Last Updated on 2 years by Komolafe Bamidele
If you’re looking for How to Easily Set up Google Analytics Stats Dashboards on WordPress, then you’re on the right page.
Google Analytics is one of the best tracking tools for webmasters. With Google Analytics, you can track a lot of metrics and understand better how visitors are interacting with your site.
In this post, we are going to provide a guide on how to set up Google Analytics on your WordPress site using 3 different methods.
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These steps are really easy to follow and easy to understand even for a WordPress beginner.
What is Google Analytics?
Google Analytics is a web service offered by Google that allows web owners to track a lot of metrics about their visitors. Below are some of the features and metrics that be tracked using Google Analytics.
- User Demographics and Interests
- Most Popular Content
- Top Exit Pages
- Form Conversion
- Google AMP Reports
- Search Console
- Custom Dimensions
- eCommerce Tracking
- Track Real-time Traffic
- Traffic Sources
- Platform Through Which Users Visit Your Site
- Site Speed
- Site Search
- Ads tracking
- Events tracking
- Online forms tracking
Using Google Analytics Stats helps you to understand your visitors and to know the type of content that brings them to your site. This way, you can be able to write similar content and boost your traffic, subscribers, and revenue.
With this tool, you can track all the metrics listed above for free. This makes it an excellent tool for publishers, web owners and eCommerce platforms to boost user engagement and revenue while saving on cost.
You can easily understand what visitors do while on your site, how long they stay on their site and where they go next. You can also track where your site visitors come from. By knowing this, you can create a marketing strategy that will boost your traffic and conversion.
How To Easily Set Up Google Analytics Stats Dashboards on WordPress
To track your visitors on your WordPress site, you’ll be given a tracking code by Google Analytics, this tracking code is unique to your account and should be added on every page of your website. Usually, this code is added right into the header section of the WordPress site.
Below is a step by step guide to implementing Google Analytics Stats on your WordPress site. These steps are pretty easy to follow.
You can install Google Analytics on your WordPress site by manually adding the tracking code on your site, however, this will greatly limit your ability to use advanced Google Analytics tracking features.
Step 1: Create a Google Analytics Account
The first step is to sign up for a Google Analytics account. As said earlier, Google Analytics is available for free, so all you need to do is to log on to Google Analytics and sign up with your Google account.
If you don’t have a Google account (Gmail address), you’ll have to create one before you can sign up for the service.
After logging in with your Google account, you’ll be directed to the Google Analytics sign up page. Click on “Sign Up”.
You’ll be directed to the Account setup page. Type in an account name in the space required.
Next, tick the boxes to receive information from Google. These boxes are ticked by default and it is recommended that you leave them the way they are. However, if you feel like you don’t need any of the information offered there, you can untick them. When done, click “Next”.
In this step, you’ll choose what you want to measure. Since you want to measure the data of your visitors on your website, tick the web option and click on “Next”.
Next, you’ll have to set up your website for Analytics. Fill in the name of your site and the website URL. Select the target of your site (Industry Category) and the reporting time zone. When done, click on “Create”.
Tick the box to accept the Data Processing Terms, the Measurement Controller-Controller Data Protection Terms for the data that you share with Google, and then click “I Accept”.
When done, you’ll be directed to your Google Analytics account.
Step 2: Installing Google Analytics in WordPress
METHOD 1: Installing Google Analytics in WordPress Using MonsterInsights (Plugin Method)
Installing Google Analytics in WordPress using a plugin like MonsterInsights is the best step to take as it provides you with more tracking features and allows you to check your Google Analytics Stats dashboard right on your WordPress site.
The benefits of using MonsterInsights are numerous, especially if you’re going for the paid version.
To install Google Analytics on your WordPress site using the MonsterInsights plugin, you’ll have to add the plugin to your site. You can download the plugin right from WordPress or go to MonsterInsights website to download the plugin.
