Most blogging platforms (WordPress, Blogger, Movable Type, etc) make it pretty easy to get the logistic stuff figured out so you can start doing what you set out to – creating masterpieces.
But when you’ve been blogging for a while, seeing a few comments trickle in, you might find yourself asking, “who’s reading this crap anyway?”
To answer that question you’ve got to install analytics – and then, when the data’s been gathered, you need to be able to make sense of it. Pretty graphs are nice, but unless you’re drawing some insight from them it isn’t much use.
Google Analytics is arguably the most popular analytics platform out there. It’s full-featured, frequently updated, widely-support and free (which is always nice).
So I spent some time putting together The Blogger’s Guide to Google Analytics.
Who this guide is for
- Bloggers whose blog is installed on their own domain.
- Bloggers who’ve heard of Google Analytics but haven’t used or installed it yet
- Bloggers who have used/installed Google Analytics but are looking for new ways to use the data
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
Really top notch job you’ve done Mike!. I’ll definitely be spending some time re-reading it slowly to look for gems to pick out.
Hey thanks! Glad you like it. Let me know what you think when you’ve had the chance to give it a read – especially if you think improvements can be made.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve thought “I really need to learn how to use Google Analytics” but never got past that point, assuming it was too daunting a task. Thanks for this. It will be of terrific value to me.
@Frank Well, I hope this guide helps you get started. I’d encourage you to dive in – analytics offer a lot of insight into your traffic that you otherwise won’t get.
I’m back Mike. I went through it with a fine tooth comb looking for anything I could point out for you as something you might want to change and I couldn’t find a thing!
I did have one question. In “II. What you’ll need”, one of your bullet points was:
“You don’t own your data (meaning you can’t take it with you when you leave)”
I’m probably putting too fine a point on it, but isn’t all the GA data theirs as well? This could be read to imply that you could take your data with you if you moved analytics platforms.
But I had to work hard to even find this Mike. It’s probably fine the way it is.
To repeat my first comment, a really nice piece of work.
Wow, thank you so much for reading through so thoroughly.
That’s a very good point, as well – while GA will allow you to export data (and their team will even work with some accounts to help you migrate from one profile to another), it isn’t easy to take that data to another analytics platform (unless there’s an ability to import the exported data to the new system).
I changed that bullet to, “You don’t own your data – if you leave the blogging platform you can’t take your analytics data with you”
I don’t know if that’s necessarily more clear, but I’m weary of mentioning the issue of moving from GA to another analytics platform because that’s a whole can of worms itself.
In any case, I really appreciate your kind words. It took me some time to put the guide together, and it’s one of those things that, while you’re doing it, throws up the question repeatedly, “are people going to find this useful?”
My rule of thumb: if at least one person finds it useful, it’s worth it. So thank you.
I think you’ve got some quality content in your blog Mike. You’re a good writer.
You should consider creating some original content and submitting it to YOUmoz in the hopes of getting it promoted to the main blog. With 50,000+ eyeballs looking at the main blog, you’re sure to pick up new subscribers that would benefit from all your quality posts.
I have posted several times at YOUmoz over the last few years. Actually had a post promoted to the main blog in September. http://www.seomoz.org/users/view/36374
I’m planning to post there again soon.
Oh man Mike, there’s a great big word stamped on my forehead that says “IDIOT”.
I’ve read and thumbed up your posts before. I just forgot. So just delete my well intentioned but idiotic suggestions.
PS – No WONDER you have so many mozpoints. And here I thought it was just your good looks ;)
I think most of them are actually charity points.
No worries – it’s a helpful suggestion anyway (I’ve been meaning to post there again – hopefully I’ll get something up in the next few weeks).