Lisa Lambert

Anyone who knows me knows that I am a huge fan of Google Analytics. I love the ease of use, the data it has the ability to gather, and it's FREE!! You can view Google Analytics by visiting the site at Google.com/analytics.  You have to sign up for a Google Analytics account but it's free.  Then you'll be prompted to provide some important information about your site.  Then Google Analytics will give you some code that you will need to enter on the pages of your website you want to track.  You'll need to make sure you post the code immediately after the </body> tag.  After you insert the code Google Analytics can start tracking the pages on your site.
Understanding how to properly analyze and implement the numerous types data that Google Analytics provides gives you a considerable edge over your competition in the search engine rankings.  With Google Analytics you have the ability do a number of different things:

• Set and Track Goals - You can track your lead generation tools that your site may have like a contact page, newsletter subscription, catalog request, etc.
• Apply Filters - At times you may want to track certain parts of your site separately or exclude certain traffic from your reports.
• Track External Clicks - You can track how many clicks you are sending to affiliate sites.
• Automate Reporting - You can setup reporting to come to your email.  These reports can be sent to you in PDF or CSV format.
• Find Keywords - An efficient strategy for deciding what keywords to target in your SEO efforts involves looking at what's working for your site.
• Track E-Commerce - If your site lists products for sale, using Google Analytics to track your orders can be an invaluable tool to your SEO, pay-per-click, and media campaigns.

If you'd like more help setting up Google Analytics or even further detail on any one of the features, please post your comment here or send me a quick email.
Cheers!