{"id":33467,"date":"2020-02-13T14:48:28","date_gmt":"2020-02-13T19:48:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/?p=33467"},"modified":"2025-01-10T11:39:09","modified_gmt":"2025-01-10T16:39:09","slug":"google-analytics-for-seo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/google-analytics-for-seo\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Use Google Analytics to Improve SEO Performance"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"intro-txt\">Everyone uses Google Analytics, but hardly anyone knows how to use it to improve SEO.<\/div>\n<p>This isn\u2019t surprising. Google Analytics is a powerful tool, but extracting valuable and useful insights can often feel like pulling teeth\u2014especially for beginners.<\/p>\n<p>But it doesn\u2019t have to feel this way. You just need to know what data to look at, how to interpret it, and then take action.<\/p>\n<p>In this guide, we\u2019ll go through seven actionable ways to use Google Analytics to improve SEO and cover some common mistakes to&nbsp;avoid.<\/p>\n<p>But first, let\u2019s go over the basics.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"Getting started\" data-section=\"google-analytics-basics\">\n<div class=\"recommendation\"><div class=\"recommendation-title\">Out now: Ahrefs Web Analytics<\/div><div class=\"recommendation-content\">\n<p>Ahrefs <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/web-analytics\">Web Analytics<\/a> is a simple Google Analytics alternative. Fast, privacy-friendly, and free for up to 1 million events per month per&nbsp;site.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/web-analytics\">Learn more<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<h2>Getting started with Google Analytics<\/h2>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>When you first log in, you\u2019ll see the \u201cHome\u201d dashboard.<\/p>\n<p>This is vanity metric central, and there aren\u2019t a lot of useful insights here. You\u2019re better off looking at individual reports, which you can find on the left of the screen grouped by&nbsp;topic.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1578\" class=\"wp-image-33530\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/15-reports-2.png\" alt=\"15 reports 2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/15-reports-2.png 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/15-reports-2-431x425.png 431w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/15-reports-2-768x757.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/15-reports-2-1536x1515.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"><\/p>\n<p>Reports show two things: dimensions&nbsp;and metrics.<\/p>\n<p>Dimensions&nbsp;are attributes of data, and metrics&nbsp;are quantitative data points associated with that dimension.<\/p>\n<p>Confused? Don\u2019t be. It\u2019s quite simple.<\/p>\n<p>Take a look at the data in the landing pages report:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1417\" class=\"wp-image-33536\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/1-landing-pages-2.png\" alt=\"1 landing pages 2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/1-landing-pages-2.png 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/1-landing-pages-2-480x425.png 480w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/1-landing-pages-2-768x680.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/1-landing-pages-2-1536x1360.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"sidenote\"><div class=\"sidenote-title\">Sidenote.<\/div> The&nbsp;data in this post mostly comes from the official <a href=\"https:\/\/support.google.com\/analytics\/answer\/6367342?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">GA demo account<\/a>.&nbsp;However, some reports and data are not available there, so I also used real business accounts every now and&nbsp;then.<\/div>\n<p>Here, the dimension&nbsp;is the landing page. The other columns show metrics&nbsp;associated with each landing page, like the number of <a href=\"https:\/\/support.google.com\/analytics\/answer\/6086069?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">sessions<\/a>&nbsp;over your selected period.<\/p>\n<p>To get more granular, you can add a secondary dimension&nbsp;to any of these reports.<\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s add \u201cCountry\u201d as our&nbsp;secondary dimension here.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1256\" height=\"990\" class=\"wp-image-33535\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/2-landing-pages-secondary-dimension-2.png\" alt=\"2 landing pages secondary dimension 2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/2-landing-pages-secondary-dimension-2.png 1256w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/2-landing-pages-secondary-dimension-2-539x425.png 539w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/2-landing-pages-secondary-dimension-2-768x605.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1256px) 100vw, 1256px\"><\/p>\n<p>Now we see metrics for each landing page (primary dimension) broken down by country (secondary dimension). For example, we see that 8,274 UK users started their session&nbsp;on the homepage.<\/p>\n<p>But, you might be wondering, what if you only care about seeing a subset of data, like organic traffic from the&nbsp;UK?<\/p>\n<p>That brings us onto segments&nbsp;and filters.<\/p>\n<p>Segments&nbsp;are a way to see data for only a subset of users or sessions&nbsp;across reports. For example, you can segment&nbsp;by organic traffic, like&nbsp;so:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-33547\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/landing-pages-segment.gif\" alt width=\"1106\" height=\"694\"><\/p>\n<p>Filters are similar to segments, but they only apply to the report you\u2019re viewing.