Google Analytics 101

Hi everyone! Adriana here, and today we're going to dive into Google Analytics. I started blogging back in 2011 when blogs were on the rise and quickly becoming an exciting and valuable little corner of the internet. Needless to say, I didn't really know what I was doing! But one thing is for sure: learning how to fully understand Google Analytics was at the very top of my list while I was beginning to dive into the blogging world. I wanted to learn more about a few important and key things involving my website, and want to be able to answer questions like: "how many people are reading my blog?", and "who is my target audience?" I was also interested in mastering and understanding certain visitor trends. Getting more insight into these three things were vital within the early stages of launching my website. There are a few things that you must keep in mind whenever you're beginning to navigate through the world of google analytics. There are some steps that you can take to better understand everything that your analytics can offer you. Knowing how to read your analytics can serve as one of the most powerful and insightful tools for your website.*Pro Tip* - Google Analytics is VITAL for the growth of your blog and is critical when it comes to maximizing your website's potential. It allows you to see everything from where your audience is located and how they're finding you, to what content is getting the most views, and who's on your site in real time!

"Knowing how to read your analytics can serve as one of the most powerful & insightful tools for your website."
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Things You Can Do With Google Analytics:

1. Easily read and understand your statistics
2. See how many views per post you're receiving (to keep track of your top performing campaigns)
3. Look into your demographics (to understand and know who your audience is)
4. Learn what your readers are clicking on the most (so you can cater new content to them)
5. Discover your top content ✨ (to reuse it as Evergreen Content and to create future posts that align)

For the most part, Google Analytics can be fairly easy to digest and understand. It all comes down to having the proper tools and instructions to follow along with. There are so many websites, tutorials, and how-to's when it comes to getting started with Google Analytics. I'd recommend starting with the five things below to find the best information out there to prep you for understanding your analytics. A few steps for mastering Google Analytics and gathering the right information:

• Do Your Research By Reading Helpful Articles & Books and Watching Tutorial Videos
• Look Into and Understand Your Website's Analytics Capabilities
• Measure the Ways in Which You Want to Use Your Analytics
• Integrate "Check My Analytics" into Your Blog To-Do List
• Ask Questions Whenever You Aren't Sure or Don't Know

*Pro Tip* - Know your website's plugin capabilities. Most web-hosting platforms can track your google analytics for you, but each plug-in is different. Look into a few different options to see what might work best for you and your website. For more tips & tricks on how to maximize your website's potential, head to the blog to read previous posts!

"Integrate 'Check My Analytics' into your blog to-do list."
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