Google Analytics For Bloggers

 

Bloggers and Google Analytics seem to have a love/hate relationship. For many, Google Analytics is just one more thing to add onto an ever-growing list of to do’s. After all, what’s the big deal with knowing what Google thinks of your blog posts, right? Well, to sum it up in one word: WRONG.

Fellow pet blogger and Google Analytics dynamo, Kimberly Gauthier, of Keep the Tail Wagging blog, shared her tips, recommendations, and how to overcome fears of Google Analytics (GA) without pulling one’s hair out.  In a BlogPaws exclusive Google Hangout on Air, we discussed how to  use Google Analytics to better understand what’s happening with your blog, learn how to improve traffic and SEO, increase affiliate revenue, and increase the time your readers spend on your site.

BONUS: After watching the video, hop over to the BlogPaws Community, where Kimberly shares more GA tips, including (in her own words):

 Google Analytics Forums – if you have the question/issue, 1000 others did too.  The trick is to use the right keywords to locate what you need.  It can be frustrating, be patient and you’ll get there:  https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!forum/analytics

WordPress Forums – I know not everyone is a WP user, but for those of you who are, these forums have been invaluable for me: https://wordpress.org/support/

Theme Forums / YouTube – I’m not putting links here, because not everyone uses the same theme company that I do and we know how to reach YouTube.  I visit these places regularly to learn new things.  When it comes to YouTube, check the date on the video.  Old videos can still be of value, but a GA video from 2009 isn’t going to match what you see when you visit GA today, which can be confusing.

And now onto the Google Hangout on Air. Namely, watch for :

* How to overcome the fear of using GA;

* What’s to love about GA;

* Aspects of GA to focus on;

* How to use GA to manage a blog;

* Using the demographic features of GA;

* Plug-ins for GA;

* How often to visit GA;

Here’s the Hangout on Air with Kimberly and Carol Bryant:

BlogPaws will be diving in with more about this topic in the coming months along with tackling all social media topics for bloggers at the 2015 BlogPaws Conference.

Are you using Google Analytics? Do you find it to be your friend, foe, or somewhere in between?