What is a Metric, and How to Add Them in Google Analytics

In today’s digital age, businesses rely heavily on their online presence to attract and retain customers. Businesses use metrics—quantitative measurements to measure the effectiveness of their online strategies that help track their website’s performance. Metrics are crucial in digital marketing, providing businesses with valuable insights into user behavior, website traffic, and engagement.

One of the most popular tools for measuring website metrics is Google Analytics. Google Analytics is a powerful platform that provides businesses with detailed information on their website’s performance. It is a free tool that is easy to set up and can help businesses make data-driven decisions to optimize their digital marketing efforts.

Below, we’ll discuss metrics and why they are essential for businesses to track. We will also explain how to add metrics to your Google Analytics account and highlight some key metrics businesses should track to monitor their website’s performance.

What is metric in Google Analytics?

Metrics are quantitative measurements that businesses use to track their website’s performance. They give businesses valuable insights into user behavior, website traffic, and engagement. By monitoring metrics, businesses can identify areas for improvement, optimize their online strategies, and increase their website’s effectiveness.

Businesses can track several metrics in Google Analytics, including

• New users: This metric measures the number of first-time visitors to a website.

• Returned users: A visitor who has already been to your website in a predetermined timeframe and has initiated another session using the same browser on the same device.

• Bounce rate: This metric measures the percentage of visitors who leave a website after viewing only one page. A high bounce rate can indicate that the website’s content is not engaging or relevant to the user.

• Conversion rate: This metric measures the percentage of visitors who complete a desired action on a website, such as purchasing or filling out a form.

• eCommerce: This metric measures the revenue generated from online sales.

• Pageviews: This metric measures the number of times a page on a website is viewed.

• Google Ads: This metric measures the effectiveness of Google Ads campaigns.

• The number of sessions: This metric measures the number of times users visit a website.

• Average session duration: This metric measures users’ average time on a website.

Google Analytics and benefits

Google Analytics is a powerful platform that provides businesses with detailed information on their website’s performance. It is a free tool that can be easily integrated into a website and provides businesses with real-time data on website traffic, user behavior, and more.

Some key benefits of using Google Analytics include the following:

• User-friendly interface: Google Analytics has a user-friendly interface that makes it easy for businesses to navigate and access important data.

• Real-time data: Google Analytics provides businesses with real-time data on website traffic, allowing them to identify trends and adjust their strategies quickly.

• Customizable reports: Businesses can create custom reports in Google Analytics to track the metrics that matter most to their business.

• Integration with other tools: Google Analytics can be integrated with other tools, such as Google Ads and Google Search Console, to provide businesses with a comprehensive view of their online presence.

• Multiple tracking options: Google Analytics offers multiple tracking options, including tracking code and Google Tag Manager, making it easy for businesses to set up and track their website’s performance.

Google Analytics also recently released a new version, Google Analytics 4, which offers additional features and benefits for businesses. While it may take some time for businesses to transition to the new version, staying up-to-date with the latest features and tools is important.

What are the metric categories in Google Analytics?

Google Analytics provides various categories of metrics that businesses can track to monitor their website’s performance. Here are the metric categories in Google Analytics:

• User metrics: User metrics track the behavior of individual users on a website, such as the number of new users, returning users, and the number of sessions per user.

• Session metrics: Session metrics track the behavior of users during a single session, such as the number of pages viewed and the average session duration.

• Traffic source metrics: Traffic source metrics track where website traffic is coming from, such as organic search, direct traffic, and referral traffic.

• eCommerce metrics: eCommerce metrics track online sales and revenue from website transactions.

• Google Ads metrics: Ads metrics track the effectiveness of Google Ads campaigns, such as click-through and conversion rates.

• Site speed metrics: Site speed metrics track the loading speed of website pages, such as the page load time and server response time.

• Goal conversion metrics: Goal conversion metrics track the completion of specific goals, such as filling out a contact form or purchasing.

Adding Metrics in Google Analytics 

To start tracking metrics in Google Analytics, you must create and integrate a Google Analytics account with your website. Once you set up your account, you can add metrics to track your website’s performance.

Here is a step-by-step guide on how to add metrics in Google Analytics:

1. Log in to your Google Analytics account and navigate to the “Admin” section.

2. In the “Property” column, select the website or app you want to track.

3. Under “Property,” click on “Custom Definitions” and then select “Custom Metrics.”

4. Click “New Custom Metric” and enter a name and description for your metric.

5. Choose a metric type, such as “time” or “currency,” and enter the scope for your metric, such as “hit” or “session.”

6. Select the formatting options for your metric, such as decimal places or currency symbols.

7. Click “Save” to create your custom metric.

8. To add your custom metric to a report, navigate to the “Reporting” section and select “Customization.”

9. Click “Custom Reports” and “New Custom Report.”

10. Add your custom metric to the report by clicking “Metric Groups” and selecting your custom metric from the dropdown menu.

11. Customize your report by adding metrics, dimensions, or filters.

12. Click “Save” to create your custom report.

In addition to creating custom metrics and reports, businesses can use the pre-built metrics and reports provided by Google Analytics. The most common metrics to track include bounce rate, conversion rate, eCommerce, page views, new users, number of sessions, and average session duration.

By tracking these metrics in Google Analytics, businesses can gain valuable insights into their website’s performance and make data-driven decisions to optimize their digital marketing efforts.

Integration from Universal to Google Analytics 4 

Google Analytics 4 is the latest version of Google Analytics, which offers additional features and benefits for businesses. While it may take some time for businesses to transition to the new version, staying up-to-date with the latest features and tools is important.

If you currently use Universal Analytics and are interested in transitioning to Google Analytics 4, here are some key steps to consider:

1. Set up a new Google Analytics 4 property: To begin using Google Analytics 4, you will need to set up a new property in your Google Analytics account. You can do this by going to the “Admin” section and selecting “Create Property.” Follow the prompts to set up your new property.

2. Set up data streams: Data streams allow you to send data from your website or app to your Google Analytics 4 property. To set up a data stream, go to the “Data Streams” section in your Google Analytics 4 property and follow the prompts to set up a new stream.

3. Configure your tracking settings: Google Analytics 4 uses a different tracking code than Universal Analytics, so you must update your website or app to use the new tracking code. You may also need to configure your tracking settings in your Google Analytics 4 property to ensure that you track the data you want to track.

4. Migrate your data: If you want to migrate your data from Universal Analytics to Google Analytics 4, you can use the Data Import feature in Google Analytics 4 to import your data. This may take some time, depending on the size of your data.

5. Learn the new features: Google Analytics 4 offers many new features and benefits, such as enhanced machine learning capabilities and cross-device tracking. Take the time to learn about these new features and how they can benefit your business.

Transitioning from Universal Analytics to Google Analytics 4 may take time and effort, but it can provide businesses with valuable insights and data to optimize their digital marketing efforts.

Metrics are vital in digital marketing

By understanding what metrics are and how to add them to Google Analytics, small and medium businesses can monitor their website’s performance, identify areas for improvement, and make data-driven decisions to optimize their digital marketing efforts.

Whether tracking metrics such as bounce rate, conversion rate, eCommerce, and page views or monitoring the effectiveness of Google Ads campaigns, Google Analytics offers businesses the tools and data they need to succeed online.

Using the insights from Google Analytics, businesses can make informed decisions to improve their website’s performance, engage with their target audience, and increase their ROI. In today’s digital age, tracking metrics in Google Analytics is crucial for businesses looking to stay competitive and grow their online presence.

Connect with a top-rated SEO agency that can help your business get properly set up in Google Analytics and position yourself for success.