sarah
Is it not surprising that bloggers hardly ever talk about Google Analytics when it comes to blogging success?
You wouldn't believe it but from my own experience, I feel that without Google Analytics blog owners are simply like the good old blind men who set out to know what an elephant actually look like. You know how they all described it, right?
The one who touched the tail described the elephant as looking like a rope. The one who touched the body said it was one like a wall. And the one who touched a leg choose to call the elephant a drum! 🙂
It may sound funny but the truth is that many bloggers are doing the same today with their blogs if they do not have a good tool like the Google Analytics tool to know much about their blogs!
So, What is Google Analytics?
Google Analytics is a free tool which blog and website owners can use in analyzing the flow of traffic to their sites. Studying and analyzing user or visitor behavior have always been a marketing objective. Every wise business person wants to know things like: Why do buyers buy? Why do visitors to my site almost reach out to buy but in the end they don’t? Etc.
I recently had an insightful experience with one of my clients. Working with Google Analytics, my client could see that most of the site visitors baulked at the payment gateway page. Concluding that there was definitely something wrong, I went through the data with a toothpick and did some research on the subject.
You won’t believe what I learnt from this exercise. I discovered that my client actually failed to provide sufficient confidence to visitors about the safety and security of his payment gateway.
By introducing a SSL certificate we managed to convert 60% visitors into buyers (which is great by any standard). Now, all this would not have been possible without Google Analytics.
Here Are A Few Things Google Analytics Can Do For You!
1. Detailed Data On Visitors
Google analytics is so detailed that you can even get the exact place from which a person visits your blog. You can study visitor behavior – how they came in (from search engine, other blogs, AdSense, social media) , what they did while at your site or blog , which pages they visited and finally how they exited.
By analyzing this data you can learn a lot about people and also about your own blog. A little tweak here and there and you can create a better impact on your customers (visitors).
2. Reduce Your Site Bounce Rate
An important consideration for SEO is bounce rate. This is defined as the percentage of visitors who leave a site without bothering to visit any other page. This may happen due to many reasons. Using Google analytics you may be able to decrease bounce rate and improve your Page rank. The amount of time spent by visitors on your blog can also be increased by analyzing the site data. Page download speed impacts on SEO. Though broadband and high speed internet has tremendously reduced irksome wait for visitors, you can do a lot more to make browsing your blog a better and more pleasant experience.
Ultimately it’s all about converting traffic into sticky eyeballs. Getting traffic is not sufficient – you have to hold on to them.
Deploying Google Analytics
Though initially I thought that I would never be able to do it alone, I realized that deploying Google Analytics is fairly easy. You have to register with Google and then copy-paste a line of code into your web pages or blog. When we hear of lines of code, JavaScript and such, we generally tend to walk away from it. My suggestion is not to panic because it’s a simple task.
Google Analytics for WordPress
If you're using the WordPress blogging platform then you're luck. There are some nice Google analytics Plug-in available for WordPress. Even otherwise, its fairly simple to install. Those of you who have not experienced the power of Google analytics, my advice is to go for it right now. You will feel the difference.
What is your experience with Google analytics? Share your views with us in the comments below.
What a clever analogy to Google Analytics with the Blind Men story. That story certainly applies to most tech related items. Sometimes one has to go from person to person or blog to blog to understand a new technology or idea.
GA is a great blogging tool.
@Rob Koenig,
That story had always intrigued me. Whenever,I consider the way some things are handled by different people in trying to make believe that they know much about those things, my always to this story.
Sarah have really cleverly made a point with this story in this article. I think we will need some de-glazing as regarding many of the subjects we read online if we are not to be like the blind men! 🙂 Nothing is more rewarding when you approach it knowing what you are doing instead of just speculatively. Or don’t you think so, Rob?
Google Analytics certainly the best free analytics tool available to us. YOu can check the visitors behavior, their activities, visit length and so on, which ultimately helps you to create user friendly site and getting more leads.
@Aasma,
Tools like this provided free by Google for us are just one of the reasons I’m such a big fan of Google. Just imagine how much such a tool would have cost if provided by some of the online marketing companies out there. Can you really put a price to it? I think we must give kudos to Google for things like this!
Very nice post. Using analytics properly can make things a lot better when analyzing blog traffic and trying to improve our user experience. I sometimes wonder why Google has given this million dollar software to all of us for free.
