Breaking Down Your Blog’s Google Analytics:
I touched upon Google Analytics in a post recently, Step by Step Blogging #8, as a necessity of blogging. I couldn’t just leave you there wondering how to analyze your blog, right? So today we will go over some basic reports from Google Analytics. And review my own blog’s results from the last month.
First, for you…
-Sign up for Google Analytics. You will need a Google account. It’s all free.
-Be sure you have placed the tracking code into your blog. Again, it is a miracle I did this myself and I did mess it up. (See #3 below.) Remember that within the code snippet is your blog’s ID ( UA-XXXXX-X) be sure it is present.
-Then track for at least a month, if not longer. The longer you track the better the results.
Now on with my analysis…
This is my first site analysis and I wanted to share it with you. I am hoping for feedback to create a learning experience for both me and my readers.
If you have explored my blog you will notice that I have posts that date back to September 2010, why am I just doing an analysis now? I have 3 reasons. Today’s statistic are from February 5, 2011 to March 7, 2011.
- Before January 2011 I was not active socially online, meaning, I did not comment on other blogs, join forums or tweet often. I was working on content at the time so my focus was not to gain readers, it was to create great content.
- When first starting, blog statistics could be skewed by mistakes (I had a big one), flukes and just plain inexperience. This makes any statistics irrelevant for analyzing. So I waited until I had a marketing plan in place, which was January 2010 and great content to back up my plans and goals.
- In January 2011 I lost all my stats. Yes, I went to my Google Analytics page and everything read 0. Why? I updated my theme in mid-January and forgot to place the Analytics code back in. I was going to give you stats from the first of the year BUT could not.
So, on with the analysis.
I will be reviewing 4 sections from my Google Analytics homepage. You can find these sections in the left upper margin. The red dotes indicate the sections I will be analyzing over the next 3 days.
1. Dashboard: Overview of your stats (March 30)
2. Visitors: How many? How long did they stay? How many new? Returning? (March 30)
3. Traffic Sources: Where did the visitors come from? (March 31)
4. Content: What did your visitors like? (April 2 with analysis conclusions)
Dashboard
This is the opening page when you log into your Google Analytics account. It is the basic information you use to evaluate how well your blog is doing. Each category in the left margin (image above) breaks down into more detailed reports. Also, the graph and date field are interactive so you can change ranges and segments to your needs. It’s a simple yet very powerful page.
I will be reviewing the reports in detail in the next 3 posts that are represented here. You should explore it a bit, become acquainted with the powerful, free tool in front of you.
Visitors
The heart of your blog. (Besides content.) You need visitors, I assume. I do.
I had 279 visitors in my time period mentioned. This number is very low, I have a much higher goal in mind and these reports help me to analyze what is necessary to do just that, get more visitors. BUT! You don’t just want visitors, you want readers, sticky readers, people that stay and come back often for more of your awesome writing! Let’s look at visitors.
What I Evaluate for Now:
Average Pageviews. This is how many pages on average a visitor clicked. My visitors read just over 2 pages on my blog. They liked a post and decided to read another and then left my blog.
Average time on site. Self explanatory, how long, on average a visitor stayed. The higher the number the better; this means they like what they read and want more. I have almost 4 minutes for time on site. Not bad, it takes about that amount of time to read a post. I want them to read more.
Bounce rate. This is the rate in which people leave my blog. Just over 60% of the time they leave to go somewhere else. This number seems to be average for most blogs but obviously the lower the better. I always picture people “bouncing off” my site to go somewhere else on the internet. It’s not a fun picture.
Other Factors for More Advanced Evaluation:
Absolute Unique Visitors. This is the people count in a 24 hour time span. A person can come to your site 4 times in a 24 hour period. This is 1 “absolute visit” but 4 “visits”. Both are important. At this stage, I just watch visits. Gotta figure if they came back, good for me.
Pageviews. I know what it is but I cannot explain it. I don’t use it.
New Visits. New visitors to my blog. At this point most visitors are new.
My Analysis:
What I was doing with my blog at this time:
I didn’t do too bad for my first month of serious blogging. During this time period I began commenting about 10 times a week on blogs similar to mine with varying PageRank, I joined a couple of forums and was very active, I tweeted my posts 3-4 times a day while using pertinent hashtags about 5% of the time and I interacted with a few people on Twitter (retweets and Twitter conversations.) I also posted about 2-3 times a week which Google sees as fresh content. And I started to use basic SEO procedures using Google Adwords Keyword Tool.
