Skip to main content

Google Analytics Jargon Busters

Today I'm going to do something a little bit different, which is Google Analytics...

There's a lot of metrics and analytics, and this is why people don't want to even look at the dashboard. It's like looking in under the bonnet. I mean, especially for me when I open up the bonnet, I don't have a clue, what's what other than where to put the oil or the screen wash, but what all I care about is the numbers on that dashboard, in the car when I'm driving and that's what we're going to go through as to what are the basic numbers and the important numbers, which you need to keep an eye on and to be able to understand when you look at them. This is kind of like a jargon busters session for Google Analytics.

Okay, I'm going to start the presentation. Some of the metrics are pretty much self-explanatory so something like 'Users.' These are the number of visitors. The visitors or the users are the same; who visit a website. 'Sessions' obviously are not visitors. A session is - when I go to a website, my session will start at that point in time. A session is a group of user interactions with your website within a given timeframe. This is... the yellow bit is all your session and within that, you can see a person can visit page one, page two. I want to talk about the event in a bit. They can interact on your website with event one, event two, click on a social media interaction, like a button or share button, or may make a purchase on your website.

All of these interactions are within that session. A session is usually for 30 minutes and it obviously resets at midnight because it's the next day. Well, let's have a look over here. Someone was at some website at 1401, but that session will expire at 1431. Then after a minute of viewing that page, they go and visit another page on 1402 but then that session will then push forward to 1432 and then show an event... or when that session is going to expire at 1433 and whatever that time is over here, it will just add 30 minutes to it. Now, quite often we open up a web page and then walk away for lunch or get busy in a meeting or something like that. If there's no activity for 30 minutes and the session is going to expire. The sessions only last for 30 minutes.

This again is pretty much self-explanatory, the number of sessions per user - you want this to be as high as possible because this shows that the visitor or the user on your website is pretty much interested and engaged in the content of your website. They liked the content and you want this to improve or go up month on month. 'Pageviews' - again, it's self-explanatory. Somebody views an important page. It could be any page. It could be a blog page. It could be a thank you page. It could be any page on your website. A single user or visitor can or may, obviously have multiple pageviews on that session and then we've got pages per session, which is the number of pages visited by a person in a session.

Again, we want visitors to our website to visit multiple pages rather than just a single page because that also indicates to us that that person is interested and all these metrics, which I'm talking about right now and showing you on the screen, they will point to something that the person who's visiting your website is interested or not interested because if these metrics are not happening, that means there's something wrong, you are either driving the wrong traffic to your website, or there's something wrong with the website itself. Things like very slow loading pages. People get fed up if they click on a link or on the navigation bar at the top, and the pages don't load up, and then they've got fed up, they go to some other website. Average session duration - again, you want to increase this and how you can increase your session duration is by putting out high quality, great quality content. It could be a video.

It could be a podcast. It could be an infographic. It could be a 2000-word blog post. To read that blog post or even part of it is going to take quite a bit of time for someone to read even half of it. Your average session duration will always go up. You'll find that on our website, we aim or try to have a video on each and every page of our site first of all and secondly on each and every blog post because even if somebody clicked on a video, they are going to have watched that video for let's say, 30 seconds or something like that, and then pause it and then they continue to read the rest of the blog post and if you've got another video at the bottom of that blog post, they may click again and spend a bit more time on it.

This is quite important in Google's eyes because it will also help you with your organic rankings. Google looks at everybody's website. When this person comes to your site, they spend let's say every session duration is four minutes and when somebody comes to my site and they spend less than two minutes, and both of us are directly competing or are competitors to each other. Google knows that your website has got better quality content because when somebody comes to your site, they're spending more time or they're visiting more pages per visit.

They are taking more actions or events: clicking on videos, social media shares, downloading a white paper or a PDF straight away. Google knows your site is better than mine so you are going to get higher rankings because Google will always try to give the most relevant and the best possible content to someone searching for a problem to their solution. It's extremely important that you put up good quality content because it's going to help you overall in your organic rankings, as well as conversions on your site because it builds up that trust in your video and your brand. This is where a lot of confusion happens with regards to the bounce rate. What is a bounce rate? What it should be high or low? First of all, the percentage of visitors who land on one page and then leave without going to any other on your website.

If you enjoyed this article, you may also like:

Join in YouTube Live stream every weekday at 1600 hrs. Set your reminder here.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

SEO for Attorneys: How to Rank Locally and Get Enquiries Every Week

Are you a skilled attorney, yet your phone isn’t ringing with new clients? Many law firms struggle to connect with their ideal local audience despite offering top-notch legal services. In today’s digital landscape, simply having a website isn’t enough; you need a robust strategy to ensure potential clients find you when they need legal help the most. What if you could consistently attract  qualified leads  right in your geographical area, turning online searches into tangible weekly enquiries? This comprehensive guide will demystify the world of SEO for attorneys, providing you with actionable strategies to dominate local search results. We’ll explore how to optimize your online presence, build authority, and convert browsers into paying clients. Prepare to transform your firm’s digital footprint and secure a steady stream of new business with effective law firm SEO. Unlocking Local Dominance: Essential SEO for Law Firms Why Local SEO is Crucial for Lawyers in a Competitive Ma...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Customer Avatar Exercise That Makes Copywriting Almost Too Easy

What if there was a secret weapon that could make your marketing messages resonate so deeply, they almost felt telepathic? Imagine cutting through the noise and connecting directly with the hearts and minds of your perfect customers. This isn’t magic; it’s the power of understanding your  ideal customer  on a profound level. It’s a skill that can transform your copywriting from generic to genuinely irresistible, making sales almost automatic. Many small business owners and copywriters struggle, often hearing crickets despite hours of effort. Without understanding your audience, your words float aimlessly. The customer avatar exercise becomes your most potent marketing tool, simplifying persuasive writing. This guide demystifies the  customer avatar , showing you how to build a detailed ideal client profile. It’s a fundamental shift in your marketing strategy. You’ll gain a framework to write copy that feels like a conversation, leading to stronger connections and improved...
Post a Comment
Read more

Your Customers Aren’t Cold: Your Message Is: The Art of Authentic Connection

Imagine pouring your heart into a sales pitch, crafting the perfect email, or spending hours on a marketing campaign, only to be met with silence. Does it feel like your potential customers are simply “cold” or uninterested? What if their indifference isn’t a reflection of their buying intent, but rather a symptom of miscommunication? What if the problem isn’t them, but the way you’re speaking to them? This isn’t about blaming your efforts, but empowering them with a new perspective on customer engagement and effective communication. Understanding the Myth of the ‘Cold’ Customer The term “cold customer” is often a misnomer, a convenient label for when outreach isn’t yielding results. It implies a lack of interest, but often, this perceived coldness isn’t deep-seated rejection; it’s a superficial reaction to messaging that doesn’t resonate. For small business owners and non-technical readers, understanding this distinction transforms their entire approach to sales and marketing communic...
Post a Comment
Read more