<\/p>\n<p>For example, we can use a filter to see only data from the&nbsp;UK:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"564\" class=\"wp-image-33538\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Screenshot-2020-02-13-at-15.00.18-2.png\" alt=\"Screenshot 2020 02 13 at 15.00.18 2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Screenshot-2020-02-13-at-15.00.18-2.png 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Screenshot-2020-02-13-at-15.00.18-2-680x240.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Screenshot-2020-02-13-at-15.00.18-2-768x271.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Screenshot-2020-02-13-at-15.00.18-2-1536x541.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1238\" height=\"1190\" class=\"wp-image-33534\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/ga_afterfilter-2.png\" alt=\"ga afterfilter 2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/ga_afterfilter-2.png 1238w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/ga_afterfilter-2-442x425.png 442w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/ga_afterfilter-2-768x738.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1238px) 100vw, 1238px\"><\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s so much more granular than the default report, don\u2019t you&nbsp;agree?<\/p>\n<p>Good. Now let\u2019s move onto the more exciting stuff.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"Using Google Analytics to improve SEO\" data-section=\"improving-seo-with-google-analytics\">\n<h2>7 actionable ways to use Google Analytics to track and improve SEO<\/h2>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>Knowing the basics is great, but how do you actually move forward, obtain meaningful insights, and improve your&nbsp;SEO?<\/p>\n<p>Here are seven&nbsp;ways:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><a href=\"#find-low-hanging-opportunities\">Find low-hanging opportunities to boost traffic\/revenue<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#improve-high-converting-pages\">Find high-converting pages and improve their&nbsp;SEO<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#improve-assistive-landing-pages\">Improve landing pages that contribute to conversions<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#find-keyword-opportunities-from-site-search\">Find keyword opportunities by tracking internal site search<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#automate-traffic-reporting\">Automatically track organic traffic dips and spikes<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#set-up-404-error-reporting\">Set up alerts and monitoring for 404&nbsp;pages<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#log-changes-with-annotations\">Use annotations to pinpoint issues and changes<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h3 id=\"find-low-hanging-opportunities\">1. Find low-hanging opportunities to boost traffic<\/h3>\n<p>Pages don\u2019t always rank forever. Just look at the decline in traffic to <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/top-google-searches\/\">our list of top Google searches<\/a>&nbsp;in 2018:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1264\" height=\"458\" class=\"wp-image-33528\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/top-google-searches-gif-1-3.gif\" alt=\"top google searches gif 1 3\"><\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s a 54% drop in just over a&nbsp;month.<\/p>\n<p>But you\u2019ll notice that shortly after, traffic skyrocketed:<br>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1264\" height=\"458\" class=\"wp-image-33521\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/top-google-searches-gif-4.gif\" alt=\"top google searches gif 4\"><\/p>\n<p>So, what changed?<\/p>\n<p>Answer: We <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/republishing-content\/\">updated and republished the post<\/a> to bring it back to its former glory.<\/p>\n<p>The question is, how do you find pages ripe for republishing?<\/p>\n<p>While you can use <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/site-explorer\">Ahrefs\u2019 Site Explorer<\/a>&nbsp;or the Performance report in Google Search Console, it\u2019s best to use Google Analytics. Why? Because it gives you conversion data, which you can use to tie SEO efforts to business metrics.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s the process:<\/p>\n<p>Go to <em>Acquisition<\/em>&nbsp;&gt; <em>Search Console <\/em>&gt; <em>Landing Pages<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>Select a time frame for comparison. We\u2019re primarily looking for content that needs republishing, so it\u2019s worth comparing at least six-month periods.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1370\" height=\"387\" class=\"wp-image-33532\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/3-date-range-analytics-2.png\" alt=\"3 date range analytics 2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/3-date-range-analytics-2.png 1370w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/3-date-range-analytics-2-680x192.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/3-date-range-analytics-2-768x217.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1370px) 100vw, 1370px\"><\/p>\n<p>Sort the table by clicks, then select the landing page&nbsp;you want to investigate to see search query&nbsp;data.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1562\" height=\"975\" class=\"wp-image-33533\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/4-clicks-2.png\" alt=\"4 clicks 2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/4-clicks-2.png 1562w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/4-clicks-2-680x425.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/4-clicks-2-768x479.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/4-clicks-2-1536x959.