Google Analytics is a popular and free web analytics tool provided by Google. It is used to gain valuable information and insights about a website's visitors and their interactions with the site. Google Analytics can help measure the performance of a website, optimize marketing campaigns, analyze user behavior and assist in strategic decision making.
How does Google Analytics work?
Google Analytics uses so-called tracking codes that are embedded on the website. These codes collect information about visitors to the site, such as the number of users, the length of stay, the user's origin and click behavior, as well as any conversions or sales. The collected data is then processed by Google Analytics in clear and understandable reports.
What types of data are collected in Google Analytics?
Google Analytics collects various types of user data, such as:
- Demographic information: Gender, age, and geographic location of visitors;
- Technical data: Device type, operating system, browser and screen resolution;
- Traffic sources: The user's origin, i.e. whether they arrive at the site via organic search, paid search, social media, or a direct URL entry;
- User behavior: Number of visits, visits to individual pages, length of stay, bounce rate and click behavior;
- Conversion data: Number of goals reached or sales completed.
How is Google Analytics used?
To use Google Analytics on a website, a Google Analytics account must first be created. After that, a tracking code is generated, which must be included on the website. This code is usually inserted in the header or body area of any HTML document, otherwise a special plugin for the content management system (CMS) can also be used to facilitate integration.
After the Google Analytics tracking code is implemented on the website, the tool starts collecting and preparing data. The collected user data can then be viewed and analyzed in various tracking reports by logging into your Google Analytics account.
