What is Google Analytics?
Google Analytics is a free web analytics service offered by Google. It tracks and reports on web traffic to your site. It gathers real-time information about the users that are accessing your site and the content they are viewing, such as:
- Where your users come from (e.g. traffic sources, etc.)
- How users behave on your site (e.g. where they land, what content they view, how long they stay on a page, etc.)
- What kinds of users you attract (e.g. demographics, new versus returning users, how many pages they visit, etc.)
This information helps you to measure the performance of your website. It also facilitates data-based decisions, such as which content you should promote on your pages, how you can improve the overall user experience, and on which audiences you should focus your marketing.
Why is it configured on my site?
Google Analytics enables site owners to:
- measure the success of their website (e.g. if the site meets pre-defined goals or if users can find the content they are looking for)
- detect issues that users are experiencing
- learn about their audiences (e.g. which devices they are using to access a site or how often they return)
Google Analytics tracking via Google Tag Manager enables site owners to:
- understand user journeys throughout Queen's digital properties
- contribute to a shared understanding of these journeys across the Queen's community
How is it configured on my site?
IT Services can configure your site with Google Analytics.
- Google Tag Manager is set up on your site
- A Google Analytics property is requested from University Relations
- Once the property is created, it is configured as a tag in Google Tag Manager
- As soon as the site is live, the tag sends data to Google Analytics
Who has access to my site's data?
University Relations has access to the data for all WebPublish sites. The only other users who will have access to a site's Google Analytics data are those who have explicitly been requested by the site owner. If the site is live, a site owner can request that the Google Analytics data be shared with any Google Account by submitting a request form.
How do I read an understand the data provided?
Learn about Google Analytics on Google's Analytics Academy website.