Knowing what to do with analytics data can make or break any campaign. It’s very important for any online company to be data-driven. If you don’t know how to track leads, or even website visits, you’ll have no idea whether your marketing is getting results. And that can mean lost money.
Before diving deeper into Google Analytics, there’s one thing you should know: it’s 100% free. Google created this amazing tool as a free service so users could access insights and data for their websites. You only need a Google account to get started.
Becoming a Google Analytics Expert will allow you to:
- Analyze a website’s key performance metrics
- Structure campaigns based on data so marketing efforts are more successful
- Create reports to track company goals
- Understand customer behavior
- Discover how people find your website (paid ads, social media, emails, etc.)
Whether you’re a business looking to understand visitor behavior or a professional trying to gain new skills, you can become proficient and knowledgeable in analytics with a little time and dedication. To help you become a Google Analytics Expert as soon as possible, here are five main areas to focus on.
Traffic
Traffic (aka visitors) is the basis of all analytics. If you don’t have traffic, you don’t have data (or online customers). Online marketing campaigns are a great way to bring traffic to your site, and you’ll need to know how to segment and glean knowledge from all that data.
To start understanding your web traffic, begin with the basics. Explore where your traffic comes from, how many sessions you get per month, and if your traffic is growing. Once you have an understanding of core numbers, you can dive into advanced information.
What to start learning:
Leads
Running an online campaign for any type of company usually has one main goal: to get leads. The only way to know where those leads come from and what actions they take on your website is to track them. Understanding the data behind leads will help you nurture each one and successfully move prospects down the sales funnel.
What to start learning:
- Lead scoring
- Conversion tracking
- Lead generation metrics
SEO
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is a set of practices that help your website get found. Good (and bad) SEO can significantly impact your online marketing efforts. It’s not as complicated as people think, and if you know what keywords are, you’ve already got a head start. While advanced SEO involves looking at website structure and may require the help of a backend designer, acquiring foundational knowledge of SEO will help you understand the larger picture of analytics.
What to start learning:
Social Media
Becoming a Google Analytics Expert isn’t only about your website. You need a firm grasp on social media and how it impacts your marketing efforts. While you might get most of your visitors from organic or paid searches, social media shouldn’t be underestimated. Millions of people are looking at Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and other platforms on a daily basis, so being able to analyzing social media traffic is a necessary skill.
To get the results you want from social media, it’s important to know your audience, know the best channels to reach your audience, and when you should be posting content. Each channel is unique and draws different people, and the social media landscape is constantly changing. Start by studying what channels you currently use and if they’re the best fir for your business and target audience.
What to start learning:
Blogging
Blogging is a great way to add content to your site and establish your business as a thought leader. Your blog also needs to be tracked. Do you know which blog posts performed well on social media versus the ones that were popular with your email list? If not, you’re missing out on important data.
By knowing which posts are popular and which ones miss the mark, you’ll know what content your audience likes best and what keyword strategy to use. Analyzing your blogging efforts and implementing changes based on results will increase your traffic and, thus, your leads.
What to start learning:
Once you acquire a foundational knowledge of Google Analytics, and what you need to track, you can start putting it all together. Every area mentioned above is required knowledge for working with analytics and will get you started ASAP on the path to becoming an expert. The result of your hard work and increased knowledge will be targeted marketing campaigns that deliver the outcomes you’ve always wanted.
