Have you been struggling to wrap your head around the principles of search engine optimisation (SEO)? You are certainly not alone, and the unfortunate fact is that a lack of insight can lead to problems.
However, the good news is that there are plenty of online tools that can help you. And one of them is Google Analytics, a web analytics service by Google — as the name suggests — that tracks and reports site traffic.
It is one of the most popular utilities provided by Google. Let us look at five powerful SEO insights that this tool has to offer. If you hope to avoid costly mistakes, the information found below should not be overlooked:
1. Inbound mobile traffic
A study conducted in 2020 found that an incredible 55% of all online traffic was associated with mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. So, focusing on inbound mobile hits is crucial if you hope to take your business to the next level.
Google Analytics enables you to compare traffic resulting from mobile and desktop sources. This is important, as you can make sure that your website has adopted a mobile-responsive edge.
Furthermore, Google Analytics will display how many conversions were associated with mobile connections. There may also be times when your website has been designed to cater to a multilingual audience.
Google Analytics can display which pages receive the most inbound hits from specific regions and languages. You can then make any changes required (such as correcting a coding issue or optimising local SEO content).
2. The target audience needs
One of the most important Google Analytics tips to remember is that it helps you thoroughly study your audience’s needs. How confident are you that your efforts are being focused in the right direction? Have your conversion rates increased, or are they flagging?
If you are unaware of the needs of your target demographic, it will be nearly impossible to achieve success. Once again, Google Analytics can provide the answers you have been looking for. One unique tool is known as “Custom Segments,” which provide you with a means to gauge many variables, including:
Understanding these concepts will provide additional clarity when choosing the most appropriate keywords and key phrases. The centralised nature of Google Analytics is also a great feature, as all information will be displayed with the click of a button.
3. Web searches and navigation
How functional is your website, and do all of its pages load quickly? You might be shocked to learn that losses due to slow-loading pages equated to a staggering $2.6 billion in 2020 alone.
This makes a great deal of sense, as visitors will look elsewhere if they cannot find what they are looking for. Google Analytics provides you with a quick and user-friendly way to determine how your website performs.
The location of a search bar, quick navigational links and content based around keyword queries can all be analysed within seconds. You can also examine how long certain pages take to load. This is a great way to identify any coding errors or “bloatware” that might be causing issues.
Once these pitfalls are discovered, you can make the necessary changes sooner instead of later and make progress faster.
4. Bounce rates
These are defined as the percentage of visitors who navigate to a specific page and leave without taking any action. This usually signifies that the product or service in question is not presented properly. However, it might also hint that there is a coding problem.
Google Analytics enables you to measure the bounce rates attributed to specific pages. High bounce rates normally signal that an issue needs to be corrected. Once again, you are provided with a host of insightful tools. It is possible to analyse each web page and segment those with unacceptable bounce rates. The rate is presented as a percentage, so you can appreciate which pages might need attention. Some factors which may affect bounce rates include:
Once again, it pays to work smart as opposed to hard. Google Analytics will provide you with the insight required to make proactive changes.
5. Underperforming web pages
Google Analytics will display each page in terms of descending inbound traffic. In other words, pages with the highest number of visitor hits are listed at the top. Those which generate little interest are displayed towards the bottom. This top-down approach will clearly illustrate which ones happen to be underperforming.
Why might a page be experiencing such issues? From slow loading times to outdated information and even duplicate content, getting to the root of the problem is critical. Pages that may be lagging can impact the entire site, as they can affect SERP rankings.
Google Analytics will flag any suspect pages so that you can examine them in greater detail. This is a much better approach when compared to manual efforts, as you still might not be able to discover the problem.
Google Analytics: A must-have utility for long-term online success
It is currently estimated that more than 29.3 million websites use Google Analytics regularly. Of course, this makes perfect sense when we consider the number of options available. As the online community becomes more competitive, these numbers are only expected to rise.
If you are less than satisfied with the performance of your website, following the above-mentioned advanced Google Analytics tips is ideal. Please perform additional research and look at the official software bundle to learn more.
About the author
Paula O’Gorman is Promotive’s Design & Marketing Manager and is responsible for planning, leading and coordinating the activity of the marketing agency that specialises in logo design and graphic design. She graduated with a distinction in Design & Communication from Waterford Institute of Technology in 2003 and joined the Cantec Group immediately afterwards. Starting as a junior graphic designer, she now manages her team at the senior management level.
