In order to collect data about your website, you need to set up a web analysis tool such as Google Analytics. Google Analytics can be used to collect data on visitor numbers, time spent on individual pages and the origin of users, for example. Here’s how to set up Google Analytics for your website:
Set up a Google Analytics account
Once you are logged into Google Analytics, you need to create a new account. You have to give this account a name, enter the website name and the website URL. Now you only have to select your industry and time zone.
Once you have done this, you can retrieve your Google Analytics tracking code.
Set up Google Analytics via the Tag Manager
The next step is to integrate the Google Analytics tracking code. There are two ways to do this:
You can embed the tracking code in the source code of your website.
You can also integrate the tracking code via the Google Tag Manager.
The easiest way is to integrate the tracking code via the Tag Manager. The advantage of integrating the tracking code via the Tag Manager? The Tag Manager code only has to be stored once in the source code of the website. If you then want to change something, you can easily do this through the Tag Manager. If you integrate the tracking code into the source code of the website, you have to manually adjust every change to the tracking on every page.
You can find out how to integrate the Tag Manager code on your website in the article: Google Tag Manager.
Set up Google Tag Manager
To use the Tag Manager, you need to create a Tag Manager account. To do this, you need a Google Account, which you can use to log into the Tag Manager. Then you can enter your company name under “Create account” and then create a container. Normally, a container stands for a website.
Create Google Analytics tag for tracking
To set up Google Analytics via the Tag Manager, you need to create a new tag in the Tag Manager. It is best to call this tag “Google Analytics”.
Now you have to select the following:
- Tag type: Google Analytics – Universal Analytics
- Tracking type: Page view
- Check the box “Enable settings to override in this tag”.
- Tracking ID: Enter your Analytics Tracking ID
In order to comply with data protection regulations, you must anonymise the IP addresses. To do this, you can set up a field with the field name “anonymizeIp” and the value “true” under “Additional settings” and “Fields to be defined”.
Now the tag is set up and you have to select a trigger. A trigger specifies when the tag is played. Here you take “All Pages”.
The tag and the trigger for Google Analytics are now set up, but you still have to confirm the whole thing by clicking on “send” and “publish”.
Check: Is Google Analytics set up correctly?
In principle, you are now finished. But to check whether you have set up Google Analytics correctly, you should call up any page on your website. If the call is also displayed in Analytics, you have done everything correctly.