As we all return to work (and along the same lines as my previous article), let’s also return to the basic principles of Google Analytics. Of course this short guide won’t bring anything revolutionary to SEO experts, but it should provide support to business managers looking to dive into the fabulous (and free!) world of Google Analytics.
1- What is Google Analytics?
The main difference between traditional marketing and e-marketing lies in the fact that an individual’s movements on a website may be traced, recorded and analyzed. This is exactly what Google Analytics is proposing.
Once you’ve created your free Google Analytics account, you will be asked to link it to your website with a code provided by Google. This step is fairly simple (depending on your website) and the link between your website and Google Analytics normally takes a mere 24 hours.
2- What is the value-added to my e-marketing with Google Analytics?
For many companies in B2B, websites constitute the central node of internet strategy. This is usually where catalogs, the details of a company’s activities, and much more can be found. Social networks (Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, blogs, etc.) and search engines (Google, Bing, etc.) are like satellites that gravitate around a central planet: the company’s website.
Google Analytics allows you to measure and analyze strategic marketing data directly related to a website:
- Number of visits,
- Geographic location of visitors,
- Key words used on search engines,
- Number of visits from various social networks, etc.
A true goldmine for strategists and other tacticians!
3- Some ground rules
The first rule, which is perfect for beginners, is self-training. Google Analytics is a powerful tool that needs to be fully mastered in order to get the most out of it. On the web, training possibilities are common and Google offers videos for free (in English). This constitutes the base necessary for any inbound marketing expert. Ideally, one should have a Google Analytics account linked to their website in order to practice while viewing these explanatory videos.
Another rule (or piece of advice) is to exclude traffic from all IP addresses of your employees. You can’t imagine how often your own employees go to your website to look for company information. The filter of IP addresses focuses solely on the behavior of visitors “that you want to have”: current clients, potential clients, suppliers, business partners, namely.
4- Use with caution
Mastering Google Analytics and all it has to offer requires a good deal of learning. Let’s be honest: Google Analytics is essential, but it isn’t easy to domesticate, especially when it comes to its very particular vocabulary that can discourage more than one novice (for example: cookies, rebound rate, indirect conversions, etc.). Don’t get discouraged! On the contrary, it’s worth it. The results will quickly prove it.
I hope that this article has convinced you about the importance of using Google Analytics in order to measure your marketing efforts on the web. Don’t hesitate to contact me if you need clarification or help concerning a particular point of my blog post.
