Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Google Analytics for Blogger

How many thousand people a day do you imagine stumble across or return to your snarky and artisticly unique blog? Want to find out?

Want to know where in the world they come from? What sites they linked from? Which of your posts were linked to from Google searches - and the keywords used? What browser they use? More? If so then batten down your ego and follow these simple - if high level - steps.

1. Go to Google Analytics and "sign up now" for an account (sign in with your Blogger ID and PW).
2. Follow the few simple steps until you are presented with the small window of code - copy it.
3. Log in to your blog and go into the settings, choose the "Layout" tab.
4. At the BOTTOM choose "add a gadget".
5. Select an "HTML/Javascript" gadget from the list.
6. Paste your copied code into the "content" field, leave the title blank.
7. Save.

Done - wasn't that easy?

It will take a day to get initialized and start showing data. Then simply log back in to Google Analytics and choose "view reports" to view your data - bookmark it for quick access. The main components are the overview which you are automatically presented with when you log in, the date range on the right which you can customize to see data for exactly the time-frame you want, and the drill-downs on the left where you can slice and dice the data into the specifics you want to see.

Don't worry, I still look at your blog every day ;)

8 comments:

Heath said...

I used your outstanding directions to add Google Analytic to my blog.
One more way to waste time online.

SeanH said...

ditto

Jared said...

I put that thing on my blog about a month ago and can't tell if the two hits I have gotten since are both from me or maybe Heath or John. Either way I have been viewed two times.

queasyfish said...

Check the date filter - you're probably viewing the same date every time you log in - it doesn't change dynamicaly.

There's a "from" field and a "to" field... click the "from" field then choose an old date on the calendar, click the "to" field then choose yesterday's date. Click "Apply".

Or maybe your blog just really sucks. ;)

Jared said...

"Or maybe your blog just really sucks."

That is what my joke comment was saying. Actually it is fun to see all the cities of the world that for whatever reason have stumbled onto the blog. I am on the internet and millions of people look at the internet every day. "I'm sombody now!"

SeanH said...

I am on the internet and millions of people look at the internet every day. "I'm sombody now!"

Several times Dave (Just a Cool Cat) has mentioned his blog's "millions of non readers". I always got a laugh out of that.

queasyfish said...

So it isn't your blog that sucks, it's your comedic writing skills.

- and you forgot the smiley when you quoted me. ;)

queasyfish said...

I realized I was actually wrong about the dynamic updating - it does; from the start date you selected, to yesterday (the last complete day of data).