Have you ever wondered which goals are available in Google Analytics to maximize the potential of your website?
By setting up goals in Google Analytics, you can track specific actions that your visitors take on your website, such as completing a purchase or filling out a form.
There are four types of goals that you can create within Google Analytics: destination, duration, pages/screens per session, and event goals.
In addition to these four types, there is also an option to create “Smart Goals”.
Destination goals are triggered when a visitor reaches a certain page on your website, such as a thank you page after completing a purchase.
Duration goals track how long a visitor stays on your website, while pages/screens per session goals track how many pages a visitor views in a single session.
Event goals track specific actions that a visitor takes on your website, such as clicking a button or watching a video.
Smart Goals uses machine learning to identify the most engaged visits to your website and automatically turn them into goals.
When deciding which goals to use, it’s important to consider your specific business goals and what actions on your website are most important to achieving them.
By setting up and tracking goals in Google Analytics, you can gain valuable insights into how your website is performing and make data-driven decisions to improve its effectiveness.
Which Goals Are Available In Google Analytics?
Google Analytics provides five types of goals that you can use to track and measure specific user actions on your website or mobile app.
These goals are:
Destination Goals
Destination goals track when a user reaches a specific page or screen on your website or app.
This type of goal is useful for tracking conversions such as form submissions, product purchases, or sign-ups.
You can set up a destination goal by specifying the URL of the page or screen you want to track.
Duration Goals
Duration goals track how long a user spends on your website or app.
This type of goal is useful for tracking user engagement and can help you identify pages or screens that are particularly engaging or unengaging.
You can set up a duration goal by specifying the amount of time a user must spend on your site or app to trigger the goal.
Pages/Screens per Session Goals
Pages/Screens per Session goals track how many pages or screens a user views during a single session on your website or app.
This type of goal is useful for tracking user engagement and can help you identify pages or screens that are particularly engaging or unengaging.
You can set up a pages/screens per session goal by specifying the number of pages or screens a user must view during a single session to trigger the goal.
Event Goals
Event goals track specific user interactions with your website or app, such as button clicks, video plays, or file downloads.
This type of goal is useful for tracking user engagement with specific features or content on your site or app.
You can set up an event goal by specifying the category, action, label, and/or value of the event you want to track.
Overall, each type of goal in Google Analytics has its own unique benefits and use cases.
By setting up goals in your Google Analytics account, you can gain valuable insights into user behavior and optimize your website or app to better meet your business goals.
Setting Up Goals in Google Analytics
Setting up goals in Google Analytics is an important step in monitoring your website’s progress and growth.
With the right goals, you can track the success of your website and make data-driven decisions to improve its performance.
Here is a step-by-step guide to help you set up goals in Google Analytics.
Step-by-Step Guide
- Open Google Analytics and go to Admin.
- To set up goals in Google Analytics, you need to have edit-level permissions.
- If you don’t have the appropriate level of permission, you won’t be able to add goals.
- Choose the reporting view to which you’d like to add a goal.
- Goals are configured at the view level, so you need to select the view where you want to track your goals.
- Click on Goals.
- Once you’ve selected the reporting view, click on the Goals tab to start setting up your goals.
- Click on +New Goal.
- This will open the goal creation wizard, where you can choose the type of goal you want to set up.
- Select the type of goal you want to set up.
- Google Analytics offers four types of goals: destination, duration, pages/screens per session, and event.
- Choose the type of goal that best fits your website’s objectives.
- Configure your goal details.
- Depending on the type of goal you choose, you’ll need to provide different details.
- For example, if you choose a destination goal, you’ll need to specify the URL of the page that users need to reach to complete the goal.
- Save your goal.
- Once you’ve configured your goal details, click on Save to create your goal.
- Test your goal.
- Before you start tracking your goal, it’s a good idea to test it to make sure it’s working correctly.
- You can use the Real-Time reports in Google Analytics to test your goal.
That’s it! By following these steps, you can set up goals in Google Analytics and start tracking the success of your website.
