Creating a website is just the first step. Understanding how visitors find and interact with your site is crucial for its success, and Google Analytics can help. Here is how you can add Google Analytics to your Google Sites website, step by step.
Let's dive in!
- Set Up Google Analytics
- Add Google Analytics to Your Google Sites
- Verify the Integration
- Final Thoughts
Before we dig in I want to show you something. I promise it's worth it...
Google Analytics is great, but also complex and a bit clunky. If you just want a straightforward dashboard with the insights you need, GA is not a great place to start. Additionally, Google doesn't care about privacy and GA requires an annoying cookie banner.
That's why I built Simple Analytics, a privacy-friendly and simple analytics tool - no personal data, no cookies, just the insights you need in a straightforward dashboard.
Here is how it looks vs GA. Feel free to check our live analytics to get an idea for your project. (It is free btw)
All right, enough about us. Now let's get into answering your question!
Set Up Google Analytics
If you haven't already set up a Google Analytics account for your website, you'll need to do that first. Here’s a quick overview:
- Visit the Google Analytics Website: Go to Google Analytics and sign in with your Google account. If you don’t have one, you’ll need to create it.
- Create a New Property: Follow the on-screen instructions to set up a new GA4 property, choosing "Web" as your platform.
- Obtain Your Measurement ID: Once your property is configured, you will receive a Measurement ID (formatted as "G-XXXXXXXXXX"). Note down this ID, as it's necessary for integrating GA with your Google Sites.
Add Google Analytics to Your Google Sites
Google Sites makes it relatively simple to integrate Google Analytics, allowing you to start tracking your site's performance with just a few clicks. Here’s how to add your GA Measurement ID to your Google Sites:
- Open Your Google Site: Log in to Google Sites and open the site you wish to track with Google Analytics.
- Access Site Settings: Click on the gear icon in the top right corner to open the "Settings" menu.
- Navigate to Analytics: Scroll down in the settings menu until you find the "Analytics" section.
- Enter Your Measurement ID: In the provided field under "Analytics," enter your Google Analytics Measurement ID that you obtained earlier.
- Publish Your Changes: After entering your Measurement ID, make sure to publish your site to apply the changes. If your site was already published, you would need to republish it for the changes to take effect.
Verify the Integration
After integrating Google Analytics with your Google Sites, it’s a good practice to verify that the tracking is working correctly:
- Visit Your Website: Open a new browser window and navigate to your Google Sites website to generate some traffic.
- Check Google Analytics: Log into your Google Analytics account and go to the "Realtime" section to see if your visit is being tracked. This immediate feedback will confirm that Google Analytics is successfully collecting data from your site.
Final Thoughts
Adding Google Analytics to your campaign can give you great insights. However, ask yourself: is Google Analytics the right tool for you?
GA is an overpowered solution for straightforward analytics. If you're looking for a simple and intuitive dashboard with the insights you need, there are better alternatives. Yes, I’m talking about my own product (Simple Analytics), but there are others out there as well.
I hated using Google Analytics for my projects. It's clunky, there are hundreds of dashboards and it doesn't look appealing. Also Google doesn't care about privacy or ethics. That's why I decided to build my own and more intuitive web analytics tool.
If this resonates with you, feel free to give Simple Analytics a spin. You just need to add the script to your website and off you go. This takes about one minute- and there is a free version as well!
Enjoy!