Also at this time I wrote a series of posts called “Step by Step: Blog Beginners Series”. I think this helped keep my bounce rate lower because people were reading a few posts in the series before leaving.
My stats tell me that when people came to my blog they liked what they read but only read a couple of pages, I want them to stay longer and see me more as an authority in my field. When they do, my bounce rate will drop and pageviews will go up. I want them to need what I write not just like it.
What I can Improve On:
I will continue the same course as above but I may target forums specifically for who I need on my site: new bloggers, even more specific is WAHM bloggers.
I am going to continue using Twitter in the same manner but will attempt to join in scheduled conversations, such as #BlogChat on Sunday nights. This should help me find new bloggers.
And I am starting to find that I enjoy commenting to specific blogs. Commenting has turned into, for me, more of a learning experience than just link juice back to my blog. I love the discussions. So right now, any link juice back to my blog is a bonus. I think even if there was not link juice back to my blog I would still comment.
I have recently joined a tribe. This is a group of bloggers that support each other by commenting and spreading post links on social media for each other. The benefits, besides the educational, would be that you get exposure with their audience also. I am excited to see my results next month.
*I do believe I wrote good content that people needed. The few that came stayed for a while. I will continue to write about important topics in blogging and try to get my blog exposed more on the Internet.
Next:
These are the basics on analyzing your visitors and what they do while at your blog. Tomorrow I will be reviewing Traffic Sources. Where did my visitors come from? This will tell me if my backlinking and SEO efforts are paying off and if not, what should I change.
I have a list of relevant blogging terms where you can find more information. Check it out.
What is your take?
Is this just too confusing? Or is it easy?
How do you analyze visitors to your blog?
Did I miss anything a new blogger should know about visitors?
Latest posts by Allie (see all)
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Welcome! I'm Allie. I help WAHMs get their businesses noticed online. Feel free to look around. New here? Check out 
What a bummer you lost all your stats in January. Live and learn I guess.
Jessica-
Tell me about it! I am thankful I learned this mistake when my blog is still young and my traffic small. Can you imagine if I was getting 10,000 visitors a month and my analytics disappeared? That would surely be a tragedy! Once a blog reaches that height, the blogger already has a pattern of working behind the scenes. So to lose a vital piece of information is horrible. I am still establishing my patterns but almost there.
Thx!
~Allie
Allie, aloha. What a terrific job you did explaining Google Analytics. This will be a huge help to newbies because the charts and terminology can be so confusing.
Pageviews is just the total number of pages viewed on your site. In my opinion, it is not a significant marketing measure.
Something else I use to track my analytics is a free service getclicky.com It is a way to monitor, analyze, and react to your blog or web site’s traffic in real time. If you install it, let me know what you think.
Allie, I have bookmarked this to share with newbies. Well done. Aloha. Janet
Janet @ The Natural Networker created this awesome post: Seduce Your Lizard Brain by Janet Callaway The Natural Networker
Hey Janet,
Thank you for the kind words. I looked into GetClicky.com and will be getting it in the coming weeks! It looks so simple. I will keep my analytics, I rely on Google. But GetClicky actually makes stats seem a little more fun. If you have a reference name or code, I would love to use it. I will start out with the free version but you never know if I will pay for it. I like to give commissions to deserving people. Tweet it or email it to me.
Yes, I was getting pageviews mixed up with hits, which Google doesn’t use anymore. But, still, pageviews is not a huge significant factor, absolute visitors is best.
~Allie
Nice job, Allie!
You did a great job breaking it down and it’s great that you value studying your analytics at all. Without knowing these figures you have no idea where you’re bleeding traffic from or what they’re even doing while “here.”
If you do a follow-up at some point your numbers are going to look a bunch different I’m sure due to the new community involvement
That’s a great thing! We’ll all work to share a larger audience; we just have to be patient.
I’ll be back to take a look at the rest of the series…
Jon
Jon created this awesome post: Promote Your Business or Cause- Let’s Hear YOUR Story
Jon-
Thank you so much for your support! I value it!
I hate analyzing figures and was horrible at statistics in college but I knew this needed to be done. I waited until I had done some simple marketing. Even though my visits are low, I can still review right and wrong moves and later analyze progress.
