Thread: Integrating Google Analytics with your Site

If you're not sure what Google Analytics is and why you should use it then read this post [URL="http://www.merchantaccounttalk.com/google-analytics/121-what-google-analytics.html#post497"]here[/URL]. If you are interested in using Google Analytics then you will first need to set up an account and then integrate it with your website. This will provide your visitors information to Google so that it can be recorded and monitored. The whole process is very simple although it can be confusing at first.

1. Sign up for an Account

The first thing that you need to do is visit the google analytics site at [URL="http://www.google.com/analytics/"]www.google.com/analytics/[/URL]. Then it's simply a matter of signing up for a google account or linking to your existing account.

2. Adding a new Site

Once you are logged into your analytics account you will see your dashboard. If it's the first time you're using the site then this will be empty. If not then you will have one or more sites which have already been set up with google analytics.

Click on the link called "Add new Profile" which is at the top of the profile list. You will then be taken to a form to fill out. Enter the domain name of the site, then choose the time zone and click Finish.

3. Integrating the Code

When you have set up the domain name in google it will then automatically generate some code for you. This needs to be copied and pasted into the head section of your website. This can be done in any HTML editor or failing that, notepad or a similar editor.

If you are not sure exactly how to do this please download the PDF guide here. This contains screenshots and much more information.

As for a great HTML editor I suggest ConText It's completely free and is capable of color coding which is pretty useful. It can be downloaded from [url=http://www.contexteditor.org/downloads/]www.contexteditor.org/downloads/[/url]

I've just registered for google analytics and am trying to integrate it in my account. However when I paste the code which is generated it is displayed on the webpage. I can't seem to stop it doing this, any idea why? Thanks

Andy

Hi Andy,

I'm not sure exactly what is causing the problem but the most likely cause is because you are not copying and pasting the whole segment of code into your site. The most likely things which are missing are the <script> tags. This would cause the site to display the code rather than use it to track visitors.

The code should be pasted in the header section of the site or anywhere that it won't interfere with the working of the site. The easiest place to put it if you're not sure is before the last </body> at the end of the file.

Hope this helped, let me know if not. Also it would be easier if I could see your website so that I know exactly what problem you are experiencing

Thank you

Andrew

Yes you were right. I missed the first < off the script thing.

My next problem is that I'm pretty sure that I've integrated it properly but on the google analytics dashboard it still says that it's not set up right.

Andy

I guess you mean that there is an exclamation mark next to the site name in the control panel of Analytics. In which case this is perfectly normal. It will normally take around 24 hours before google will have the first days results ready. It doesn't start to work straight away.

Just be patient and check back again tomorrow, i'm sure it will be working fine by then

Let me know if not though

Andrew