Google Analytics is a powerful tool that can help you track your website traffic and understand how visitors are interacting with your content. One of the most important things to track is when someone clicks on a link or button and is redirected to another page. In this article, we’ll explain how to set up Google Analytics to track redirects.
Step 1: Create a Goal
The first step in tracking a redirect in Google Analytics is to create a goal. A goal is a specific action that you want visitors to take on your website, such as filling out a form or making a purchase. To create a goal, log into your Google Analytics account and navigate to the “Admin” section.
Create a New Goal
Click on the “Goals” tab and then select “New Goal.” Give your goal a name that accurately describes what you want visitors to do, such as “Download Whitepaper” or “Sign Up for Newsletter.”
Select a Goal Type
Next, select the type of goal you want to create. For tracking redirects, we’ll choose “Destination” as our goal type. This means that we’re looking for visitors who reach a specific page on our website.
Enter the Goal URL
Now, enter the URL of the page you want to track. For example, if you have a landing page with a form that visitors fill out before being redirected to a thank-you page, you would enter the URL of the thank-you page here.
Save Your Goal
Once you’ve entered all the necessary information, click “Save” to create your goal. You can now track how many visitors are reaching this page and completing the desired action.
Step 2: Set Up a Redirect in Google Analytics
Now that you’ve created a goal, it’s time to set up a redirect in Google Analytics. A redirect is when someone clicks on a link or button and is taken to another page. To track this action, we need to add some code to our website.
Add the Google Analytics Tracking Code
First, make sure you have the Google Analytics tracking code installed on your website. If you don’t already have it, you can find instructions for installing it here.
Add the Redirect Code
Next, add the following code to the page where you want visitors to be redirected:
ga('send', 'pageview');
window.location = '[insert URL here]';
This code tells Google Analytics that a visitor has reached this page and then redirects them to the desired destination.
Test Your Redirect
Once you’ve added the redirect code, test it to make sure it’s working properly. Click on the link or button that triggers the redirect and check your Google Analytics dashboard to see if the goal has been completed.
Step 3: Analyze Your Data
Now that you’re tracking redirects in Google Analytics, it’s time to analyze your data. Log into your Google Analytics account and navigate to the “Conversions” section. From there, select “Goals” and then click on the goal you created earlier.
View Your Data
You should now see a report that shows how many visitors have completed your goal. You can also view data on the source of traffic, the device used to access the page, and other useful information.
Make Adjustments as Needed
Use this data to make adjustments to your website or marketing campaigns as needed. For example, if you notice that a particular landing page is not converting well, you may want to test different headlines or calls-to-action to see what works best.
Conclusion
Tracking redirects in Google Analytics is an important step in understanding how visitors are interacting with your website. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can set up Google Analytics to track redirects and analyze your data to make informed decisions about your marketing campaigns.