Google Analytics is a powerful tool, jam-packed with useful information about your website. Facts such as who is visiting, how long they are staying, where they’re coming from, and how many pages they’ve visited are just the tip of the analytics iceberg, and the volume of information can make it a confusing experience for many users. While Google Analytics is an excellent source of data about your website, figuring out what the numbers mean and whether or not your website is successful can be difficult. So which numbers matter most?

Bounce Rate

The bounce rate is exactly what it sounds like: how many people bounce off to another site almost immediately. Generally, it’s a metric of user engagement on the site, telling you if they are they exploring your site or leaving right away. While not necessarily a “bad” metric, the bounce rate is useful in highlighting problems your site might have. Common website issues that contribute to a high bounce rate might be poorly laid out landing pages, boring headers that don’t grab visitors’ attention, and too much text.

Traffic

Where are your visitors coming from? Are your ads working on different platforms? These are simple questions that can be answered with the traffic metric. Traffic is a great overall measure of how well your site and marketing tactics are working, and a fundamental gauge of reach and growth. While high overall traffic numbers are a great thing, keep in mind it’s important to analyze where they are coming from in order to tailor targeting efforts to the right audience.

Average Session Duration

How long are people staying on your site once they land there? Average session duration is a great indicator of user engagement – simply highlighting the level of activity and time spent interacting with your site. The industry standard is around 2 to 3 minutes, and while sometimes less time than that isn’t an issue, you’ll want to shoot for as much time as possible. If you average session duration is low it may be due to a multitude of factors. Focusing on the quality of the writing, attractive visuals, and original content on new and fresh topics or subjects will be sure to increase the time people spend on your website.

Click-Through Rate (CTR)

Click-Through Rate (or CTR) is simply the number of clicks advertisers receive on their ads per number of impressions. A high CTR is a great indication of the success of your ads and search engine optimization. CTR helps us understand how well your site is performing from search engine results pages because it measures how many people click your site’s listings. The industry average CTR is around 2%, so anything less than that may indicate your site’s indexed results may need improvement. Always be sure to use excellent key wording, write relative content for the user’s search, and add compelling descriptions to increase your website’s CTR and success!

Always remember: no single metric is more important than another, and metrics should be used in combination to achieve professional insights into your business. Starting with these simple ones will get you on the path to a successful and profit-driven website! Any questions you may have can be answered by calling us at 414-208-0700.

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