Getting started with Google Analytics code on your website is easier than you think. The first step is to create a Google Analytics account, which can be done in just a few minutes.
To do this, head over to the Google Analytics website and sign in with your Google account credentials. You'll then be prompted to create a new property, which is essentially your website.
Choose the "Website" option and enter your website's URL, then click "Create". This will generate a tracking code that you'll need to add to your website.
Once you have your tracking code, you can add it to your website's HTML code. This will allow Google Analytics to start tracking your website's traffic and behavior.
Getting Started
To get started with Google Analytics code on your website, you'll first need to create a Google Analytics account. This is where all your website's data will live, so it's crucial.
Create a new account by signing in with your Google account. You'll then be prompted to choose the objectives of your business, such as getting baseline reports to access all your Google Analytics data and reports.
To create a Google Analytics property, click the Start measuring button and select an Account name for your Google Analytics account. You'll also need to set data-sharing options before clicking Next.
Enter your property name, choose a reporting time zone, and select the currency in the Property setup section. Note that some tracking settings may not work as expected, so be sure to check out additional resources for more details.
Once you've entered your property details, click Next and then View tag instructions to learn how to add the Google Analytics tracking code to your website. You can choose to create a Google Analytics 4 property or a Universal Analytics property, or both.
Setting Up Tracking
To set up tracking with Google Analytics, you need to create a new Google Analytics 4 property with a new tracking code. Choose "I want to create a new Google Analytics 4 property" and select "Install Manually" to copy the code.
You'll need to enter a name for the property, select the reporting time zone and currency, and enter the website URL. Most domain hosts support only UTF-8 characters in URLs, so use either UTF-8 characters or punycode for symbols and any non-UTF-8 characters.
To confirm your Google Analytics 4 property is receiving data, log in to your Google Analytics 4 property and check the "Realtime" report within an hour of setup. You can also use the "View page source" option to check if the tracking code is added directly to the index file of your website.
There are three different methods to install Google Analytics on your website: using the Global Site Tag (gtag.js), using Google Tag Manager, or using a plugin like MonsterInsights. You must only use one of these methods on your website, as using more than one could mess up your data by double-tracking your pageviews in Google Analytics.
Here's a summary of the steps to set up Google Analytics 4 on your website:
- Go to your Google Analytics 4 property and click on Admin.
- Click on Data Streams and select your data stream.
- In "Tagging Instructions", you can find two options for connecting GA4 with your website: Global Site Tag (gtag.js) or using Google Tag Manager.
By following these steps, you can successfully set up tracking with Google Analytics and start collecting valuable data about your website.
Data Collection
Data collection is a crucial step in getting your Google Analytics code up and running on your website. You can set up data collection by adding the Google tag to your site, which can be done through the Google Analytics interface.
To add the Google tag, you'll need to follow these steps: first, log in to your Google Analytics account and select the property you want to work with. Then, go to the Admin section and click on Data streams, followed by Web, and then click on the data stream for your website. From there, you can view the tag instructions and select Install manually.
Data collection may take up to 30 minutes to begin, but you can verify that you're receiving data by using the Realtime report. To do this, sign in to your Analytics account, click on Admin, and select an account and property from the menus. Then, under PROPERTY, click on Tracking Info > Tracking Code, and your Tracking ID and Google tag will be displayed.
You can paste your Google tag into the custom HTML field provided by your website builder to enable data collection. If you're using a specific website builder, such as Weebly or Blogger, you can find instructions on how to add custom HTML in the table below.
The type of property you set up will also impact how you add the Google tag to your site. If you set up both a Google Analytics 4 (GA4) property and a Universal Analytics property, you'll need to paste your entire Google tag into the custom HTML field.
Data Collection
Data collection is a crucial step in setting up Google Analytics 4. You'll need to confirm your property is receiving data within an hour of setup. Go to the Reports section and check the Realtime report while visiting your Engaging Networks pages.
To set up data collection, you'll need to add the Google tag to your site. If you elected to set up only a Universal Analytics property, simply paste your "UA-" tracking ID into the Google Analytics tracking ID field provided by your website builder.
If you elected to set up both a Google Analytics 4 (GA4) property and a Universal Analytics property, you should follow the instructions below. You'll need to paste your entire Google tag into the custom HTML field provided by your website builder.
Here's a step-by-step guide to installing the Google tag:
1. Log in to your Google Analytics account and navigate to Admin.
2. Click Data collection and modification, then click Data streams.
3. Click Web and select the data stream for your website.
4. Under Google tag, click View tag instructions.
5. On the Installation instructions page, select Install manually.
6. Copy and paste your Google tag to your website using your CMS's custom HTML feature.
Data collection may take up to 30 minutes to begin. You can then use the Realtime report to verify that you're receiving data.
To verify that you're receiving data, sign in to your Analytics account and click Admin. Select an account from the menu in the ACCOUNT column, then select a property from the menu in the PROPERTY column. Under PROPERTY, click Tracking Info > Tracking Code. Your Tracking ID is displayed at the top of the page, and your Google tag is displayed farther down the page in a text box under Website Tracking > Google tag (gtag.js).
