Google Analytics - Content

Written by John Cow on July 27th, 2008

This was honestly one of the last things I ever started looking at when it came to using Google Analytics but I quickly realized it was one of the most important for planning out your content.

Step 1: In the left hand navigation menu click on “Content” –> “Top Landing Pages”

Step 2: Make the date range a couple months of data.

Step 3: Now you will have a list of pages on your blog that are ranked by highest to lowest for traffic.

Step 4: Click on the link and look at the data that Analytics provides for where the traffic to that page is coming from and what keywords are being used to find it.

Purpose: There are a couple different things you want to look for here…

  • What content is getting lots of activity? You can not always tell by the amount of comments that a blog post gets (although it is a fantastic indicator), sometimes the content does not really cause a reader to comment but it does cause them to share it with others. You want to highlight this content because obviously it is important to your readers and you will want to write more content on that topic. It is great to poll and ask your readers what they want but this is truly not the majority opinion because everyone does not participate… but using the Analytics data will tell you the true answers.
  • Where is the Traffic Coming From? Do not assume that the traffic must be coming from the search engines… I often find very popular posts have recieved most of the traffic from sites like StumbleUpon. If this content was popular on Stumbleupon, then it is probably a good idea to create more similar content.
  • What Keywords Are Being Used? Check out what keywords your page is being found with, check to see where you rank in Google for that keyword and if it can be improved… Just Do It!

So what are your thoughts on todays tip and do you have any to add?

Part 1: Google Analytics - Installing
Part 2: Google Analytics - Keywords
Part 3: Google Analytics - Incoming Links
Part 4: Google Analytics - Outgoing Traffic
Part 5: Google Analytics - Content
Part 6: Google Analytics - Tracking with JavaScript Events
Part 7: Google Analytics - Creating Goals


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34 Responses to “Google Analytics - Content”

  1. Google Analytics - Outgoing Traffic | John Cow dot Com says:
    July 27, 2008 at 9:07 am

    [...] Part 2: Google Analytics - Incoming Links Part 3: Google Analytics - Outgoing Traffic Part 4: Google Analytics - Content Share and [...]

  2. Google Analytics - Incoming Links | John Cow dot Com says:
    July 27, 2008 at 9:09 am

    [...] Part 2: Google Analytics - Incoming Links Part 3: Google Analytics - Outgoing Traffic Part 4: Google Analytics - Content Share and [...]

  3. Google Analytics - Keywords and Covering the Basics | John Cow dot Com says:
    July 27, 2008 at 9:42 am

    [...] Part 3: Google Analytics - Incoming Links Part 4: Google Analytics - Outgoing Traffic Part 5: Google Analytics - Content Share and [...]

  4. Nathan says:
    July 27, 2008 at 10:01 am

    Good tip and although it seems simple, creating more content like the content that is popular already is a fantastic strategy. That is, as long as it stays within the personality of your blog.

    Nathans last blog post..My Bucket List

  5. Donna Amos says:
    July 27, 2008 at 11:01 am

    This is great advise. My traffic problem is 78% enter my site through the home page or most recent post and 54% exit from the same page. It appears to me that my content is not engaging enough for :smile: that visitors spend more time on those pages than any other. Which would indicate that the content is more important and I should include more. Thanks for letting me work this through! :smile:

    Donna Amoss last blog post..Blogging and Traffic

  6. dan vervondel says:
    July 27, 2008 at 11:36 am

    I agree,

    Google offers quite a lot of interesting tools also via adwords.

    Even the keyword analyzer gets near to performances of wordtracker.com.

    Things is to be able to find out the main message behind all these data, which is ot always easy and straight forward.

    Dan Brussels, Belgium

  7. shane at making money blogging says:
    July 27, 2008 at 11:49 am

    Thats one of my obssessive morning routines actually, never thought to really post about it, glad you did, Im sure many will find it rather helpful. Good as well too see this info so you can go back and monetize those pages or develope more content around those kW’s and content.