@Zara,
Just what I mentioned why replying Aasma’s comment. I’ve heard many people try to make light of it that Google is really the one who is making the money with these tools. As much as that is true, the tools help Google to know more about us all so as to better target users with their ads, but we must not fail to appreciate the fact that we are all benefiting using those tools. I cannot really imagine how much I would be dishing out every for such a tool if Google had not magnanimously provided one! Or, don’t you think so too?
Since they have redesigned the forms and have added the flow charts, I feel that it’s a must for every serious blogger to have.
Since they have redesigned the forms and have added the flow charts, I feel that it’s a must for every serious blogger to have.
This is really an amazing post thanks for sharing this very useful information
@Chadrack I certainly agree. And I feel that Google and other big tech companies are also part of the blind man story. Realistically, they have a concept they are trying to achieve, but there can be an unexpected turn of events before we know it. All I have to say is look at Yahoo, once leaders, now left in limbo while they figure out what’s next.
@Robert Koenig,
You mean Google and the rest are just like the blind men in the story? Oh, that’s taking it to another level. But frankly, I think in that level we all are in the same boat.
You know, when you’re trying to achieve a result, until that result comes, you’re actually like a blind man except you have a guide, like someone who has achieved that results before and is ready to give the direction. I think this is the only area that Google and the rest can be compared to the blind men. Of course, Google has an idea of what the internet should be but because they are blazing a trial no other person has traveled before, they need, most times to move on using trial by error.
For the likes of Yahoo, I think they got it wrong when they thought everything should have a price tag! You can see that Google understands the internet better. Consider the different tools they provide for us free, all of these make them a darling of online marketers therefore expanding their potential clients base!
Yahoo expected us to get into their search engine only if we can pay them for it but Google opened their search for everyone and today Google has remained the search engine that everyone talks about.
I personally believe that there is so much we can learn from Google as internet marketers or what do you think?
I have been using Google analytic and I don’t maximize it’s tools. I just learned about bounce rate and maybe I can more videos and highlights to my blog so that my visitors can stay longer.
Thank you
The information you shared is Very Informative
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So true that Google is the main site of all website, they are the one responsible in changing the algorithm, that is why many blog sites have their own problem. but as I have read your post it proves that Google analytic control the entire internet.
Google analytic always provide good and important stats of a particular site.Only need ti install free code to site.Thanks for nice post related.
I know how useful google analytic for my website. This info which will be prove so useful for all blogger and online marketers.
Hi Sarah,
You are right, when we hear of lines of code or JavaScript we generally tend to run away from it but it only requires few efforts to understand how use it and reap its benefits. Thanks for your insight on google analytics.
Google Analytics is another tool provided by google with an extra viewing capacity as a Magnifying Glass!
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Very useful info here. Google analytics is a great tool to use in improving your site. Thanks for the post!
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this is very nice information for me. i am very happy to read this post. because i have no knowledge about it but now i can explain it.
Awesome article using analytics properly can make things a lot better when analyzing blog traffic.Google analytic always provide important stats of a particular site.This is really nice post and i am very glad after visiting this site.Thanks a lot.
“Ultimately it’s all about converting traffic into sticky eyeballs. Getting traffic is not sufficient – you have to hold on to them.” I think a lot of us tend to forget this sometimes because we get too caught up in getting lots of traffic. What is the point of traffic if it doesn’t lead to a subscriber or sale? I enjoy Google Analytics as it has helped me immensely in many ways.
This is an amazing tool provided by google. Google analytics is very useful due to its extra viewing power.
this is really interesting post. i am happy to read it .it is very informative
I think Analytics introduced some latest features recently, and all of them are quit good. Linking with blogger as well as webmaster tools are also very helpful. BTW thanks for the info.
Great tool to experience about how our Seo is working.Provide all useful detail to know how the web is working and where to work more.
I find most Google tools to be useful and their analytics tool is one of the best out there. It has helped me work on the bounce rates. I also use analytics and google webmaster tools together for best results.
Google analytics is an amazing tool by google. It is very useful because it has extra viewing power.
I have been using Search engines analytic and I do not increase it’s resources. I just discovered about jump amount and maybe I can more video clips and features to my weblog so that my visitors..
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