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Score a Touchdown with Google Analytics

Google Analytics is a free tool for businesses to track how their website is performing. However, it can be difficult to understand and make sense of what all of the numbers and reports actually mean. To make it easier for everyone, and in the spirit of the season, let’s take a look at Google Analytics through the rose-colored lenses of America’s favorite pastime – football.

Coach

All football teams have a coach responsible for keeping track of the team and making sure they are performing at the highest level. Coaches don’t just come in off the street and lead their team to the Super Bowl, they need training and experience to become elite. Being a “coach” for Google Analytics is very similar. Somebody needs to watch and keep track of how your organization’s website is performing and make the necessary adjustments to give yourself an elite online presence.

The Playbook

To be a successful football player it is key that you know the playbook. The same goes for Google Analytics. You need to learn the best reports and metrics to keep track of. Knowing what to pay attention to in Google Analytics will help you have a winning website. A few key areas to keep in mind when reviewing Google Analytics are: acquisition overview, social overview, bounce rate vs. exit rate, highest ranking landing pages, and exit pages.

Training Camp

Football players aren’t born; they’re created through countless hours of diligent hard work. They have years of experience, and even once they get to the professional level they still go through training camp to sharpen their skills and learn new systems and techniques. Google does the same thing. There is a training course for Google Analytics called Analytics Academy. Vive’s marketing coordinator, Austin Haga, is a graduate of this course and attests, “studying is key.” The course is comprised of five parts that dive deep into everything you need to know to pass the Individual Certification. The courses in the Analytics Academy includes: Digital Analytics Fundamentals, Google Analytics Platform Principles, Ecommerce Analytics, Mobile App Analytics Fundamentals, and Google Tag Manager Fundamentals.

Just like football, or any sport for that matter, becoming fundamentally sound in Google Analytics takes practice. There are so many different metrics that it is important you know which ones to track in order to better your website. Score a touchdown with your website by working with someone that is Google Analytics certified and letting them keep track of stats and make the necessary adjustments needed for a winning website.