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1562px) 100vw, 1562px\"><\/p>\n<p>Look for potential causes, find patterns, and take action to <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/seo-techniques\/\">drive more organic traffic<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Of course, the final part is easier said than done. So, what should you look&nbsp;for?<\/p>\n<p>First, consider whether the page is about a topic where freshness is a ranking factor. That was the case with our post about the top Google searches. People didn\u2019t want to see popular searches from 12 months ago, so traffic started to&nbsp;drop.<\/p>\n<p>Second, if you see a significant organic traffic change to your homepage, it\u2019s usually down to a fluctuation in the search volume of <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/search-intent\/#types-of-search-intent\">navigational queries<\/a>. Maybe you went viral six months ago, and more people were Googling your brand, but then it naturally dropped back to the&nbsp;mean?<\/p>\n<p>Judging by the search volume fluctuations for \u201caviation gin,\u201d this seems to be what happened after their <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=H2t7lknrK28\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">brilliant TV ad<\/a>,&nbsp;which capitalized on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=pShKu2icEYw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">cringy Peloton ad<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"784\" height=\"670\" class=\"wp-image-33529\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/5-search-volume-spike-2.png\" alt=\"5 search volume spike 2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/5-search-volume-spike-2.png 784w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/5-search-volume-spike-2-497x425.png 497w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/5-search-volume-spike-2-768x656.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 784px) 100vw, 784px\"><\/p>\n<p>If none of those appear to be the culprit, it\u2019s a case of digging deeper. There could be any number of reasons for a drop in traffic.<\/p>\n<p>Here are a couple of useful secondary dimensions to get you started:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Device Category<\/strong>: If the traffic change is mainly attributed to one device category, start checking for device-specific UX issues, page speed issues, and content differences between devices. Remember, Google uses&nbsp;mobile-first indexing, so if your website shows mobile users less information than desktop users, that could be a problem.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Country<\/strong>: Traffic drops from specific countries might mean localization or <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/google-index\/\">indexation issues<\/a>. If you have content in more languages, start by auditing your <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/hreflang-tags\/\">hreflang tags<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"recommendation\"><div class=\"recommendation-title\">tip<\/div><div class=\"recommendation-content\">\n<p>Don\u2019t forget to look at the time chart above the report. It\u2019s especially important to check for drops or spikes around the time Google announced an algorithm update. You might also come across traffic spikes caused by ranking for irrelevant keywords. Google is not perfect.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<h3 id=\"improve-high-converting-pages\">2. Find high-converting pages and improve their&nbsp;SEO<\/h3>\n<p>The ultimate goal of SEO is usually to drive more sales from organic search. One of the easiest ways to do that is to improve rankings for your most valuable pages.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s how to do&nbsp;that:<\/p>\n<p>Go to <em>Acquisition<\/em>&nbsp;&gt; <em>Search Console<\/em>&nbsp;&gt; <em>Landing Pages<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>Select an important goal and sort the table by conversion rate.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"882\" height=\"229\" class=\"wp-image-33541\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/6-goal-conversions-2.png\" alt=\"6 goal conversions 2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/6-goal-conversions-2.png 882w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/6-goal-conversions-2-680x177.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/6-goal-conversions-2-768x199.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 882px) 100vw, 882px\"><\/p>\n<p>Plug each URL into <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/site-explorer\">Ahrefs\u2019 Site Explorer<\/a>&nbsp;and check the <strong>Organic Keywords<\/strong>&nbsp;report.<br>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1400\" class=\"wp-image-33525\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/se_ok_example-2.jpg\" alt=\"se ok example 2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/se_ok_example-2.jpg 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/se_ok_example-2-486x425.jpg 486w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/se_ok_example-2-768x672.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/se_ok_example-2-1536x1344.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"><\/p>\n<p>Filter for keywords where you rank in positions 3-10.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1424\" height=\"446\" class=\"wp-image-33516\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/7-positions-filter-se-2.png\" alt=\"7 positions filter se 2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/7-positions-filter-se-2.png 1424w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/7-positions-filter-se-2-680x213.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/7-positions-filter-se-2-768x241.