Google Analytics set up

This is a series of notes for use when setting up a Google Analytics account. It is especially for use by Atracks clients who manage their own GA accounts but of course for anyone else who finds it useful. It will be added to on an ad hoc basis but if there is something you need to know that is not covered, please email and it will be added - someone else will want to know so you will be helping Atracks clients!

 

You need administrator access in order to change the following settings. If you have only user access, then when you log into your Google Analytics accounts, you will see only the option'View Reports'. If you have administrator access, then you will also see the option 'Edit' below the heading 'Settings'.

 

Defining the Home Page

It is important to tell Google Analytics the name of your home page, eg index.html.  If you don’t, GA will see the page www.mydomain.co.uk/ as different from www.mydomain.co.uk/index.html .  They will be shown in the data as / and index.html.  

Data that does not combine the two version of the home page address will be very confusing and unless you manually add the two figures together, then the numbers will be wrong.

1. Click Edit under the heading Settings
2. Click edit on the first panel – Main Website Profile Information
3. Insert the page name of your home page, eg index.html or index.php etc.
4. Save changes

Filters - excluding visits you and your colleagues make to your website

You normally want to exclude visits made by yourself, others in your company, your web agency etc, from your GA data.  Filters are used to do this.

To exclude your own visits to your site (this is particularly important if you use your own site as your home page when you open your browser)

1. Click Edit under the heading Settings
2. Click edit under the word Settings
3. Scroll down to Filters Applied to Profile and click + Add Filter
4. Give your filter a name, eg Sally
5. Choose Exclude all traffic from an IP address from the menu
6. Type in your IP address in the form 211\.83\.154\.123

IP addresses usually look like 211.83.154.123 but the back slashes are needed since otherwise GA would see the full stops as wild cards. The back slash tells GA that you really mean a full stop and eliminates its meaning as a wild card.

To find out what your IP address is, go to http://www.lawrencegoetz.com/programs/ipinfo/ and the IP address of your machine will be shown in large figures at the top of the page.