This top line mini-guide provides readers with a jargon-free summary of Google Analytics in 2017 and how to get started with it as a tool. It is recommended for newbies and beginners.

1. The basics (and best bits) of Google Analytics
A jargon-free mini-guide
Adam Vincenzini
August 2018

2. Introduction
Google Analytics, at its core, provides users with data about
website performance.
It isn’t perfect, especially when used in isolation.
But, it can help you make informed decisions that can
contribute to continuous improvement.
This document provides you with an overview of what it can
do and how you can use the best bits to your advantage.

3. Who and why?

4. Who and why?
Google Analytics is used by:
Ecommerce Professional
services
Government News / media Info portals Bloggers

5. Who and why?
The ‘why’ can vary, but here are some examples:
To better understand
content cut through
To improve user
experience
To measure impact of
campaigns
To help sell advertising
To sell more products
To improve lead
generation efforts

6. Who and why?
The ‘why’ for agencies:
Insights to inform
strategy
Track results and
impact
Improve and optimise
performance

7. What can it uncover?
(The best bits)

8. The good stuff
Google Analytics can tell you a lot, including:
Visits / sessions Time spent Visitor locations Traffic sources Devices used Popular content Conversions Social media
impact
Your data ‘cocktail’ will be influenced by the goals you’ve set for your site.
(more on that later)

9. Your dashboard: Home
You can customise this part of Google Analytics to give you a snapshot view of the data that is most important to you.
https://analytics.google.com/analytics/web/demoAccount

10. Your dashboard: Home
https://analytics.google.com/analytics/web/demoAccount

11. Your dashboard: Home
https://analytics.google.com/analytics/web/demoAccount

12. Your dashboard: Home
https://analytics.google.com/analytics/web/demoAccount

13. Your dashboard: Home
https://analytics.google.com/analytics/web/demoAccount

14. Digging deeper
https://analytics.google.com/analytics/web/demoAccount
The ‘snapshot’ dashboard is great, but you’ll often want to dig a little deeper. But, be warned, it can
be like going down a rabbit hole.
Here are some of the more useful ‘deeper’ areas…

15. Acquisition
https://analytics.google.com/analytics/web/demoAccount
Acquisition data is important because it tells you where your visitors have come from. If your aim is to increase visits then
understanding which sources are generating the least traffic is an insight that might inform your future activity.

16. Acquisition
https://analytics.google.com/analytics/web/demoAccount
Visits with no referring website.
A visit that started with a search engine query..
A visit to your site from another site that isn’t a search engine e.g. news site.
Traffic generated from a social media post ‘click’ e.g. Facebook.
A visit from a paid search result.
Affiliates are normally only a source of traffic for ecommerce websites.
Visits from digital advertising e.g. banner ads.
Traffic that doesn’t reflect the above criteria / sub-catoegories.

17. Acquisition: Referrals
https://analytics.google.com/analytics/web/demoAccount

18. Acquisition: Referrals
https://analytics.google.com/analytics/web/demoAccount

19. Acquisition: Organic search
https://analytics.google.com/analytics/web/demoAccount
In 2011, Google Analytics turned off it’s most loved feature: Organic search insights. This data could
tell you which keyword phrases people were using to find you. Now, only a raw number is provided.
However, a tool called Google Search Console has bridged the gap (slightly) and is worth investigation
once you’ve mastered the basics of Google Analytics.
https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/

20. Behaviour
https://analytics.google.com/analytics/web/demoAccount
Behaviour data is important because it tells you what your visitors are looking at / engagng with. In most cases, there will be
pages that you want people to view more than others and this data can help you achieve these goals.

21. Behaviour
https://analytics.google.com/analytics/web/demoAccount

22. Live demonstration
https://analytics.google.com/analytics/web/demoAccount

23. Getting started

24. Getting familiar…
Visit the Google Analytics demo account
Set yourself a fictional goal
Review selected metrics against that goal
1
2
3
https://analytics.google.com/analytics/web/demoAccount

25. Additional resources

26. Read, watch and listen…
https://analytics.google.com/analytics/web/demoAccount
https://www.youtube.com/user/googleanalytics

27. @adamvincenzini
Adamvincenzini.com
Adamvincenzini.net