Remember to regularly review your goals and make adjustments as needed to ensure that you’re getting the most out of your data.
Importance of Goal Verification
After setting up goals in Google Analytics, it is essential to verify that they are working correctly.
Goal verification ensures that the data collected is accurate and reliable.
It also helps you identify any issues with your website that may be affecting the performance of your goals.
Here are some reasons why goal verification is crucial:
1. Ensures Accurate Data Collection
Verifying your goals ensures that the data collected is accurate and reliable.
It allows you to confirm that the goals are tracking the correct actions and events on your website.
Without verification, you may be collecting inaccurate data, which can result in incorrect insights and decisions.
2. Identifies Issues with Your Website
Goal verification can help you identify issues with your website that may be affecting the performance of your goals.
For example, if a goal is not tracking correctly, it may be due to a broken link or a technical issue on your website.
By verifying your goals, you can quickly identify and fix these issues, improving the overall performance of your website.
3. Improves Decision Making
Verifying your goals ensures that you have accurate and reliable data to make informed decisions.
It allows you to identify trends and patterns in user behavior, which can help you optimize your website and marketing strategies.
With accurate data, you can make informed decisions that lead to better results and ROI.
In conclusion, goal verification is an essential step in ensuring the accuracy and reliability of your data.
By verifying your goals, you can identify issues with your website, improve decision-making, and ultimately achieve better results.
Monitoring and Evaluating Goals
Once you have set up your goals in Google Analytics, it’s essential to monitor and evaluate them to see how well they are performing.
Here are some tips to help you monitor and evaluate your goals effectively:
1. Check your goal conversion rate
Your goal conversion rate is the percentage of visitors who complete your goal.
To check your goal conversion rate in Google Analytics, go to the “Conversions” tab, select “Goals,” and then click on “Overview.”
You will see a list of your goals and their conversion rates.
2. Analyze your goal funnels
A funnel is a series of pages that a visitor must go through to complete a goal.
By analyzing your goal funnels, you can identify where visitors are dropping off and make changes to improve your conversion rate.
To view your goal funnels in Google Analytics, go to the “Conversions” tab, select “Goals,” and then click on “Funnel Visualization.”
3. Use segments to analyze goal performance
Segments allow you to isolate specific groups of visitors and analyze their behavior.
By creating segments based on demographics, behavior, or traffic sources, you can gain insight into how different groups of visitors are interacting with your website and your goals.
To create a segment in Google Analytics, go to the “Audience” tab, select “Overview,” and then click on “Add Segment.”
4. Set up goal alerts
Goal alerts allow you to receive notifications when a goal is completed or when there is a significant change in your goal conversion rate.
This feature can help you stay on top of your goal performance and make adjustments quickly.
To set up goal alerts in Google Analytics, go to the “Conversions” tab, select “Goals,” and then click on “Overview.” From there, click on “Set up goal alerts.”
By monitoring and evaluating your goals in Google Analytics, you can gain valuable insights into how your website is performing and make data-driven decisions to improve your conversion rate.
Key Takeaways
Now that you know about the different types of goals available in Google Analytics, you can start tracking and monitoring user behavior on your website.
Here are the key takeaways to keep in mind:
- There are five main types of goals in Google Analytics: destination, duration, pages/screens per session, events, and smart goals.
- Destination goals are triggered when a specific web page loads, such as a thank-you page after a form submission or a confirmation page after a purchase.
- Duration goals are triggered when a user spends a certain amount of time on your website, such as five minutes or more.
- Pages/screens per session goals are triggered when a user views a certain number of pages or screens during a single session, such as visiting four pages or screens.
- Events goals are triggered when a user performs a specific action on your website, such as clicking a button or watching a video.
- Smart goals are automatically generated by Google Analytics and use machine learning to identify the highest-quality traffic to your website.
By setting up goals in Google Analytics, you can gain valuable insights into how users are interacting with your website and make data-driven decisions to improve your online business.
Remember to regularly review and update your goals as needed to ensure they align with your business objectives.