Thanks for stopping by!
~Allie
Hey Allie, pleased to meet you. Welcome to our Clever Marketing Posse!
I think you did an excellent job on the Google Analytics. Personally, I have never used ALL the features… I just watched a chart on my blog dashboard but rarely logged into the Analytics account.
I, as Janet just took the words out out of my mouth… or would that be away from my fingertips
have started using Clicky… check it out. It is really cool and you can actually see some ‘names’ of peeps who visit which is quite humorous. You can see how long they stayed and where they traveled to!
Wonderful Job. I really enjoyed your post and through explanation!
Jayne Kopp created this awesome post: Building Relationships Online Getting to Know Each Other
Hi Jane!
Thanks for the welcome. I was actually worried I would be bored reading all the blogs but since I joined to get traffic and such, I guess would do it. BUT I am finding every blog so engaging! I love to read about Lizard Brains, Peru, your top 20, blogging, Germany, just to name a few. I am loving all the blogs so much. What a vital and vibrant group of people!
I was wondering who actually uses all the stats on Google Analytics. Frankly, I don’t have time for that. How many visitors, where they came from and what they do while on my blog is enough I assume. I do assume some people enjoy all the statistics, I don’t, I prefer the social side of blogging.
~Allie
(Here from #savvyblogging stream)
Allie,
This is a very good, thorough intro to Google Analytics. I appreciate that you used your own numbers and analyzed them. The “What Can I Improve On” analysis is especially helpful.
I’m curious – why are pageviews not considered relevant to marketers?
-Lauren
MamaLaundry-
I am so glad to see you from #savvyblogging! It shows my efforts are paying off and I gain a new friend and reader. Welcome!
Pageviews. That is the number calculated when every single person (new and returning) visits a page. All the factors are important but if I was to not bother with one, it would be Pageviews. As you can see Pageviews incorporates Returning Visitors. I should not take those into consideration. “Returning” means 1 person coming back to my site multiple times over 24 hours. So you come to my site 4 times over the next day. That is 4 visitors BUT 1 “Unique Visitor”. You are just one person and I should count you once. Since Pageviews incorporates Returning Visitors, and I don’t want to count them, I should also throw out Pageviews. (I don’t throw these stats out completely but I don’t weigh them as much as others.)
For me, at this point, I “cheated” a bit and looked at Visitors, this is new and returning. Next time I will not.
I don’t now if I confused you more, because I have been there just a few months ago. I have been hammering these definitions in my head for 6 months and reading a lot.
Hi Allie,
wow, what an amazing overview over Google Analytics. I am sure that every newbie will greatly benefit from it. But I learned something from it as well, for example taht you have to be careful when changing themes.
Thanks for sharing your insights.
Take care
Oliver
Oliver Tausend created this awesome post: The School System – Entrepreneurial Lessons And The Torture Of Choice
Oliver- Thanks! I am glad to spread the tip. I learned the hard way.
You take care also.
~Allie
Hi Allie,
This is something wonderful. Basics is always needed at any stage. Everyone tends to forget things as they get past a long distance. Nice that you have not only provided the stats, but the inference and more specifically a plan.
I love this post, really.
Cheers,
Jane.
Jane | Find All Answers created this awesome post: Blog Post or Business Ideas- How To Stop Them From Evaporating
Jane,
Thanks so much. I try to not only show the problem or issue but the solutions too. Or at least what works for me or what I am attempting to do.
~Allie
You did a great job of explaining. I use most of these daily to see where people are coming from and if they look at more.
I’m still confused on what exactly bounce rate is. Is it leaving after a certain time or without going to another page. If it is leaving without going to another page, how is it related to # of pages viewed?
Hi Ann,
Bounce rate is when someone comes to your site, visits one page and then leaves without going to any other page on your site.
Bounce rate = total number of visits viewing only one page / total number of visits
A pageview is every time someone clicks a page that belongs to your blog. Say, for instance, someone clicks my HOME page, then my ABOUT ME page, and then my CONTACT page. That is 3 pageviews. If every visitor did that, I have 0% bounce rate.
As oppose to coming to my HOME page and then leaving to go to GOOGLE. That is 1 pageview. If 5 people did the same thing, that is 5 pageviews and my bounce rate would be 100%. Because they all visited 1 page on my blog and then left completely.