Here are some options for adding custom HTML to your website builder or CMS:
Screaming Frog
Screaming Frog is a paid solution popular among SEO professionals, especially useful for checking website issues.
It can be configured to crawl a website and look for specific URLs, like https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js, which is used by Google Analytics tracking code.
This allows you to find full URLs of pages where your GTM container code is missing, making it easy to add the tracking code or ask a developer to do so.
You can use Screaming Frog to check if Google Tag Manager is installed on all pages by looking for https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js instead.
Using Google Tag Manager
Google Tag Manager is a product that allows you to insert multiple tracking tags via a single piece of code on your template. This means you can add multiple tracking codes like Facebook Pixel and Google Analytics in one piece of code, which then calls up code stored in GTM.
You can link these tags to "triggers", which only fire in certain circumstances. For example, you can create a trigger for donation pages to include the donation amount in your Google Analytics reports.
Just like adding GA code, you can add GTM code to your template. The code will be given by your GTM product.
To set up Google Analytics with Google Tag Manager, you need to create an account with Google Tag Manager and get two pieces of code. You'll need to integrate these code snippets into your website.
Configuring GA4 within Google Tag Manager requires some know-how and careful attention to detail. This process is more complex than other methods, so be sure to take your time and follow the steps carefully.
Troubleshooting
If you're having trouble finding the Google Analytics tracking code on a website, don't worry, I've been there too. One possible reason is that the code is stored in other files on the website.
To check, open the Developer tools in your browser, such as Google Chrome, and go to Sources. Then, press CTRL + SHIFT + F (on Windows) or Option + Cmd + F (on Mac) to open a search that looks through all the files loaded on the website. Enter keywords like gtag, analytics.js, and gtm.js to see if any useful results come up.
If you see a file displaying the tracking code, it means Google Analytics is installed on the website. However, be sure to ignore any results that show chrome-extension or other domains that aren't your website's.
To further verify if the code is working, check the Network Tab in Developer Tools. Enter "collect" in the search field and refresh the page. If Google Analytics is installed, you should see requests that look like "collect?v=1" or "collect?v=2". These requests will contain a measurement/tracking ID with either "UA-" or "G-".
Benefits and Features
Google Analytics offers a range of benefits and features that can help you understand your website's performance and make data-driven decisions. You can track your visitors, including their demographics, behavior, and conversion rates, allowing you to tailor your content and marketing strategy.
The features of Google Analytics include the Google Analytics Dashboard, WooCommerce Analytics, Affiliate Link Tracking, EU Compliance (GDPR), Enhanced eCommerce, and Custom Dimensions. These tools provide valuable insights into your website's performance and help you identify areas for improvement.
Some of the key benefits of Google Analytics 4 include its user-centric metrics, which use AI to forecast customer actions and value based on their past behavior. You can also create segments based on events and add the concept of time, allowing you to gain a deeper understanding of your visitors' interactions with your website.
Here are some of the critical insights you can gain from setting up Google Analytics:
- Understand your visitors – Google Analytics shows you who’s coming to your site, where they’re coming from, and what they like.
- Track your best content – Find out which pages or blog posts are the most popular.
- Helps with ad optimization – If you’re spending money on ads, Google Analytics tells you if it’s worth it.
Features
Google Analytics is a powerful tool that offers a wide range of features to help you understand your website's performance. One of the key features is the ability to track visitors and their interactions, which is captured as an event.
You can also use Google Analytics to track your best content, such as popular pages or blog posts. This helps you understand what your visitors like and can make more of it.
Here are some of the key features of Google Analytics:
- Google Analytics Dashboard
- WooCommerce Analytics
- Affiliate Link Tracking
- EU Compliance (GDPR)
- Enhanced eCommerce
- Custom Dimensions
Additionally, Google Analytics allows you to track your website's performance on various platforms, including AMP and WordPress. You can also use it to track your website's ads and form conversions.
Google Analytics 4 offers even more advanced features, such as cross-platform tracking and AI-powered user-centric metrics. This allows you to gain deeper insights into your website's performance and make more informed decisions.
With Google Analytics, you can avoid guesswork and make smarter decisions about your website. It can also help you spot and fix problems, such as double tracking codes, which can mess up your data.
Is It Free?
Setting up Google Analytics is completely free, which is great news for businesses and individuals who want to track their website's performance without breaking the bank.
You can use the basic version of Google Analytics without incurring any charges.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to get Google Analytics code 2024?
To get the Google Analytics tracking code, sign up at analytics.google.com and follow the steps to create an account, including choosing a property name and URL. This will provide you with the necessary code to track your website's performance.
Can you have 2 Google Analytics codes on site?
Yes, you can have multiple Google Analytics tracking codes on a single website, allowing you to track data across multiple properties within your account. This setup is ideal for complex websites or those with multiple sections that require separate tracking.
Sources
- https://knowledge.engagingnetworks.net/pagebuilder/adding-google-analytics-tracking-on-your-pages
- https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/10269537
- https://www.analyticsmania.com/post/check-if-google-analytics-is-installed/
- https://www.monsterinsights.com/how-to-set-up-google-analytics/
- https://meetanshi.com/blog/how-to-set-up-google-analytics-4/
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