Google Analytics: An Introduction

The Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) uses Google Analytics to track traffic (anonymously) to and through our websites.

The wealth of data that Google collects can help you maximize your site's potential: make sure that people can do what they need to do (and what you want them to do) on your site.

Skip all the data and make good pages anyway: usability best practices are supported again and again by analytics, eye- and click-tracking, and usability tests. Follow the simple steps at Website Usability to ensure the success of your pages.

Google's Guided Tours will show you around the Analytics report screens on a sample account. Tooltips within analytics include definitions and sometimes link to more information.

To get started in Google Analytics, choose one page that’s important to you, and name one or two major goals for that page: what do you want people to do? Define the Questions to Find Answers has some ideas about how you might measure the success (or failure) of a page.

Averages, estimates, trends, and context are some things to keep in mind as you navigate data to help you Beware Being Misled.

Video Tutorials

• Google Analytics Academy offers free online courses.
• Lynda.com is a subscription-based online training service with compelling, easy-to-follow videos. Search Lynda.com for courses on Google Analytics or related topics (e.g. Tag Manager or AdWords).

Notes to UUA Staff

Contact analytics [at] uua [dot] org for access to Google Analytics for UUA.org or to schedule an individual training/review session.

UUA staff have access to Lynda.com.