Google Analytics is a powerful tool that can help you understand how your website is performing in search engines. By tracking metrics like organic search traffic, bounce rate, and conversions, you can get a better sense of how your website is meeting the needs of your audience and identify areas for improvement.
Here are the steps to use Google Analytics to track your SEO progress:
Set up Google Analytics
If you haven’t already, you’ll need to set up a Google Analytics account for your website. You can sign up for a free account at analytics.google.com.
Once you’ve created an account, you’ll need to add the tracking code to your website. The easiest way to do this is by installing a plugin on your website that will add the tracking code for you. If you’re using WordPress, the Google Analytics Dashboard for WP plugin is a great option.
Link Google Analytics with Google Search Console
Google Search Console is a free tool that provides data on your website’s performance in search results. Linking your Google Analytics account with Google Search Console will allow you to see organic search data in your Google Analytics reports.
To link your Google Analytics account with Google Search Console, follow these steps:
Go to Google Search Console at search.google.com/search-console.
Click on “Add Property” and enter your website’s URL.
Verify that you own the website by following the verification steps provided by Google.
Once your website is verified, go to the “Settings” page in Google Search Console.
Click on “Google Analytics” and select the Google Analytics property that you want to link with your Search Console account.
Track organic search traffic
Once you’ve linked Google Search Console with Google Analytics, you can use the “Organic Search” report to see how much traffic your website is getting from organic search results. You can also use this report to see which keywords are driving the most traffic to your site.
To access the “Organic Search” report, follow these steps:
- Log in to your Google Analytics account and navigate to the “Acquisition” section.
- Click on “All Traffic” and select “Channels.”
- Click on “Organic Search” to see your website’s organic search traffic.
In this report, you can see the total number of sessions that your website has received from organic search, as well as the average session duration, bounce rate, and more. You can also see the top keywords that are driving traffic to your site.
- Monitor bounce rate
Bounce rate is the percentage of visitors who leave your website after viewing only one page. A high bounce rate can indicate that your website isn’t meeting the needs of your visitors, so it’s important to monitor this metric.
To see your website’s bounce rate, follow these steps:
- Log in to your Google Analytics account and navigate to the “Audience” section.
- Click on “Overview” to see your website’s overall performance.
- Look for the “Bounce Rate” metric to see the percentage of visitors who leave your site after viewing only one page.
In this report, you can see a summary of your website’s performance, including the number of sessions, users, pageviews, and more. You can also see your website’s bounce rate.
- Track conversions
Conversions are the actions that you want visitors to take on your website, such as filling out a contact form, making a purchase, or signing up for a newsletter. Tracking conversions is important for measuring the success of your SEO efforts.
To set up conversion tracking in Google Analytics, follow these steps:
- Go to your Google Analytics account and navigate to the “Admin” section.
- Under the “View” column, click on “Goals.”
- Click on the “New Goal” button to create a new goal.
- Follow the prompts to set up your goal. You’ll need to select the type of goal you want to track (e.g. destination, duration, pages/screens per session, or event), and provide the necessary details.
Once you’ve set up your goal, you can track your website’s conversion rate by going to the “Conversions” section of your Google Analytics account.
In this report, you can see how many conversions your website has received, as well as the conversion rate and the total value of conversions. You can also see which pages on your website are leading to the most conversions.
Conclusion
By using Google Analytics to track your website’s performance in search engines, you can gain valuable insights into your audience’s behavior and identify opportunities for improvement. By monitoring metrics like organic search traffic, bounce rate, and conversions, you can make data-driven decisions to optimize your website for search engines and improve the user experience for your visitors.
