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Web Marketing: How to Track a Site Search in Google Analytics

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Updated:  
2016-03-26 16:12:32
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Customer Analytics For Dummies
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If you have a search box on your website, it makes sense to track what folks type into it. You can find out a lot about your audience, which is what web marketing is all about.

To set up a site search, follow these steps:

  1. Log in to Google Analytics.

  2. Select the website for which you want to track site search.

  3. Click Admin at the upper-right of the page.

  4. Click the Profile Settings tab and scroll down to Site Search Settings.

  5. Select the Do Track Site Search radio button.

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  6. Leave this page open in your browser. Open a separate browser window for the next few steps.

  7. In the new browser window, go to your website.

  8. Search for buggy bumpers, using your site’s search tool.

  9. Look at the address of the search result page.

    You should find the words buggy bumpers in the address, as well as a query attribute (such as q= or search=).

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  10. Enter the query attribute into the Query Parameter field in Google Analytics.

  11. Click Apply.

    You’re done. Within a few hours, you’ll start seeing the phrases people search for on your site.

About This Article

This article is from the book: 

About the book author:

John Arnold is a renowned marketing trainer and speaker as well as an entrepreneur and small business advisor. Arnold continues to train and advise small business owners as a Constant Contact regional development director.

Michael Becker is the managing director of North America at the Mobile Marketing Association. Becker has written more than 80 articles on mobile marketing and is an adjunct professor of mobile marketing at Golden Gate University.

Marty Dickinson is the president of HereNextYear.com, a company that combines writing, speaking, and internet strategy to help clients become recognized authorities in their fields. Dickinson also works as a business consultant to web designers and SEO specialists.

Ian Lurie has been a digital marketer for over 25 years. He created and sold the digital agency Portent, Inc. and provides consulting and training services.

Elizabeth Marsten is the senior director of strategic marketplace services for Tinuiti. Marsten has experience in Google AdWords, Microsoft Ads, Amazon Advertising, Facebook, and other platforms.