Once, you’ve downloaded the plugin, install it on your WordPress site and activate it. When activated, you’ll have to add your plugin license key to the account. Go to the Insights >> Settings page on your WordPress dashboard and type in your plugin license key.
The next step is to connect your site with your Google Analytics account. Go to Settings >> Connect MonsterInsights.
You’ll be redirected to your Google accounts page. Sign in to the Google account associated with Google Analytics.
When done, you’ll be asked to provide MonsterInsights with access to your Analytics account. Click the “Allow” button to allow permission.
Next, you’ll need to select the profile for your site and complete the reCAPTCHA to prove you’re human. When done, click the “Complete Authentication” button.
With that, you have successfully added Google Analytics to your WordPress site using MonsterInsights
To view your site’s stats on your main WordPress dashboard, you’ll have to add the WordPress reporting dashboard widgets.
There are two 2 types of WordPress reporting dashboard widgets.
- MonsterInsights Dashboard Widget
- MonsterInsights Custom Dashboards
MonsterInsights Dashboard Widget
To view your site stats in MonsterInsights’ Dashboard widget, you’ll have to log into your WordPress site and click on the dashboard widget.
Be default, you’ll be able to see an Overview report for your site for the last 30 days.
You can view stats for the last 7 days and other additional reports through the menus provided.
MonsterInsights Custom Dashboards
The MonsterInsights’ custom dashboard is your Google Analytics dashboard inside your WordPress dashboard. This allows you to view your site’s complete analytics report.
To view, go to MonsterInsights’ custom dashboard on your WordPress site. Click Insights >> Reports from your WordPress admin area to view your custom reports. You can find the metrics listed below using MonsterInsights’ custom dashboard.
- Overview Report
- Publishers Report
- eCommerce Report
- Search Console Report
- Custom Dimensions Report
- Forms tracking report
METHOD 2: Manually Add Google Analytics Code to WordPress in header.php
If you don’t want to use MonsterInsights or any other plugin, you can manually add the Google Analytics Code to WordPress in header.php. Avoid adding the code to your main theme as it will be overwritten whenever you update the theme. It is best for you to make the customization using a child theme.
To manually add the Google Analytics code, you’ll have to open your Google Analytics account and copy the tracking code.
Next, open your WordPress admin area and click on Dashboard >> Appearance >> Editor in the menu area.
Click the “header.php” file on the menu to edit the code. Next, paste the code just before the </head> tag.
METHOD 3: Add Google Analytics Code to WordPress Using Google Tag Manager
Go to Plugins >> Add New
Search for “Google Tag Manager”. Install and activate the plugin.
When done, go to Google Tag Manager and create an account (if you already have an account, you can go ahead and sign in).
You’ll be directed to a page and asked to fill your information. When done click the “Create” button.
Tick the button to agree with the Google Tag Manager Terms of Service.
Once the account setup process is complete, you’ll be asked to Install Google Tag Manager and you’ll a Google Tag Manager ID.
Go back to the Google Tag Manager Plugin settings on your WordPress dashboard, post your Google Tag Manager ID. Click “Save Changes” button.
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With that, you have successfully installed Google Analytics via Google Tag Manager.
Other Plugins You Could Use To Install Google Analytics on Your WordPress Site
There are other Google Analytics plugins apart from MonsterInsights, however, MonsterInsights remains the best and the favorite option of most WordPress users. If for some reason you prefer another plugin, you can go for these options below
- Google Analytics Dashboard for WP – ExactMetrics (All features are completely free)
- Analytify (Free and premium versions available)
- Google Analytics WD – Web Dorado (Free and premium versions available)
- WP Statistics (All features are completely free)
With any of these plugins you can easily set up Google Analytics on your WordPress dashboard. You can also try out the manual methods listed above.
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The manual methods will save you the stress of adding plugins to your WordPress to your site and paying for their services, however, they will limit your usage of Google Analytics features.
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