If you are seeking returns from your blog, website, or social media campaign then embedding analytical code becomes imperative. Google Analytics is most used on a website or blog while most of the social networking sites used for content marketing require installing their native code. Some platforms provide insights in situ.
What is Web Analytics?
As the name suggests they are analytical tools that measure the online performance of websites and blogs, Apart from the traffic, they measure a large number of metrics using various dimensions in relation to each other. They are not only measurement tools, web analytics help immensely in marketing when user behavior is analyzed concerning many onsite attributes.
Analytics collect data as counts of various activities on site, and then convert most of them to ratios that the user may like to study for various reasons. It is simple to understand, that the basic objective of analytics is to transform data into tangible information. This information is utilized to study various aspects of website performance, and online advertisement campaigns.
Why Use Web Analytics?
Indicators of key performances or failures, the counts and ratios are transformed into marketing strategies or website redesigns. Thus, analytic tools are very much part of search engine optimization, social media optimization, and Ad campaigns. Google Analytics for instance integrates with the search console, and Ad campaigns to deliver accurate data on the performance of websites and Ad Campaigns.
In simple words, you know what is happening, if you use analytical tools.
Studying factual data logged on the website or ad visits by users is key to performance analysis. The most important benefit of the data is to discover shortcomings or errors in onsite elements of a web page, evaluate technical performance, find gaps in on-page content and reorient the navigation funnel.
The regular analysis yields measurable results and can provide tangible solutions. Without analysis, the focus would be directionless, and the website owners or webmasters would end up targeting the wrong profiles, miss out on KPIs, miss important strategic information, and they would not be able to shape their content as per the objectives. For online advertisers, especially those into PPC Ads, the data derived is of immense value. It helps advertisers streamline their bidding strategies, ad more impactful titles or creatives, or redesign the landing page for optimum goal conversion.
Google Web Analytic Service
The tools are indispensable for all website owners, content marketers, and online advertisers.Google Analytics, the most used tool, was first launched in 2005 after Google acquired Urchin. For iOS and Android apps, a separate SDK kit called Google Analytics for Mobile Apps is used. The tool has undergone many updates, with the latest being the 4th version, GA4. GA4 will replace UA Code in 2023, so webmasters should get acquainted with the new version. Beginning with collecting data that accrues when a visitor arrives on the website, the tool begins to collect and store all related data including the bounce rate, demographics, page visits, country or place of location, acquisition, etc. Users can explore many dimensions, and get reports on many permutations and combinations including sales performance and goal conversion.
Some of the advanced features incorporated in GA4 are as follows:
- Integrated property for website & mobile app
- AI-powered predictive metrics
- A customizable, easy-to-navigate homepage
- Get complete custom reports using Explore option.
- Built-in instant DebugView
- Enhanced e-commerce reports
Hence, Google Analytics tracks only online conversions and cannot track offline conversions. This is important to study the impact of online marketing campaigns.