Dimensions are an advanced feature of Google Analytics that can help you analyze GA's reports. Before you dive into the data, you will definitely want to familiarize yourself with dimensions... or you could just use Simple Analytics. Simple and privacy-friendly. No complexity. No cookies. Just the data you need in a simple dashboard.
Anyway, back to Google Analytics. Here is what dimensions are and how they work.
What are Dimensions?
Dimension are descriptive in nature and can be thought of as categories or types of data data. For instance:
- User Attributes such as browser type, geographic location, or the type of device used.
- Session Attributessuch as referral source, landing page, or campaign.
- Behavior Attributes such as page path, event category, or exit page.
Each dimension provides insight into a different aspect of demographic or user behavior and, therefore, a different angle from which you can segment and analyze your data.
Importance of Dimensions
- Data Segmentation: Dimensions allow for segmenting data in various ways, providing a deeper understanding of different aspects of user behavior.
- Contextual Analysis: They provide context to your data, turning numbers into meaningful insights.
Using Dimensions in Google Analytics
- Reports: Google Analytics reports are built using dimensions. For instance, the Audience reports use dimensions like Age, Gender, and Location.
- Combining with Metrics: Dimensions are often viewed alongside metrics (quantitative measurements) for comprehensive analysis. For example, the 'Page' dimension (qualitative) with the 'Pageviews' metric (quantitative).
Customizing Dimensions
Google Analytics offers standard dimensions like Source, Medium, Page, and Device Category. However, you can also set up custom dimensions to suit your organization's strategies and goals.
You can set up a custom dimension by tweaking your GA tracking code (this is typically done via Google Tag Manager).
Final Thoughts
Dimensions offer a qualitative context that, when combined with quantitative metrics, provides deeper insights over your traffic and your website's performance.
While Google Analytics is powerful in its capacity to handle various dimensions and metrics, its complexity can be daunting. If you just want a straightforward dashboard with the insights you need, GA is not a great place to start. Additionally, Google Analytics is a privacy-invasive tool and requires an annoying cookie banner.
That's why we built Simple Analytics, a privacy-friendly and simple analytics tool - no personal data, no cookies, just the insights you need in a straightforward dashboard.
If this resonates with you, feel free to give Simple Analytics a spin (It's free). You just need to add the script and off you go. This takes about one minute.
Enjoy!