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1424px) 100vw, 1424px\"><\/p>\n<p>Hit the \u201cSERP\u201d button and compare your page\u2019s SEO metrics to those that outrank you. In this case, it looks like the pages above us have way more referring domains.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1347\" class=\"wp-image-33517\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/8-domains-traffic-serp-overview-2.png\" alt=\"8 domains traffic serp overview 2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/8-domains-traffic-serp-overview-2.png 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/8-domains-traffic-serp-overview-2-505x425.png 505w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/8-domains-traffic-serp-overview-2-768x647.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/8-domains-traffic-serp-overview-2-1536x1293.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"><\/p>\n<p>Take action&nbsp;to improve your page where it falls short.&nbsp;Follow <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/how-to-rank-higher-on-google\/\">our guide to ranking higher on Google<\/a>&nbsp;if you\u2019re not sure where to&nbsp;start.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommendation\"><div class=\"recommendation-title\">Not an Ahrefs user?<\/div><div class=\"recommendation-content\">\n<p>Use <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/google-search-console\/\">Google Search Console<\/a>, Google, and <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/backlink-checker\">Ahrefs\u2019 Free Backlink Checker<\/a>&nbsp;to do something similar.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Find the keywords you rank for in Search Console.<\/li>\n<li>Search for them on Google.<\/li>\n<li>Check backlinks to the top-ranking URLs in our free backlink checker.<\/li>\n<li>Compare them with your page to see if and where you fall&nbsp;short.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<h3 id=\"improve-assistive-landing-pages\">3. Improve landing pages that contribute to conversions<\/h3>\n<p>People rarely land on websites they\u2019ve never visited before and buy something right away. They go on a <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/buyers-journey\/\">journey<\/a>, often visiting multiple pages on your site in the process.<\/p>\n<p>For example, let\u2019s say someone is new to keyword research. They head to Google to learn more and come across <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/seo\/keyword-research\" data-ahr=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/keyword-research\/\">our keyword research guide<\/a>&nbsp;(and&nbsp;YouTube videos).<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1030\" class=\"wp-image-33512\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/kwresearchserp-2.jpg\" alt=\"kwresearchserp 2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/kwresearchserp-2.jpg 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/kwresearchserp-2-660x425.jpg 660w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/kwresearchserp-2-260x166.jpg 260w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/kwresearchserp-2-768x494.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/kwresearchserp-2-1536x989.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"><\/p>\n<p>They read it. Learn from it. But that\u2019s all for today. They leave and go about their business.<\/p>\n<p>A week later, when they have more time, they pick up where they left off and search for some keyword research tools. Knowing that we produce valuable content, they land on <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/free-keyword-research-tools\/\">our list<\/a>, where they decide to sign up for our toolset.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"449\" class=\"wp-image-33515\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/kwtoolsserp-2.png\" alt=\"kwtoolsserp 2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/kwtoolsserp-2.png 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/kwtoolsserp-2-680x191.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/kwtoolsserp-2-768x216.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/kwtoolsserp-2-1536x431.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"><\/p>\n<p>By default, Google Analytics credits 100% of the conversion to the last landing page the user visited (provided that it was a non-direct click).&nbsp;But the reality is that the person probably wouldn\u2019t have converted if they didn\u2019t read our blog post first. So technically, this page helped assist the conversion.<\/p>\n<p>Do you see where this is&nbsp;going?<\/p>\n<p>Improving SEO for these pages will probably lead to an increase in conversions and revenue.<\/p>\n<p>But how do we find&nbsp;them?<\/p>\n<p>Go to <em>Conversions<\/em>&nbsp;&gt; <em>Multi-Channel Funnels<\/em>&nbsp;&gt; <em>Assisted Conversions<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>Select a conversion from the dropdown.&nbsp;(All conversions are selected by default, which isn\u2019t&nbsp;ideal.)<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1156\" height=\"610\" class=\"wp-image-33513\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/16-assisted-1-2.png\" alt=\"16 assisted 1 2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/16-assisted-1-2.png 1156w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/16-assisted-1-2-680x359.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/16-assisted-1-2-768x405.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1156px) 100vw, 1156px\"><\/p>\n<p>Set an attribution window. (This is basically a number of days that should be taken into account prior to the conversion.)<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1156\" height=\"610\" class=\"wp-image-33514\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/17-assisted-2-2.png\" alt=\"17 assisted 2 2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/17-assisted-2-2.png 1156w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/17-assisted-2-2-680x359.