To maximize your inbound marketing efforts, you need to tap into Google analytics so you can get an accurate measure of how your campaigns are working. Simply reviewing sales figures will not give you an adequate picture of how your marketing is performing and what you need to do to make improvements. Getting started with Google analytics will help you tailor your inbound marketing to your primary buyer personas and give you the information you need for success.

Just Three Areas of Focus when Getting Started with Google Analytics

When you get comfortable with Google analytics, you will be able to delve in to a virtually endless amount of data about your online real estate. Getting started with Google analytics however, will focus on three main areas: basic information about the visitors (audience), how the visitors found you (acquisition) and how they used your site (behavior).

An Overview of your Audience

Under the “Audience” section on your Google analytics dashboard you will see a selection labeled “overview”. This is a great starting point for beginners because you will be able to see the following:

  • How many visitors came to your site
  • How many were returning vs new
  • How long they stayed on your site and how many pages they visited
  • The bounce rate (how many left your site without reading)

Google Analytics Screen

This overview helps you to see at a glance what areas of your site are working well and what areas need your attention so they produce better results. For example, if you have a high bounce rate, this would suggest people are not finding what they need immediately after arriving at your site. You would then need to do a more detailed analysis to understand why this is happening so you can make necessary changes.

How you are Acquiring your Visitors

Under the “Acquisition” label on your dashboard, select “overview” again. Now you are given a picture that represents how your visitors are finding your site. This information is crucial to helping you understand your target buyer persona’s browsing habits and what methods are reaching them best. The pie chart makes it very easy to compare social media versus organic search and more.

Google Analytics Screen

Although you are just getting started with Google analytics, it is a good idea to explore the other options available in this section. For example, selecting the “Social” option will show you which of your social media platforms are bringing in the most visitors.

The Behavior of your Audience on your Site

The third and final section of Google analytics that is critical as a beginner is found under “Behavior” on your dashboard. Look at the “overview” to see what pages visitors to your site visit most often, how much time they spend when there and when they leave. By exploring the “Site Content” section under behavior, you can learn more about the patterns.

Google Analytics Screen

By studying the deeper analytics under behavior, you can see what pages are not working for your audience and make changes to try to improve your conversions. Pay attention to what pages are getting the best results and see if a similar voice or visual can be emulated on the pages that are not as well received.

While getting started with Google analytics can be daunting, spending time on the three areas of focus we have highlighted will arm you with the data you need to maximize your marketing efforts. If you need help or wish to propel your business with expert marketing help, contact your expert partners of Sumner Digital.