Using Google Analytics for Better WordPress Website

Data and AnalysisAndy Stitt

Deliberate Media Solutions

What we will cover● Why you should pay extra attention to Google Analytics● How to install it on a WordPress site● A simple framework for better analysis without drowning in a sea of data● How to write custom reports that allow you to use this framework

Why should you care?Developers/Freelancers/Agency Owners

● Add data collection and analysis to your retainer agreements● Charge a higher fee for those agreements● Insights from the data can perpetuate new project work

Marketers/Bloggers/Business Owners

● Know if your website is really working for you or not● Easily see where you can double down on what’s working and tweak what isn’

t

How to Install Google Analytics on WordPress

Other ways of installing Google Analytics● With code: directly editing header.php or functions.php● Genesis users: Theme Settings -> Header and Footer Scripts● Genesis Simple Hooks plugin also works

Now that you have it installed….

ABC framework in English, pleaseAcquisition: How did they get to your website

Behavior: What did they do while they were there

Conversions: Did they ultimately take the action that you wanted them to take?

ABC framework in actionAcquisition: Source / Medium, Users, Sessions

Behavior: Avg. Session Duration, Pages / Session

Conversions: Goal Completions, Goal 1 Completions

What insights can be gleaned?● If a particular bog is a large source of conversions, talk to the blog owner

about how you can provide them more content● If Twitter is your highest social source of conversions, focus on it● You can event find sources of false traffic like semalt.com

What insights can be gleaned?● The highest converting blog posts: write more on that same topic● The blog posts with low to no conversions: consider not writing more on that

same topic

Caution when analyzing data● Make sure your numbers are high enough to be able to do real analysis● If your numbers are in the tens, possibly the hundreds, it might not be high

enough for statistical significance● Data alone doesn’t always cut it● Data + your intuition about your business = winning combination

Summary● Install Google Analytics on WordPress with a plugin or through code● Acquisition-Behavior-Conversions framework to keep things simple● Execute this framework through Goals and Custom Reports

Questions?Ask now or ping me later:

Twitter: @andystitt829

andy@andystitt.com

I also blogged about this topic:

http://deliberatemediasolutions.com/website-analytics-framework/