Proper implementation of Google Analytics is essential for executing an SEO strategy. Marketers need to be able to see if users coming from organic search leave quickly or if they stay and engage across the site.
Most of the time, Google Analytics (GA) is implemented without modifications, and therefore the data collected is inaccurate. Google Analytics installed “out of the box” always has issues with spam or internal traffic which distorts the averages (especially the bounce rate metric), making accurate analysis impossible.
Google Analytics 4 Migrations
Additionally, Google has announced the date for when it will sunset Universal Analytics – July 2023.
Here’s how it will impact you if you do nothing:
- Your web analytics will stop tracking by July 2023.
- If you don’t backup your data, you will lose all of your historical analytics data by October 2023.
- If you don’t set up GA 4 tracking by July of this year, you won’t be able to see year-over-year comparisons.
Google is recommending that you move to Google Analytics 4, but unlike other versions of analytics, this version is not “out of the box” and reporting on SEO requires setting up the reports that will let you do that.
If you just install the new code and don’t set up reporting, you won’t be able to measure:
- Real-time traffic to your site
- Landing pages for any of your marketing channels (including organic search)
- Your current event tracking
- Any custom dashboards you have will need to be re-created in Google Data Studio
Concerned that you might need help fixing or implementing Google Analytics (GA)?
Our audits ensure that your Google Analytics implementation is meeting best practices and is collecting accurate data. We provide you with a detailed report and checklist prioritizing any issues with the tracking implementation. Most of the time we also help you correctly implement GA across your site. For Google Analytics 4, we will help you set up BigQuery and the associated reporting in the interface.
The audit includes a discovery meeting with your staff to suggest measurable goals for the site, and a final call to walk you through the report and clarify our findings within the context of your goals. We also talk about additional recommended adjustments beyond our standard implementation process. We can also recommend alternatives to Google Analytics 4 if that makes more sense to your business.
Don’t take our word for it. See what our client has to say:
I worked with Katherine when she was at Ketchum leading the digital strategy behind our “Putting the I in Health IT” campaign, and training ONC staff on SEO, social media, and web analytics. Attending Katherine’s Google Analytics trainings were enjoyable and extremely useful as I was getting my feet wet in how Google Analytics works and how to use the data to adjust ONC’s digital strategy. Her enthusiasm for using data to make marketing decisions is infectious and I hope to work with her again in the future.
– Peter Keesey, Webmaster, Digital Analytics, and Business Analyst at US Department of Health and Human Services
Learn more about our approach to web analytics via these posts and tips:
- Google Analytics 4 – The 411
- Calculating Organic Share of Voice on Multi-Topic Enterprise Sites
- Safari Changes Will Impact Analytics
- Google Search Console Limitations and Measurement Issues
- Creating your first SEO dashboard
- Setting website and SEO goals
- Are you tracking all of your Organic traffic in Google Analytics?
- Trashing your Google Analytics – UTM Campaign Tagging
- Please call it social media: Social media UTM tracking that has gone awry
- Relying too much on web analytics – Alexa Flash Briefing (SEO Tips)
- Track your mobile rankings separately Alexa Flash Briefing Skill (SEO Tips)