How to Use Google Analytics:

Every website uses analytics as a way to track what is happening online. Since our sites exist "nowhere", the only way we can tell what is happening is by counting how many people go where, track where they come and go from and follow them as they leave our site.

Many folks don't quite understand the significance of analytics. They stop at the top-level numbers.

However, we're going to go a bit deeper. We're going to use contextual infomation (e.g. what "types" of content") and overlay that with the quantitative information (e.g. numbers) to get a sense of what kinds of content invites what kinds of interactions.

Creating online communities (and when you leave here, monetizing those communities) isn't hard. But there are very few people who understand the fundamentals of how this stuff works.

Buuuuuuuuut...we're getting ahead of ourselves. First I need you to understand how analytics software code is placed on your site and then understand how you can examine your content. No worries that none of you can code. We aren't "creating" the softwarae code. We're simply placing it on the site, much like hanging a picture on the wall.

So, let's get started.

Sign Up for a Google Account:

If you haven't signed up for a Google Account, you'll need to do that first. This is a good thing as you'll be using Google A LOT.

1. Go to Google Accounts
2. In the right sidebar, click the "Create an account now" button
3. You can use any email address to sign up for the account (and you can add a gmail account later if you want).
4. Fill out the rest of the form.
5. Click "I accept. Create my account."
6. You will receive an email to the email address you used (make sure to remember this email address and password); please clink on the link within the email to activate your account.

Now you are ready to sign up for Analytics.

Register for Google Analytics:

1. Go to Google Analytics
2. Now that you have a Google Account, you can sign in with the email and password you just created in the previous tutorial.

Create a Profile:

Now, I have my account already so we'll have to take this a bit slow. If you aren't prompted, you'll need to click on the MY ACCOUNT button across the top of the page:

1. You'll need to set up an Account Name, which will be used to store all of the future websites you have.
2. You'll need to set the country
3. You'll need to set the time zone.
4. You can also choose to SHARE or KEEP PRIVATE some of your data

Adding a New Website Profile:

You'll need to do this every time you create a new website (in our case, the WordPress site is our website).

1. From the main Google Analytics page, along the grew bar at the top of the page, click on "ADD NEW PROFILE", which is on the right side of the page
2. Check the box that says "Add a Profile for a new domain"
3. Type your URL for your WordPress Blog (www.mydomain.com)
4. Click Finish

You have now added this website profile to your Google Analytics account, which you have already created. 

You are also taken to a crazy page with TRACKING STATUS INFORMATION + some code (see, we don't have to create that code!!!) which you are going to put in the FOOTER.PHP file in your WordPress site. The important thing for you to focus on here is the TRACKING STATUS, which right now says TRACKING STATUS NOT INSTALLED.

Installing the Analytics Code:

1. Before you do anything, make sure you have clicked on the NEW TRACKING CODE button. Highlight the code in the box and copy it (CTRL-C).
2. In your WordPress files (the original ones on your desktop, not the ones you uploaded to your server), open up the one called FOOTER.PHP in your text editor.
3. Once that is open, use CTRL-F (or go to the menu along the top of your text editor file and go to EDIT --> FIND) and search for /body.
4. You will then PASTE (CTRL-V) the code before that </body> tag.
5. Click Save.
6. Now, open up FileZilla, FTP to your server and upload your FOOTER.PHP file from the desktop to your server. (The FOOTER.PHP file should be in the root file on your server. Find it before you upload. You will be REPLACING the file. So click yes when it asks you.)

Checking the Analytics Code:

1. Once you have uploaded your FOOTER.PHP file, you can return to the Google Analytics main page.
2. You will see your profile now with the website (http://www.mydomain.com), View Report and either a GREEN CHECK (which means you did this right) or a yellow yield sign (which means you did this wrong).
3. If it's Green, YOU RULE, HAXOR!

If it is a yellow yield sign:

1. Click EDIT (on the far right)
2. You will go to a page with your Profile Settings. Along the top of the site is a button that says Tracking Not Installed ( Check Status ). Click on Check Status. You will return to the code page. 
3. At this point, please see me for help.