Top 3 mistakes while installing Google Analytics

Hey fellas!

Google Analytics is a magnificent way to know your readers & have in-depth stats about them. If you rely on your platform for Traffic stats, like Blogger in my case, then don't! They include a lot of things like bots & therefore the stats aren't correct. So a good service like Google Analytics is must.

Today I will be discussing about Top 3 mistakes that you / anyone might do (or be doing), while installing the Google Analytics script on your Website. Not only, I will be telling solutions along with, but also share the correct way to install Google Analytics on Blogger with steps.

ABOUT GOOGLE ANALYTICS & WHY YOU NEED IT

I've already given a hint about this in the introduction. Google Analytics displays the traffic you have on your website with in-detail statistics, which include where they came from, which Platform they had (Mobile/Tablet/PC), which pages on your site are the most popular and a lot more stuff. I was also awestruck to see such a good information when I commenced using Analytics.

If you think that your platform, like Blogger, already provides you with stats & you are happy with it, then please don't be content. Added to that, Blogger's stats sometimes show about 2-3 times more traffic than Analytics, because the former counts all sorts of things, like bots that crawl your site. So you need a service to track your viewers & Google Analytics is one of the best.

TOP 3 MISTAKES WHILE INSTALLING GOOGLE ANALYTICS

Now, Google Analytics won't make a mistake only if you set it up properly on your website. Honestly, I also made mistakes a few times. At times, even Analytics showed me Blog Traffic 3 times the actual & on other occasions one-third, but finally I was able to figure out. So here are the top mistakes:

1. Installing Analytics script more than once on same Webpage

This counts as the top & most popular mistake.

Now, I also did this mess-up. I don't know, I was in haste or something, but please don't install the same script or two different kinds of analytics scripts on the same webpage. The traffic shown then, could be more than double of the actual pageviews, it'll give you hope but then be a bummer when someone notifies you about the mistake.

2. Installing Analytics Script on the corner of the website

This blunder shows your traffic to be half or even less, than the original. You might know, that in a website not everything loads at the same time. Some important things load up first. Since Analytics is essential, it should also load up first. One of the first rules of learning HTML Language is that the head section always runs first in a Website & I think that's why it exists- to have priority. So paste the analytics code right about the Head Section.

Also, to be on safer side, if you, in future, need to install a Script in the Head Section of your Website, Paste it above the Analytics script.

3. Messing up with the Script itself

The last mistake is not that dominant but still is important. Don't try to change the Analytics code before installing it, directly or indirectly. For example, if you, like me, test a script before installing it on a compiler, then the compiler could make some editing in the script, so it's changed and it might be bad.

The solutions to the above 3 is "Don't do that!".

STEPS TO INSTALL GOOGLE ANALYTICS CORRECTLY ON BLOGGER

Since I myself currently employ the Blogger platform, I can recommend steps about that only. If you use it, then good. Other users can take an example from it:

1. Sign in to your Google Analytics Account, which if you don't have already could be created for free.

2. After reaching the Main Analytics page, Click on Admin tab.

3. Under the column "PROPERTY", click on "Tracking Info" & then "Tracking Code".

4. In a separate text box, you will see your Tracking Program wrapped up in "<script>" & "</script>" tags (words). Copy the the whole thing.

5. We need to paste it in Head section of all the webpages, we require to be analysed, on our website. Why Head you ask- It's because anything in Head section loads up first & fast. I prefer using it for whole website, we'll paste the code in our Blogger Template, but just as a precaution backup your Blog's template first:

A) Sign in to Blogger, click on your Blog, then visit the option "Template" in the column on Left hand side.
B) On the top-rightish side, choose Backup / Restore.
C) Then, "Download Full Template" on a location that you can remember later on.

6. (We still have our Analytics script copied in the clipboard) Close the Template download box & choose "Edit HTML"

7. Find the following (it's just head section), use Ctrl+F on your keyboard:

</head>

8. Paste your Analytics Script, right above this & You're done. Save the template.

To verify the code's working, simply visit your own site, keep it open and in a new tab, see Analytics Report's "Real Time" option (it's on the right side). It should show the users online to be atleast one & guess who it is, it's you!

If it doesn't show anything, wait for some time, test again, repeat the steps or ask a question to me through comments or "Contact me" option on the website. If you liked this post, please like me on Facebook / Twitter also. You can even subscribe via Email.

ENJOY