Converting Analytics into Blog Visitors
Is converting analytics into blog visitors really a thing? Can you really do that?
I have heard one too many bloggers say that they do not understand analytics. I totally get it. Analytics across Google, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter are just a bunch of numbers, percentages, and charts. If you know me, you know I hate numbers. The hardest part about getting a degree in business administration was having to take all those maths. I mean, really. Maths? Ew.
But, I LOVE running analytics. It’s something that I do once a month for some of my clients. The reason why I love analytics so much is because when you really take the time to dive into analytics, you can figure out how you are performing on that particular platform, and you can achieve converting analytics into blog visitors. But, before you begin, you have to understand how to read them.
Here is a quick rundown of the analytics I take a look at. Afterwards, download the free guide to learn how to convert analytics into blog visitors.
Google Analytics
If you do not have google analytics set up for your blog, do you really even have a blog? No, but really. Google analytics is important to have, because when you are applying for affiliate and influencer programs, and cold calling brands, they will want to know what your website stats look like. Google offers a beginners class on how to read their digital analytics. I would recommend every serious blogger complete the free course in order to understand analytics better. Here are the basics that will get you started if you are not too sure on WHERE to start.
Real-Time
Google Analytics will let you know, in real-time, how many visitors you have on your website as well as the exact page they are looking at, how they got there, and their physical location.
Audience
For the previous day, week, month, or longer. Analytics will tell you how many times your website has been viewed. It will break down the percentage of new and returning users. It also lets you know where they are from, what they are interested in, the average amount of time a user stayed on your site, and what device they are using.
Acquisition
How did these users get to your website? Was it via social media, a quick Google search, or a link on someone else’s website? The acquisition tab will tell you all of that and more such as organic clicks, cost per clicks, paid searches, or other.
Behavior
When you are in the advertising/marketing field like I am, the best way to engage with your client’s clients is to understand how they work. What do they like? The behavior tab will tell you how engaged visitors were on your site. Did they look and once thing and bounce? (hence, bounce rate, LOL). Where did they begin, and end? Everything you need to know about user behavior is here.
Google Search Console
Google Search Console can be a doozy. But, I oftentimes look at it because when I know how I am ranking in the search results, I know how to tailor that to succeed in converting analytics into blog visitors. Search console is where you monitor the performance of your site, check redirects, and index content.
What do I use search console for? Well, I use the search analytics to tell me how much traffic I get from a search. It shows me the number of clicks to my site, the impressions, click through rate, and position on Google. The BEST part of it all, though? The queries.
Queries are exactly what users are searching in order for YOUR website to pop up. Cool, right? Queries help me decide if the content that I am writing is relevant to my niche. In other words, “is what I’m trying to put out, seen by the right people?”
On to the next.
[mailerlite_form form_id=6]Facebook Analytics
If you do not already look into the analytics on your brand of blog’s Facebook page, you need to start. When converting analytics into blog visitors, Facebook is a good place to go. To get you familiar with it, here is the breakdown:
Overview – How your page is doing
Likes – Where your likes came from
Reach – What your reach is & what factors affected it
Page Views – Who viewed which section of your page
Actions on Page – What people did ON your page
Posts – How well your posts are performing
Events – How successful your event pages are
Videos – How well your videos are performing
People – Who liked, saw or engaged with your page
Messages – How well you responded via Messenger
How do I get there? Well, the “Insights” tab next to the “Notifications” tab will tell you everything you need to know!
Instagram Analytics
For me, Instagram analytics are the easiest to follow. However, not everyone uses the built-in analytics option for their business account on Instagram. Some do not even have an Instagram business account for their brand or blog page. It’s all a matter of preference. There are a number of tools online outside of the native Instagram analytics tool, like Hootsuite, Iconosqure, and an app called Planoly, that will help track numbers for you.
To make things simple, I currently use Instagram analytics for one thing, and it has definitely proven to be successful. I look at the most popular time that my followers are engaging and I save my photos until then. The times vary by day, but I do not blindly post. If I do, my engagement and reach decrease drastically.
Pinterest Analytics
Pinterest is still a mystery to a lot of people. It was also a mystery for me up until recently when I began employing new tactics to get more visitors to my blog. Now, Pinterest is my number one traffic referral. It wasn’t until then that I began to look into the analytic side of Pinterest.
To be able to have access to analytics on Pinterest, you must first switch your regular account to a “Pinterest for Business” account. The only steps needed are to confirm your website and add a “pin it” button on your website.
Once you have done that, you will be able to see:
- Top pin impressions, clicks, repins, and likes
- Board with the highest pin impressions, etc.
- Average daily impressions
- Average daily viewers
When I began implementing a new system to pinning, my average weekly viewers went up 1,277.50% within two weeks. I know that because I monitor my analytics on a regular basis.
Twitter Analytics
Twitter analytics work for me much like Instagram does. It tells me the best time I should be tweeting. The hard part is though, is that Twitter feeds are fast-moving. Tweet, after tweet, after tweet. My tweets about my new blog posts are constantly being lost and forgotten. SO, I use more than one optimal time to tweet about a new post. I also know the behavior of my audience. I know their gender, age, locations, their likes, and their dislikes, and education level.
Ready To Get Started Converting Analytics Into Blog Visitors?
Now that you have a complete rundown on the analytics that I run for my blog, you can get started on converting analytics into blog visitors. To get motivated and moving, sign up for the email list below to receive the FREE Guide to Converting Analytics Into Blog Visitors.
[mailerlite_form form_id=3]Also, if you want access to multiple templates and worksheets that will help you boss up in the new year, head on over to my facebook group where I will be dropping new freebies weekly, along with advice on how to monetize your blog, turn it into a business, and connect with brands!
This is such an important skill to have. I feel enough bloggers don’t know how to do this and are missing out.
Thank you, as an advertising professional, I believe it is important to look at it from this point of view as well.
Thank you for your post about analytics. And for the tips that you shared.
Thank you for taking the time out to read it, Missy!
This is so useful! Thanks for sharing!
This is really helpful! I’ve been trying to learn to how to get my website(s) seen more and lead more traffic to it.
I think analytics are so interesting. I am all about data all the time. Thanks for the explaination or how to use them.
Thank you for these tips, I appreciate this post. Thank you for sharing it all with us.
This is so important to understand! Thank you for digging in 🙂
This is so so helpful! My analytics are so vital to my blog and social media accounts. Thanks for the tips!
This was very informative because I’m very clueless when it comes to analytics.
This post was really helpful. I’m in the process of going through my blogs analytics so I can make improvements for a successful year, next year. Great post and well put.
Such a useful blog post! Thanks so much, definitely gave me an insight into using analytics
I needed this today! Thanks! I need to spend more time looking at this but don’t understand it very well and this helped!
This is awesome!I need to spend more time looking at this but don’t understand it very well and this helped!