Analyzing Google Analytics Data: A How-To Guide
Digital Storyteller
We connect businesses in the financial services industry with their ideal clients through brand storytelling.
If you have a website, you should be using Google Analytics. Why? It’s only the tool that shows you who’s visiting your site and whether your business is actually doing what you think it is.
We get it—Google Analytics can feel like an avalanche of numbers. It’s easy to get lost in the data overload. But don’t stress, we’re here to help you navigate through it.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through the basics of making sense of Google Analytics. The goal? To help you actually use the data to make smarter choices for your website and business.
First up: What is Google Analytics?
What is Google Analytics?
Google Analytics (GA) is a powerful, free tool that gives you a detailed view of your website and app performance. It integrates seamlessly with other Google products like Google Ads, Search Console, Google Optimize, and Google Tag Manager. GA is a treasure trove of information for analyzing traffic, understanding your audience, and tracking user behavior.
When you log into GA, you’ll see your home page filled with valuable information about your site’s performance. It looks like this:
Understanding Google Analytics Metrics
Metrics like bounce rates, page views, and conversion rates can be tricky. Without context, it’s easy to misinterpret these numbers. For instance, a high bounce rate is often seen as a negative, but that’s not always the case.
Here’s the deal: whether a metric is low or high isn’t inherently good or bad. It all depends on the context and what you’re aiming to achieve. Often, diving into these reports can feel overwhelming and confusing.
To make things clearer, let’s break down what it means when Google Analytics metrics are either low or high. We’ll look at common scenarios for each, so you can better understand what the numbers are really telling you.
Users
Low
Why it happens: Your advertising is attracting a smaller number of high-intent users who are likely interested in what you offer. However, there might be issues with how analytics are set up, causing inaccurate counts.
What to check: Ensure your tracking is set up correctly to reflect true user numbers.
High
Why it happens: Your advertising is effectively bringing many users to your website. However, these users may not be highly interested or engaged.
What to check: Analyze if these users are finding what they need or if your ads are reaching the right audience.
Bounce Rate
Low
Why it happens: Users are engaging with your content and navigating to other pages, indicating they find your site useful.
What to check: Verify if your analytics setup is correct. Sometimes, low bounce rates can also be due to technical issues like counting pageviews more than once.
High
Why it happens: Users leave your site after viewing just one page, which might mean they didn’t find what they were looking for or your content isn’t engaging.
What to check: Review your page content and design to see if it encourages users to explore more.
Average Session Duration
Low
Why it happens: Users might be quickly finding what they need and leaving. Alternatively, they might be leaving because the content isn’t engaging or is hard to navigate.
What to check: Assess if your content is meeting user needs and if the site is user-friendly.
High
Why it happens: Users are spending more time on your site, which is a good sign that they find your content engaging. However, if it’s excessively long, it might mean users are struggling to find what they need.
What to check: Ensure your content is engaging and that users are not getting stuck or confused.
Pages Per Session
Low:
Why it happens: Users might be finding what they need on fewer pages, or they might not be finding what they need and leaving quickly.
What to check: Consider if the content is relevant and if the navigation encourages users to explore more pages.
Recommended by LinkedIn
High:
Why it happens: Users are viewing more pages, which can mean your content is interesting and encourages exploration. On the other hand, if it’s too high, users might be struggling to find information.
What to check: Review your site’s navigation and content to ensure it’s effectively guiding users.
Pageviews
Low:
Why it happens: This page might not be getting many clicks, or it’s receiving clicks from a highly relevant audience.
What to check: Ensure that this page is being promoted effectively and check if it’s aligned with user interests.
High:
Why it happens: This page is getting a lot of traffic, which could be from broad or less relevant sources.
What to check: Analyze the quality of traffic and make sure the page content meets user expectations.
Conversions (or Goal Completions)
Low:
Why it happens: Fewer users are completing desired actions (like making a purchase or signing up), but those who do might be high-quality leads. There could be barriers preventing conversions.
What to check: Identify and address potential friction points in the conversion process.
High:
Why it happens: Many users are completing desired actions, indicating that your content or offers are effective. However, high conversions might include lower-quality or spammy actions.
What to check: Ensure the conversions are genuinely valuable and not from irrelevant sources.
Conversion Rate
Low:
Why it happens: Even if there’s a lot of traffic, your conversion rate might be low, or you might be getting a lot of conversions but with significant traffic.
What to check: Optimize your content and user experience to improve the conversion rate.
High:
Why it happens: Your site is effectively converting visitors into customers. Low traffic combined with high conversions can indicate effective targeting.
What to check: Ensure your targeting and content are optimized to maintain or improve conversion rates.
Cost Per Conversion
Low:
Why it happens: Your advertising is efficient, and you’re acquiring customers at a low cost. Alternatively, the tracked conversions might not be relevant.
What to check: Confirm that the conversions tracked are meaningful and not just irrelevant actions.
High:
Why it happens: It costs more to acquire each customer, but it could be due to high revenue or high-quality conversions.
What to check: Assess the efficiency of your advertising spend and explore ways to lower costs while maintaining conversion quality.
General Tips
Final Thoughts
Analyzing Google Analytics doesn’t have to be intimidating. By understanding these key metrics and what they reveal about your website’s performance, you can make more informed decisions to enhance user experience and achieve your business goals.
Remember, the goal of analyzing your data is not just to gather numbers but to gain insights that can help you improve and grow. Happy analyzing!
Need a Little Help?
At Digital Storyteller, digital marketing is our specialty, and Google Analytics is our bread and butter. We turn data into actionable insights to drive success for our clients. If you need a hand with interpreting your analytics or any other aspect of digital marketing, don’t hesitate to reach out to our team.
If you’re ready to dive deeper into digital marketing, check out our Ultimate Guide to B2B Marketing for Financial Services Companies here (Trust us, you won’t want to miss it!)