As part of our 2024 Marketing Strategy guide, we're going to deep dive into one of the most valuable FREE tools available to you. If you have a business where you send people to a website, either for information or to buy something, Google Analytics is your secret weapon to really finding out what is going on there.
Understanding your audience and analysing their interactions with your website is crucial, not only so that you can learn and make improvements to increase desired behaviours, but also to feed insights back into the business to improve products and services. Google Analytics offers a goldmine of data to shape your marketing strategy, but if you are new to it or time limited, just knowing the essentials is enough to make a positive impact. This guide with the top 10 metrics to analyse for your marketing strategy is for you!
Getting Started with Google Analytics
First things first, make sure you have Google Analytics set up for your website. If you haven't done this yet, Google provides a simple guide to get you started, and usually doesn't require any support from a developer. The sooner you set it up, the sooner you will start to have some data to look at!
If you are already to setup you are good to go exploring! Here are the top 10 metrics we suggest you check regularly to help make informed business decisions...
1. Your Website Traffic And Where It Is Coming From
Navigate to "Reports" on the left sidebar. Under "Acquisition," explore "Traffic Sources" for detailed information on where your website traffic is coming from.
Insights to find: Understand where your website traffic is originating. Channels may include organic search, social media, direct visits, or referrals.
Think about... Identify high-performing channels to allocate resources effectively. Assess the impact of marketing campaigns on traffic. A surge in traffic from a particular source might indicate a successful campaign or a trending topic.
2. Engagement Rate:
Go to "Reports" > "Engagement" > "Engagement Overview" to find the engagement rate.
Insights to find: The engagement rate measures the level of interaction visitors have with your site. It includes actions like clicks, scrolls, and other interactions beyond just viewing a single page.
Think about... A higher engagement rate indicates that users are actively interacting with your content. Analyse pages with high engagement rates to understand what elements or content are resonating well with your audience. Conversely, pages with lower engagement rates may require optimisation or more compelling content.
3. Conversion Rate:
Head to "Reports" > "Engagement" > "Conversions" to see your conversion rate based on defined goals.
Insights to find: Conversion rate measures the percentage of visitors who complete a desired goal, such as making a purchase or filling out a form.
Think about... Track changes in conversion rates to evaluate the effectiveness of marketing campaigns. Optimise pages with lower conversion rates to improve user flow and encourage desired actions. Analyse the conversion funnel to identify potential barriers or friction points.
4. Average Session Duration:
Under "Reports," navigate to "Engagement" > "Engagement Overview" to find the average session duration.
Insights to find: This metric provides the average amount of time users spend on your site during a session.
Think about... Longer average session durations may indicate engaging content. Analyse pages with high session durations for content optimisation. Short durations might signal a need for more captivating content or a streamlined user journey. Understand the content that keeps users on your site and replicate its success.
5. Average Pages Per Session:
Go to "Reports" > "Engagement" > "Engagement Overview" to find the average pages per session.
Insights to find: This metric shows the average number of pages a user views during a session.
Think about... Higher pages per session suggest deeper engagement. Analyse content on pages with high page/session ratios for insights into what keeps users interested. Optimise navigation and content to encourage users to explore more pages.
6. User Location:
Explore the "Reports" section and under "User," you'll find "User Attributes" and "Overview" to see user location data.
Insights to find: Discover where your audience is located geographically.
Think about... Tailor marketing efforts based on geographic insights. This is crucial for businesses targeting specific regions or adjusting content for different audiences. Use this data to craft region-specific campaigns, promotions, or content.
7. Percentage of Return Visitors:
Go to "Reports" > "Retention" to find information on the percentage of return visitors.
Insights to find: This metric reveals the percentage of users who are returning visitors.
Think about... A high percentage indicates brand loyalty. Engage return visitors with personalised content or offers to enhance their experience. Analyse the behaviour of return visitors to understand what keeps them coming back, and leverage this knowledge in your content and marketing strategies.
8. Page Views:
Navigate to "Reports" > "Engagement" > "Pages and Screens" and categorize pages based on content themes or types.
Insights to find: Analysing page views provides insights into the popularity and effectiveness of different types of content on your site.
To think about... Identify which content categories resonate most with your audience. Understand the preferences and interests of your users by analysing the performance of various content types.
9. Top Landing Pages:
Navigate to "Reports" > "Engagement" > "Pages and Screens" to find information on your top landing pages.
Insights to find: Identify the pages where users enter your site.
Think about... Optimise top landing pages for conversions. Ensure these pages provide a clear path for users to navigate deeper into your site. Analyse the content and elements on successful landing pages to replicate their success on other pages. This report will show you in your SEO and marketing campaigns are effective as the landing pages you drive people to should perform better.
10. Exit Pages:
Go to "Reports" > "Engagement" > "Pages and Screens" to find information on exit pages.
Insights to find: Discover where users are leaving your site.
To Think About... Analyse content on exit pages to understand potential issues. Optimise these pages or create exit-intent strategies to retain users. Understanding the pages where users commonly exit can provide insights into areas that may need improvement, whether in content, user experience, or calls to action.
Using Google Analytics Insights In Your Marketing Strategy:
Identify Trends: Look for patterns and trends in your data over time.
Allocate Resources: Focus your efforts on channels and pages that drive the most valuable traffic.
Optimise Content: Use data on bounce rates, session duration, and popular content to refine your website's user experience.
Personalise Marketing: Leverage location and return visitor data for targeted and personalised marketing campaigns.
Remember, the true power of Google Analytics lies in regularly revisiting these metrics, adapting your strategy based on the insights gained, and staying agile in response to changing user behaviour and market trends.
Contact us for a free consulation if you would like to find out more about how we will use insights like this to drive your marketing strategy for you.