Google Analytics is a tracking and reporting software that measures website traffic. Think of it as an undercover website policeman that measures not only the speeding users, but every single user that visits your website.
With this information at your fingertips, we can analyse the effectiveness of your web presence and digital marketing through the online interactions with your customers.
Here is a video from the Straight Up Founder and Head Cheese, Chris Bindley, showing a step-by-step guide of how to add a Google Analytics account to your WordPress website.
Note: We are assuming a prior level of knowledge about the back end workings of your WordPress website. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out, we are more than happy to help you with the process!
Setting up your account:
Step 1 – In order to set up a Google Analytics account you will first need to have a Google account.
- Go to google.com.au
- Search for create new account, you will need a google email for this.
- If you already have a google account you can skip this step and go to step 2
Step 2 – Go to analytics.google.com and log in with your email and sign in.
- When you first land on the Welcome to Google Analytics page you will see the button “set up for free” click on that and we will start to create our account.
- If you already have a previous Google Analytics account, please contact us for help on how to navigate your multiple accounts.
Step 3 – Set up your account name
- Leave all the boxes ticked
- Click on the “next” button at the bottom the screen
Step 4 – Create your property name (website address)
- Change the reporting zones to Australia.
- This is important so that you can manage who is visiting your website and from where.
Step 5 – WAIT !!! – Do not click NEXT just yet
Step 6 – Click on show advanced options
- Google have created a new property that doesn’t work with most browsers so here we need to click the Create a Universal Analytics property – this will take you to the more commonly used property
- Enter your website URL
- You are given an option here to create both the old and new version but for now we will just create the old version by clicking on the Create a Universal Analytics property only
- Click “Next”
Step 7 – Marketing Information
- Enter your Industry
- Number of Employees
- Check the boxes on how your business intends to use Google Analytics
- Hit the CREATE button
Step 8 – Sign your life away to Google by agreeing to the local terms and conditions.
We are nearly there, I promise.
Step 9 – There are more marketing questions to be answered you can tick the ones that you feel are appropriate to your business.
Step 10 – Now we get your new account details
- You will see a whole heap of code on the page, ignore that.
- What we need is the TRACKING ID number – this is all we need for WordPress
- Copy the Tracking ID or write it down somewhere you won’t lose it in the next few minutes
Step 11 – Log into the back end of your WordPress website (if you have no idea how to do this please reach out for help)
- Find the Plugin tab in the menu on the left-hand side of the page
- Click on the Plugin tab and select ADD NEW
- In the search tab search for Google Analytics
- Install and activate Google Analytics plug in.
Step 12 – Find the Settings tab in menu on the left-hand side of the page
- Click on Google Analytics in the Settings Tab
- Find the Plugin Setting Tab
- Enter your Tracking ID in the space provided
- Press SAVE CHANGES at the bottom of the page.
Step 13 – Breathe a huge sigh of relief and add Google Analytics Expert to your resume!
Google Analytics will transform the way you interact not only with your customers, but your own website and in 12 steps you can be a Google Analytics guru. Of course, if you require any assistance with setting up Google Analytics please give us a call.
About the Author: Chris Bindley
Chris Bindley is Founder of Straight Up Digital and Supplier Digital. He is a result oriented professional delivering search engine marketing success from start-ups businesses to global brands.
Chris’s links.
About Straight Up Digital
Straight Up Digital is a full service digital marketing agency based in Burleigh Heads, Gold Coast, Australia. We specialise in Web Design, SEO (Search Engine Optimization), Social Media, Paid Ads (AdWords & Facebook Ads), Email Campaigns and Video Marketing.
Straight Up by name. Straight Up by nature. We prefer to tell it how it is and we aren’t afraid of the difficult conversations with our clients. Our goal is to become the most transparent and results focused digital marketing company of the third millennium!
We have been helping businesses for over 10 years across a variety of industries including restaurants, real estate, construction, manufacturing, certified trades, professional services, podcasts and events.
Whilst based on the Gold Coast we service clients all over Australia and around the World. If you have any questions about your website, social media or lead generation please get in touch.