Monday, August 12, 2024
Written by
Megan Yoder
OSC Web Team

Setting up Google Analytics can provide valuable insights into your website's performance, such as page views, site visits, and audience behavior. You can set up Google Analytics tracking for your site by creating a free account. Today, we'll guide you through the steps to establish your own Google Analytics account below.

Step 1: Sign into Google Analytics

Begin by logging into your Google Analytics account using your Gmail email address. You can access it at https://analytics.google.com/.

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Start by signing into your Google Analytics account.

 

Step 2: Set up your property

After signing in, click on 'Start measuring' to set up your property. Enter the name of your website, ideally your University of Iowa site name, and proceed by clicking 'Next'.

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After signing in, you will want to select 'start measuring' to begin. 

 

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You will then be promoted to give your account name. This would ideally be where you place the name of your University of Iowa website. Once you have typed in that information, click ‘next.'

 

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You will then need to give your property a name. Again, type in the name of your website and click 'next.'

 

Step 3: Set up business objectives and details

While setting up, you’ll go through screens for business objectives and details. While these details don’t affect your data directly, you can fill them out accurately if desired.

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Additional details that you can choose to fill out. These will not have in impact on your data collection.

 

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Additional details that you can choose to fill out. These will not have in impact on your data collection.

 

Step 4: Agree to Terms of Service

Accept Google Analytics' terms of service when prompted by clicking 'I Accept.'
 

Step 5: Set up data collection

Choose 'Web' as your data collection method. Enter your University of Iowa website URL in the designated field and name your stream (we recommend using your website’s name). Click 'Create and Continue'.

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Select 'web' for the following platform to start collecting your data. 

 

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Enter your University of Iowa website in the Website URL field and give your Stream name the name of your website, as shown above. 

 

Step 6: Web stream details

Once set up, you’ll see your web stream details with a unique Measurement ID (a mix of numbers and letters). Copy this ID as you will need it for a final step. 

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Copy the measurement ID listed in your property. 

 

Step 7: Configure your website

Log into your SiteNow website’s admin panel. Navigate to Configuration > Web services > Google Analytics. Paste the Measurement ID from your Google Analytics account into the 'Web Property ID(s)' field. Scroll down and save your configuration.

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Navigate to 'Configuration' and then find Google Analytics under 'Web Services.' 

 

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Copy and paste your measurement into the Web Property (IDs) field. Then you will need to save the configuration. 

 

Step 8: Verification and wait

Remember, it may take 24-48 hours for data to appear in your Google Analytics account. Don’t worry if you don’t see immediate results.

Following these steps ensures you successfully set up Google Analytics for your website. This tool will help you track and analyze visitor data, enabling informed decisions to enhance your online presence.