If 3 of those people went to my ABOUT ME and 2 left to GOOGLE. That is a bounce rate of 40% or 2/5 (2 Total # of Visits viewing 1 page divided by total visits).
(I had to read what I just wrote about 5 times, almost confused myself, lol.)
You want bounce rate as low as possible. And pageviews as high as possible.
~Allie
Hi Allie,
Great overview of Google Analytics. I wasn’t able to successfully set it up on my blog (even though I followed the directions step by step) until I installed the WP plugin “Google Analytics” – it was beyond easy! Just a click of a button and my blog and Google Analytics were in sync! Knowing my stats is so helpful!
Stacy
Stacy created this awesome post: My Blogging Contest Entry on Free Traffic Generation Methods
I need to correct myself, the name of the plugin is actually Google Analyticator.
Stacy
Stacy created this awesome post: How to Become the Most Productive You
Stacy,
I wish I knew about that plugin months ago. Argh!
I have a few plugins that make hard tasks so much easier.
Thanks for the tip!
~Allie
Hey Allie,
I like that you point out how useful it really is that one stays on top of the statistics of one’s site(s) – it’s one of those habits and skills us bloggers need to keep cultivating!
I actually attended a Google event last week where they gave some good pointers on Analytics as well. I intend to go deep into their tutorials at one point, but for now these basic pointers do the trick for me. Thanks for the reminder!
Cheers and no fears,
Niclas J
Niclas Johansson created this awesome post: Time Is Of The Essence
Niclas-
I will be keeping an eye for your in depth report. I need to learn more about Google Analytics and it is so much easier coming from a person you trust, especially when they just came from a Google event!
It is important to know basics to see where you need to improve and what works well on your blog.
~Allie
Hi Allie,
Awesome Post. You did an fantastic job of explaining this step by step. Very Useful for beginners.
Thanks for sharing this great stuff.
~Dev
Devesh created this awesome post: Why Your Blog Needs a LinkedIn Page
Devesh,
Thanks for stopping by. I am glad to get the reinforcement from non-newbies that I am right on track.
~Allie
Allie this is great! I was searching for a way to help a few WordPress newbies understand what I mean by “know your metrics” – and here you are. THANK YOU!
Lisa R. @ SoloMomLife created this awesome post: Welcome to SoloMomLife!
Lisa,
Your words are so nice! I try to post about what I learn and know so newbies aren’t lost like I was. I hope I am accomplishing that!
Thank you so much for coming by! Happy Blogging!
~Allie
Lisa,
P.S. Good luck with your launch. LMK when you do, just tweet me (@allierambles) and I’ll spread the word. I know I have some single moms out there following me on Twitter or I talk to in forums. The site looks real promising and great idea!
~Allie
Hi Allie: I found both your post and the comments very useful. I’ve heard about getclicky but not sure how it works or what its function is. The fact that it is described as more fun than Google Analytics is all i need to hear!
Susan
Susan,
That is why I love comments: readers can share ideas and learn not only from me but from each other.
Get Clicky seems real easy and I am starting to see many blogs I read using it. (I see them place that tiny little badge on their site.) I may hafta get it.
Thx!
~Allie
Good work Allie. This sort of stuff is not my forte so people like you help to simplify it for me. Keep up the good work.
Margaret Makewell created this awesome post: Network Marketing Business A Struggle
Margaret,
Thanks. Blogging can be fun and why ruin it with numbers, lol. But if you really want to know how well you are doing or want more traffic, you have to do a little research. Once you learn it gets easier. It was really scary to me at first but I understand beyond the basics now.
~Allie
Hi–
Great info. I’ll have to put this in my feed to re-read later. I’ve tried several times to put analytics on my blogs, and it never works. It always just says, “not activated.”
Besides, I can never find where you’re supposed to put it…so I’ll for sure be re-reading this post!
Liz created this awesome post: Once Upon A Camping Trip- Part Two- Fun With Girl Scouts
Hey Liz,
Thanks for coming by.
I see your blog is a Blogger Hosted blog. I found a link to help you insert the code. I hope it helps. It always seems harder than it looks but just follow the steps one by one.
http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/blogger/thread?tid=288a9d460e545ef1&hl=en
Good luck!
~Allie
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