examples of Track Page views will create confusion in areas like page views, pages per visit, bounce rate, and time on site.
- The best way to avoid this mess is by looking at the source code and search for UA.
Linking associated accounts
1. Relate Google Analytics and AdWords
- Doing so will make it easy for you to share data across Google Analytics and AdWords.
2. Also link Google Analytics and Webmaster tools
- This type of linking will allow you to share webmaster tools with Google Analytics.
Ensure proper campaign tracking implementation
Auto tagging is allowed in Google analytics
- If you have not allowed auto tagging, then your paid search traffic will appear as organic traffic in Google Analytics.
- To verify whether you permitted auto tagging or not, sign in into your AdWords account, go to account setting and then preferences.
UTM tags are present in Non Google paid search campaign URL’s
- The traffic will be counted as organic search visits, if you will not include UTM parameters in your campaign.
- GA understands utm_ medium=cpc, and utm_medium=ppc as paid search traffic, therefore, one of these must be used in campaign.
Redirect using UTM parameters
This will enable you to determine visits and conversions from the vanity domain to the campaign related with these types of domains.
Email campaigns make use of UTM parameters
This will allow you to evaluate visits and conversions from the email marketing efforts.
Conversions and interactions
Create goals
- It includes different types of activities such as creating an account, purchases, signing up for a newsletter, completing contact forms and many more.
- Try to relate monetary value with goals created.
Establishing ecommerce tracking
- Ecommerce tracking is one of the best ways for determining amount of profits you are getting. Along with determining revenue, it will also let you know channels and sources that are generating revenue for your business.
Setting up event tracking
- Event tracking is one of the best ways for evaluating ways in which users are interacting with your website.
- With event tracking, you can track everything such as videos played, form submissions, and downloads made by visitors.
Content groupings
Creating content groupings
Content groupings are nothing but cluster of pages like landing pages, blog posts, ecommerce pages or any collection of pages, which are related with one category to the other.
