Introduction to Google Analytics (Self-Paced Tutorial)

A new section of each course starts monthly. If enrolling in a series of two or more courses, please be sure to space the start date for each course at least two months apart.

All courses run for six weeks, with a two-week grace period at the end. Two lessons are released each week for the six-week duration of the course. You do not have to be present when lessons are released. You will have access to all lessons until the course ends. However, the interactive discussion area that accompanies each lesson will automatically close two weeks after the lesson is released. As such, we strongly recommend that you complete each lesson within two weeks of its release.

The final exam will be released on the same day as the last lesson. Once the final exam has been released, you will have two weeks to complete all of your course work, including the final exam.

Lesson 1

What Is Google Analytics?

In this lesson, you'll learn what Google Analytics is, what it does, and who benefits from its use—individuals with personal websites, businesses selling products and services, and nonprofit and informational websites working to get their message across. You'll look at the key reports that Google Analytics provides. Also, you'll find out how all those visits to your site turn into data you can use to increase traffic and to make the most impact on each visitor.

Getting Started With Google Analytics

In this lesson, you'll set up a Google Analytics account and then create and insert the Google Analytics code to begin tracking traffic on your web page.

Sorting and Filtering Your Data

Did that marketing campaign or email blast cause an uptick in site sessions? If you set date ranges for your Analytics data, you can track traffic within a certain month, week, day, or even hour. You'll also use filters and sorting tools to customize your view of your Google Analytics data, so you can see and understand all the information you need (and ignore the rest).

Customizing Google Analytics Reports

You can use Google Analytics' reporting tools to create your own versions of existing reports—just the information you want, when you want it. In this lesson, you'll set up report categories and design custom reports from scratch.

Mastering Advanced Filters

Have you ever overhauled your website or your marketing campaign and then wondered if your changes would even make a difference? In this lesson, you'll further customize existing and new reports by adding filters—focusing your report's data on very specific activity by certain visitors to your site. You'll find out how to time your reporting to reflect changes in site traffic attributed to promotional activity, social media, and changes in site content.

Using Webmaster Tools for Enhanced Traffic Reporting

This lesson focuses on Google Analytics' Webmaster Tools—from the verification process, through which Google Analytics recognizes your account as belonging to a webmaster, to configuring and viewing webmaster reports. These reports include information on your site's search engine optimization—tracking your efforts to be more friendly to search engines and therefore searchable by more people online.

Setting Up and Tracking AdWords Campaigns

Now that you've improved your site, why not promote it? It's time to learn how to set up web campaigns through Google AdWords. By the end of this lesson, you'll know how to track the impact of campaigns and AdWords advertising through specially created Google Analytics reports.

Google Analytics Goals

You know how important it is to set goals in your career, your education, and even your personal life. In this lesson, you'll find out how to develop Google Analytics Goals for building traffic to your website. What you learn in this lesson will help you increase site traffic and make that traffic more effective by attracting more visitors, keeping them for longer periods, and turning visits into clicks and other actions.

Using Real-Time Reporting and Intelligence Events

Google Analytics data is immediate, and in this lesson, you'll learn exactly what that means. You'll view data in real time, within seconds of when user activity occurs. You'll also learn about intelligence events and set up custom alerts to find out about special activity on your sites. The lesson will then show you how to improve your website's traffic and see user responses to your content and marketing efforts.

Creating Your Own Dashboard

It's time to build a dashboard to create a workspace for running reports, accessing Analytics data, and making Google Analytics feel more like "home." You can add metrics to measure your most important statistics; widgets to provide quick views; and pie charts, timelines, and tables to customize your dashboard view.

Managing Your Google Analytics Account

In this lesson, you'll delve into the Admin interface. You'll learn to view established Google Analytics accounts, properties, and views and find out how to add users and determine their roles within your Google Analytics accounts. You'll also find out more about Webmaster Tools, which help you improve your site's searchability and attract new and returning users.

Sharing Your Google Analytics Data

Now that you're an Analytics expert, it's time to share some of that data you've collected and some of the configurations you've created. In this lesson, you'll learn how to email reports to colleagues and export data for use in other applications. You'll also customize the settings that control the sharing of Analytics reports and data.