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/17-assisted-2-2-768x405.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1156px) 100vw, 1156px\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"recommendation\"><div class=\"recommendation-title\">IMPORTANT<\/div><div class=\"recommendation-content\">\n<p>Make sure to adjust this based&nbsp;on the length of your business\u2019 sales&nbsp;cycle.<\/p>\n<p>For example, B2B should generally have the longest attribution window because the length of the decision making process prior to conversion is longer than say buying clothes online. So, play around with the window, and check what it does to the amount of assisted conversions in the report below.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>Click on \u201cOrganic Search\u201d at the bottom of the report.<br>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"496\" height=\"448\" class=\"wp-image-33519\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/9-organic-search-2.png\" alt=\"9 organic search 2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/9-organic-search-2.png 496w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/9-organic-search-2-471x425.png 471w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 496px) 100vw, 496px\"><\/p>\n<p>Apply the Landing Page URL as a secondary dimension.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"760\" class=\"wp-image-33526\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/10-assisted-conversions-2.png\" alt=\"10 assisted conversions 2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/10-assisted-conversions-2.png 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/10-assisted-conversions-2-680x323.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/10-assisted-conversions-2-768x365.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/10-assisted-conversions-2-1536x730.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"><\/p>\n<p>Voila. Now you see a list of organic landing pages sorted by the number of assisted conversions.<\/p>\n<p>Prioritize these pages and <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/how-to-improve-seo\/\">improve their SEO<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"find-keyword-opportunities-from-site-search\">4. Find keyword opportunities by tracking internal site search<\/h3>\n<p>If you have an ecommerce store, help center, knowledge base, or any big website, then you probably also have an internal search engine.<\/p>\n<p>Visitors use it to find specific brands, products, and articles on your website.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1037\" class=\"wp-image-33531\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/11-apple-search-2.jpg\" alt=\"11 apple search 2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/11-apple-search-2.jpg 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/11-apple-search-2-656x425.jpg 656w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/11-apple-search-2-768x498.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/11-apple-search-2-1536x996.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"><\/p>\n<p>One of the more interesting features of GA is that it can track these internal site searches.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019ll be looking for keywords that don\u2019t have a good landing page yet. That may be caused by not having relevant content at all, or by ranking for keywords that don\u2019t align with <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/search-intent\/\">search intent<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Here are the&nbsp;steps:<\/p>\n<p>Follow <a href=\"https:\/\/support.google.com\/analytics\/answer\/1012264?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">this tutorial<\/a>&nbsp;to set up internal search tracking.<\/p>\n<p>Once you\u2019ve been collecting the data long enough (months), dive into the Search Terms report, which you\u2019ll find under <em>Behaviour<\/em>&nbsp;&gt; <em>Site Search<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1085\" class=\"wp-image-33539\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/sitesearch-2.jpg\" alt=\"sitesearch 2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/sitesearch-2.jpg 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/sitesearch-2-627x425.jpg 627w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/sitesearch-2-768x521.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/sitesearch-2-1536x1042.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"><\/p>\n<p>Apply a reasonable filter to rule out super <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/long-tail-keywords\/\">long-tail keywords<\/a>&nbsp;and typos:<br>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1342\" height=\"304\" class=\"wp-image-33518\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/internal_search_filter-2.png\" alt=\"internal search filter 2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/internal_search_filter-2.png 1342w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/internal_search_filter-2-680x154.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/internal_search_filter-2-768x174.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1342px) 100vw, 1342px\"><\/p>\n<p>Sort the table by the percentage of search exits and apply the weighted sort&nbsp;type.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"289\" class=\"wp-image-33510\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/12-search-exits-2.png\" alt=\"12 search exits 2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/12-search-exits-2.png 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/12-search-exits-2-680x123.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/12-search-exits-2-768x139.