You’ve probably got Google Analytics installed on your website already, whether you set it up yourself or someone who built your site added it for you. And you’ve probably never opened it, because it looks like the cockpit of an airplane and you’ve got a business to run.
Here’s the good news: you don’t need most of what’s in there. A handful of numbers, checked once a month, will tell you almost everything you need to know about whether your marketing is working.
You Don’t Need All of It, Just These Numbers
Google Analytics is built for marketing teams at big companies who track dozens of metrics. You’re not that. You need four or five numbers that answer one question: are the right people finding my site, and are they doing something once they get there?
Getting Set Up
If Analytics isn’t already connected to your site, it’s a free tool at analytics.google.com. Most website platforms (Squarespace, WordPress, Wix) have a simple way to paste in a tracking code, or a built-in integration that does it for you. If you’re not sure whether it’s already set up, that’s worth checking before anything else.
The Numbers Worth Checking Monthly
Where your traffic comes from. Look at the Acquisition or Traffic Sources report. Are people finding you through a Google search, social media, or a direct visit because they already know your name? This tells you which of your marketing efforts are actually sending people your way.
Which pages people actually visit. Your top pages report shows what’s getting attention. If your homepage gets all the traffic and your service pages get almost none, that’s worth knowing.
How long people stay, and whether they leave right away. A high bounce rate (people leaving after viewing just one page) isn’t automatically bad, but paired with a short time on page, it usually means the page didn’t answer what they were looking for.
Where people are located. If you’re a local business, check whether your traffic is actually coming from your service area. Traffic from three states away isn’t the traffic you’re trying to attract.
Conversions, if you’ve set any up. A conversion can be a form submission, a phone number click, or a booking. If you haven’t set these up yet, it’s worth doing, because “conversions” tell you what everything else is working toward.
Pairing It with Search Console
Analytics tells you what people did once they arrived. Google Search Console tells you what they typed to find you in the first place. Used together, they answer the two questions that actually matter: how are people finding me, and what happens once they do?
Search Console’s Performance report shows the exact search terms bringing people to your site. If you’re showing up for searches that have nothing to do with what you offer, or missing the ones that do, that’s a fixable problem.
What to Do With What You Find
Numbers by themselves don’t do anything. The point is to check them monthly, look for a trend, and adjust one thing based on what you see. If a page is getting traffic but no conversions, look at what’s on it. If a traffic source dried up, figure out why before it becomes a bigger drop.
The Monthly Analytics Checklist
- [ ] Google Analytics confirmed connected and working
- [ ] Traffic sources checked — where visitors are actually coming from
- [ ] Top pages reviewed for what’s getting attention
- [ ] Visitor location checked against your actual service area
- [ ] Conversions set up for calls, forms, or bookings (if not already)
- [ ] Search Console checked for the terms bringing people to your site
- [ ] One thing adjusted based on what the data showed
Fifteen Minutes a Month, Not a New Job
That’s really the goal here: fifteen minutes, once a month, checking the handful of numbers that matter and doing something with what you find. You don’t need to become a data person. You just need to know enough to make better decisions than guessing.
If digging through reports isn’t how you want to spend your time, that’s exactly the kind of ongoing tracking CJR Marketing Services can take off your plate. For more on getting found in the first place, see How to Improve Local SEO in the Midwest and The Local SEO Checklist Every Midwest Small Business Needs.
Explore the resources on this site to find the support that fits where your business is right now. When you’re ready to talk, we’re here.