Adding Google Analytics to Your Google Site
TL;DR:
- Google Analytics gives you proper visitor data for your Google Site
- You need to create a Google Analytics account and add your site as a property
- Copy your tracking ID from Analytics and paste it into your Google Site settings
- The data helps you understand which pages work and where visitors come from
- It's free and you can track multiple sites from one account
Google Sites comes with basic visitor stats, but they're pretty limited. If you want to understand who's visiting your site and how they're using it, you need Google Analytics.
The good news is that Google makes it fairly straightforward to connect the two. Here's how to get it working.
Setting Up Google Analytics for Your Google Site
Create Your Google Analytics Account
Head to analytics.google.com and sign in with your Google account. If you don't have Analytics set up yet, you'll need to create an account first.
Add Your Google Site as a Property
Once you're in Analytics:
- Click Admin in the bottom left
- Under Account, choose an existing account or create a new one
- In the Property column, click Create Property
- Enter your site name and URL
- Choose Web as your platform
Analytics will generate a tracking ID that looks something like UA-123456789-1 or G-XXXXXXXXXX (depending on whether you're using Universal Analytics or Google Analytics 4).
Connect Your Google Site
Now switch over to your Google Site:
- Click the Settings gear icon
- Select Analytics from the menu
- Paste your tracking ID into the field
- Click Save
That's it. Analytics will start collecting data within 24 hours, though you might see some activity sooner.
What You Can Track
Once everything's connected, you'll get access to data that Google Sites doesn't show you:
Traffic Sources: See whether people find you through Google search, social media, or direct links. This tells you which marketing efforts actually work.
Popular Pages: Find out which content keeps people engaged and which pages they bounce from quickly.
User Behavior: Track how long people stay on your site and which pages they visit in sequence.
Demographics: Get a rough idea of where your visitors are located and what devices they're using.
Common Setup Issues
Wrong tracking ID: Double-check you've copied the full ID correctly. Missing characters or extra spaces will break the connection.
Multiple Google accounts: Make sure you're signed into the same Google account for both Analytics and Sites.
Data delays: Don't panic if you don't see data immediately. Analytics can take up to 24 hours to start showing information.
FAQs
Do I need a separate Analytics account for each Google Site?
No, you can track multiple sites under one Analytics account. Just add each site as a separate property.
Is Google Analytics free?
Yes, the standard version is free and handles most small business needs. There's a paid version (Analytics 360) but you won't need it unless you're processing millions of hits.
Can I use other analytics tools with Google Sites?
Google Sites only has built-in support for Google Analytics. You can't add other tracking codes directly, though some third-party tools might work through embedded widgets.
Will adding Analytics slow down my site?
The tracking code is lightweight and loads asynchronously, so it shouldn't affect your site speed noticeably.
Jargon Buster
Property: In Analytics, this represents one website or app you're tracking. Each property gets its own tracking ID.
Tracking ID: A unique code that connects your website to your Analytics account. It starts with UA- or G-.
Bounce Rate: The percentage of visitors who leave your site after viewing only one page.
Sessions: A group of interactions one user has with your site within a given time period.
Wrap-up
Google Analytics gives you the data you need to understand how your Google Site is performing. The setup takes about 10 minutes, and once it's running, you'll have insights that help you improve your content and SEO strategy.
Start with the basics like checking which pages get the most traffic and where your visitors come from. As you get comfortable with the data, you can dig deeper into user behavior and conversion tracking.
Ready to take your Google Site further? Join Pixelhaze Academy for more detailed tutorials and SEO strategies.