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/12-search-exits-2-1536x277.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"><\/p>\n<p>(This is&nbsp;the easiest prioritization process within the GA interface. It shows queries that users searched for sorted by the probability that there was no satisfactory search result. Users left after conducting the search, which counted towards the search exit metric. We use the <a href=\"https:\/\/support.google.com\/analytics\/answer\/1042020?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">weighted sort<\/a>&nbsp;to prioritize more statistically significant search terms.)<\/p>\n<p>Go through the terms and consider creating new content according to the search demand.<\/p>\n<p>If you want to go even further, plug the queries into a keyword research tool like <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/keywords-explorer\">Ahrefs\u2019 Keywords Explorer<\/a>&nbsp;and check their search volume.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1410\" height=\"690\" class=\"wp-image-33527\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/ke_ga-2.png\" alt=\"ke ga 2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/ke_ga-2.png 1410w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/ke_ga-2-680x333.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/ke_ga-2-768x376.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1410px) 100vw, 1410px\"><\/p>\n<p>The logic here is that if lots of people are searching for things on your site, there might be lots of people searching Google for them too. So you can leverage GA data to find new keyword&nbsp;and content ideas.<\/p>\n<p>However, don\u2019t just check search volumes for the exact keywords. Check the keyword ideas reports to&nbsp;find even more potential topics to rank&nbsp;for.<br>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"611\" class=\"wp-image-33537\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/ke_ga_report_example-2.png\" alt=\"ke ga report example 2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/ke_ga_report_example-2.png 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/ke_ga_report_example-2-680x260.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/ke_ga_report_example-2-768x293.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/ke_ga_report_example-2-1536x587.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"><\/p>\n<h3 id=\"automate-traffic-reporting\">5. Automate organic traffic dips and spikes reporting<\/h3>\n<p>You can\u2019t improve SEO if you\u2019re not monitoring for issues. It\u2019s inefficient to do this manually, so let\u2019s set up alerts for organic performance.<\/p>\n<p>Go to <em>Admin<\/em>&nbsp;&gt; <em>View column<\/em>&nbsp;&gt; <em>Custom Alerts<\/em>&nbsp;&gt; <em>Create a new alert<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>Set up an alert that will fire after you experienced an X% increase or decrease in organic traffic over a certain period. A 20% decrease and 30% increase week-over-week is a good starting point, but feel free to adjust these numbers according to the volatility of your&nbsp;site.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1370\" height=\"856\" class=\"wp-image-33540\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/organic_traffic_alert-2.png\" alt=\"organic traffic alert 2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/organic_traffic_alert-2.png 1370w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/organic_traffic_alert-2-680x425.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/organic_traffic_alert-2-768x480.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1370px) 100vw, 1370px\"><\/p>\n<p>Hit \u201cSave Alert\u201d and you\u2019re done.<\/p>\n<p>Now, while the reason for monitoring traffic drops is obvious, you might be wondering why it makes sense to do this with traffic spikes?<\/p>\n<p>Two reasons:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>If the traffic spike is legit, meaning that you\u2019re driving more traffic from relevant keywords, you\u2019ll want to replicate this with other&nbsp;pages.<\/li>\n<li>Search engines are not flawless. They might start ranking your pages for irrelevant keywords, and that\u2019s something that you need to take into account for reporting.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<div class=\"recommendation\"><div class=\"recommendation-title\">tip<\/div><div class=\"recommendation-content\">\n<p>You can set up these alerts globally across all the views that you have access to. Just select the views in the dropdown menu next to the main view where you\u2019re setting it&nbsp;up.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<h3 id=\"set-up-404-error-reporting\">6. Set up alerts for 404 errors<\/h3>\n<p>Let\u2019s stick with monitoring and automatization for a little longer.<\/p>\n<p>The \u201c404 - Page Not Found\u201d error is inevitable and something that you should monitor. And you can do this in&nbsp;GA.<\/p>\n<p>First, make sure that all your 404 pages have a unified page title such as \u201c404 - not found\u201d or \u201cPage not found.\u201d Second, do not redirect them anywhere; the URL should stay the&nbsp;same.<\/p>\n<p>If you meet these requirements, go ahead&nbsp;and set up an&nbsp;alert:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1196\" height=\"826\" class=\"wp-image-33523\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/404_alert-2.png\" alt=\"404 alert 2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/404_alert-2.png 1196w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/404_alert-2-615x425.png 615w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/404_alert-2-768x530.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1196px) 100vw, 1196px\"><\/p>\n<p>For the first condition, enter your page title for 404&nbsp;pages.<\/p>\n<p>For the second condition, start low and work your way up. That way, you won\u2019t receive alerts if everything is normal. The bigger your site is, the bigger the number you should start with. Remember, some 404s are inevitable because of typos, so this number should be high enough to rule those&nbsp;out.<\/p>\n<p>You now have everything you need for proper 404 alerts and monitoring.<\/p>\n<p>From here, it\u2019s just a case of figuring out what caused the 404. Was it a typo? Do you have internal or external links pointing to the&nbsp;URL?<\/p>\n<p>Learn how to do this in <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/fix-broken-links\/\">our guide to fix broken links<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"log-changes-with-annotations\">7. Use annotations to pinpoint issues and changes<\/h3>\n<p>Google Analytics annotations are notes that show up on every time chart in the&nbsp;tool.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1386\" height=\"336\" class=\"wp-image-33522\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/13-annotations-2.png\" alt=\"13 annotations 2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/13-annotations-2.png 1386w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/13-annotations-2-680x165.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/13-annotations-2-768x186.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1386px) 100vw, 1386px\"><\/p>\n<p>How are they useful? For logging changes.<\/p>\n<p>Perhaps you figured out the reason for a recent traffic drop? Or deployed a sitewide technical SEO change? Or maybe you\u2019re testing a new title tag format?<\/p>\n<p>Whatever the change, logging it with annotations will often help save your sanity down the&nbsp;line.<\/p>\n<p>To do that, choose a relevant time frame, click the roll-down, and enter your&nbsp;note.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1428\" height=\"208\" class=\"wp-image-33524\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/annotations2-2.png\" alt=\"annotations2 2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/annotations2-2.png 1428w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/annotations2-2-680x99.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/annotations2-2-768x112.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1428px) 100vw, 1428px\"><\/p>\n<p>Another benefit of annotations is the ability to gauge the effects of changes more easily.<\/p>\n<p>For instance, if you notice a sharp increase or decrease in traffic, you can look back at annotations to reverse-engineer potential catalysts. You can then replicate changes that led to positive outcomes and avoid repeating mistakes that led to adverse outcomes.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"Avoiding common mistakes\" data-section=\"common-google-analytics-mistakes\">\n<h2>8 common Google Analytics mistakes to&nbsp;avoid<\/h2>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>Google Analytics is a good servant but a bad master.<\/p>\n<p>Making setup mistakes, looking at the wrong data, or misinterpreting what you see in reports are just some examples that lead to bad business and marketing decisions.<\/p>\n<p>With that in mind, here are eight mistakes to avoid at all&nbsp;costs:<\/p>\n<h3>Mistake #1: Incorrectly set up Google Analytics tracking<\/h3>\n<p>Most people make mistakes when setting up Google Analytics. While some are more severe than others, even small ones can seriously affect the accuracy and usefulness of your&nbsp;data.<\/p>\n<p>Here are a few of the most common:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Missing tracking code;<\/li>\n<li>Multiple tracking codes on one&nbsp;page;<\/li>\n<li>Not using a referral exclusion list;<\/li>\n<li>Incorrectly set up interaction events;<\/li>\n<li>Tracking websites built on JavaScript frameworks with default settings.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If you suspect any of these issues on your site or aren\u2019t confident in your setup, there are plenty of articles online to help. We\u2019d also recommend investing in a professional consultation, audit, and setup if you can afford it.<\/p>\n<h3>Mistake #2: Deriving insights&nbsp;from insignificant samples<\/h3>\n<p>Don\u2019t waste time trying to decide anything based on a statistically insignificant sample. Nobody ever managed to optimize a Facebook ads campaign by analyzing 37 visits.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommendation\"><div class=\"recommendation-title\">New to statistics and analytics?<\/div><div class=\"recommendation-content\">\n<p>Take one of the many free online \u201cstatistics 101\u201d courses. It will almost certainly help you to make better decisions.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<h3>Mistake #3: Obsessively looking at data without purpose<\/h3>\n<p>We\u2019ve all done it. You check one report, and two hours later you\u2019re deep down the rabbit hole looking at something completely different.<\/p>\n<p>Know why you\u2019re doing what you\u2019re doing and how you can get actionable insights out of it. Don\u2019t obsess over looking at data all the&nbsp;time.<\/p>\n<h3>Mistake #4: Tracking for the sake of tracking<\/h3>\n<p>Learning how to track complicated custom events accurately definitely feels like a win. That\u2019s until you realize you\u2019re now tracking dozens of them, and not doing anything with the data. Been there, done&nbsp;that.<\/p>\n<h3>Mistake #5: Not knowing what the data represents<\/h3>\n<blockquote class=\"small\"><div class=\"quote-content\">\u201cThis landing page sucks because the average time on page is only&nbsp;11s.\u201d<\/div><\/blockquote>\n<p>Eleven seconds indeed sounds bad. But no-one who knows how this metric is calculated would say&nbsp;this.<\/p>\n<p>Why? Because average time on page is based on timestamps between GA hits. This means that any bounced session is calculated as zero seconds long. On top of that, this metric doesn\u2019t take into account inactivity, which skews the data a lot given the number of opened inactive tabs we all have. Being totally honest, this is a pretty useless metric, yet it\u2019s in many reports by default.<\/p>\n<h3>Mistake #6: Not looking at granular data<\/h3>\n<p>There are very few, if any, scenarios where you can derive actionable insights from a default report. Always apply filters, segments, and secondary dimensions to find root causes.<\/p>\n<h3>Mistake #7: Overlooking Google Analytics sampling issues<\/h3>\n<p>When looking at an extended timeframe or comparing complex data, make sure it\u2019s based on a 100% sample size. You\u2019ll see the green shield icon next to the report name if it&nbsp;is.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"302\" height=\"72\" class=\"wp-image-33511\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/green_sample_logo-2.png\" alt=\"green sample logo 2\"><\/p>\n<p>For sampled results, the icon turns yellow.<\/p>\n<p>While it\u2019s fine to work with a 95% sample, don\u2019t even try to make conclusions from tiny samples like&nbsp;this:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1086\" height=\"312\" class=\"wp-image-33520\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/14-sample-2.png\" alt=\"14 sample 2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/14-sample-2.png 1086w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/14-sample-2-680x195.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/14-sample-2-768x221.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1086px) 100vw, 1086px\"><\/p>\n<p>Choose a shorter period or a less complex query if you encounter something similar.<\/p>\n<div class=\"sidenote\"><div class=\"sidenote-title\">Sidenote.<\/div>&nbsp;There are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.seerinteractive.com\/blog\/ways-to-unsample-google-analytics-data\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">workarounds to the sampling problem<\/a>&nbsp;if this is a big issue for&nbsp;you.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<h3>Mistake #8: Not taking ad blockers into account<\/h3>\n<p>There\u2019s one thing that always amazes me at marketing conferences\u2014the number of hands up in the air whenever a speaker asks about how many people use ad blockers. (Yeah, marketers are hiding from their own&nbsp;work.)<\/p>\n<p>You can\u2019t be surprised at the <a href=\"https:\/\/marketingland.com\/survey-shows-us-ad-blocking-usage-40-percent-laptops-15-percent-mobile-216324\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">popularity of ad blockers<\/a>. We\u2019re being hit by often awful ads all the&nbsp;time.<\/p>\n<p>The point is, the vast majority of ad blockers block Google Analytics. On top of that, browsers are also enforcing more and more privacy policies. That results in blocking GA completely (Brave) or rapidly shortening cookie expiry time (Safari), which leads to even more problematic attribution.<\/p>\n<p>No matter what you do, you\u2019ll always be missing a significant proportion of&nbsp;data.<\/p>\n<p>So, always take the data in Google Analytics with a grain of&nbsp;salt.<\/p>\n<h2>Final thoughts<\/h2>\n<p>One of the biggest SEO challenges is to show its value and make data-driven decisions. It takes more effort than let\u2019s say search ads where you can directly track and influence everything immediately.<\/p>\n<p>For that reason, if you only take one thing away from this guide, it should be to use critical thinking when looking at data\u2014always.<\/p>\n<p>If you want to learn more about Google Analytics without running into misinformation, start with these blogs and resources:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/analytics.google.com\/analytics\/academy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Official Analytics Academy courses<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kaushik.net\/avinash\/sitemap\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Occam\u2019s Razor by Avinash Kaushik<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.simoahava.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Simo Ahava\u2019s resources<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.analytics-ninja.com\/blog.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Analytics Ninja&nbsp;blog<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.analyticsmania.com\/blog\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Analytics Mania by Julius Fedorovicius<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Did I miss any useful ways to use Google Analytics to improve SEO? Do you have any questions? Ping me on <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/michalpecanek\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Twitter<\/a>!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This isn\u2019t surprising. Google Analytics is a powerful tool, but extracting valuable and useful insights can often feel like pulling teeth\u2014especially for beginners. But it doesn\u2019t have to feel this way. You just need to know what data to look<span class=\"ellipsis\">\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"read-more\">Read more \u203a<\/div>\n<p><!-- end of .read-more --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":149,"featured_media":33470,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wp_typography_post_enhancements_disabled":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[335],"tags":[],"coauthors":[375],"class_list":["post-33467","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general-seo","odd"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How to Use Google Analytics to Improve SEO Performance<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Google Analytics is powerful, but only if you know how to use it. 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