    Great tip !!

    shane at making money bloggings last blog post..Networking mentoring and making money money blogging

  8. Marketing Masters Guide says:
    July 27, 2008 at 12:13 pm

    I agree, seems simple — but one of the most powerful strategies I use on all my blogs. Good traffic doesn’t mean you have to reinvent the wheel, do what works.

    Maria Reyes-McDavis

  9. Debra says:
    July 27, 2008 at 1:50 pm

    I use analytics, but have to admit that I never thought of looking at top landing page info. :oops: Thanks and keep up the good information. Deb

  10. wireandmedia.com says:
    July 27, 2008 at 2:14 pm

    links from TechnoratiNation’s Press Not Handling AP’s ‘US Now Winning Iraq War’ Analysis Very Well Technorati Search for: google 2008-07-27 13:27:32 code geass r2 16, gonorrhea, nyc half marathon, … Variant Edition Summer Movie SpecialGoogle Analytics - ContentCongressman: Bridge repair underfunded Would You Like To Contribute To A Paper On Library 2.0? Where to go for the freebies? As a sales vehicle, they”ve taken their latest track to MySpace

  11. Richard says:
    July 27, 2008 at 2:54 pm

    Glad to see you bring this up - I’d wondered about the effectiveness of it, and it’s nice to see the encouraging comments.

    Richard

    Where smart fortwos find a trailer to ride

  12. Submit Your Articles says:
    July 27, 2008 at 3:02 pm

    Thanks again for another great post.

    - Mel

  13. Helping make money online says:
    July 27, 2008 at 3:53 pm

    links from TechnoratiJohn Cow dot ComGoogle Analytics - ContentPosted: 27 Jul 2008 08:05 AM CDT

  14. Passive Income is The Key to Wealth and Financial Freedom - Flimjo.com says:
    July 27, 2008 at 4:55 pm

    links from Technorati3) Podcast: Interview With Alborz Fallah - A Million Dollar Blogger, by Yaro Starak from Entrepreneurs-Journey.com. 4) Quit Wasting Your Time With Directories, by Bill from The Blog Entrepreneur. 5)Google Analytics - Content, by John Cow. Flimjo Love In his weekly overview, Alan Johnson from The Rating Blog linked to my post about why no one ever got rich alone. I’m up to # 242 on 45n5’s list of the Top 100 Make Money Online Blogs

  15. Zax Stevens says:
    July 27, 2008 at 7:37 pm

    Excellent post. Understanding and evaluating visitor trends and actions while on-site makes Google analytics is a major part of understanding your web site. Keep up the great info.

  16. JR's Internet Marketing Strategies says:
    July 27, 2008 at 9:24 pm

    What I do is when I get sales, I run a date report by the dates of sales and see from where those visitors were referred. Sometimes there is a real clear picture of where the big conversions are coming from.

    Thanks John,

    JR

  17. Dominique says:
    July 27, 2008 at 9:36 pm

    Great Tips.

    It didn’t dawn upon me to check which pages are bringing in the most hits besides my main page. :grin:

    Dominiques last blog post..I’m a Top Mama- Vote for me

  18. iearnwhileisleep says:
    July 27, 2008 at 10:03 pm

    Great post… It’s so important to maximize the conversion of the traffic rather than just focusing on maximizing the traffic to the site.

    iearnwhileisleeps last blog post..Why 80% Good Beats 100% Perfect Every Time

  19. Chris says:
    July 27, 2008 at 11:06 pm

    This is a great series. It seems that analytics and tracking don’t get as much coverage as many other “sexier” aspects of marketing online…and for us more advanced guys, it’s a shame….because this is where you really grow your business. Please keep the tracking and testing type of information flowing as almost noone else focuses on this area. I would say it is the most underserved sub-niche in all of IM.

  20. Ian McAllister says:
    July 27, 2008 at 11:09 pm

    I just came across a disturbing blog post that advises not to use Google Analytics. Here it is

    http://www.diorex.com/168-billion-reasons-to-stop-using-google-analytics/

    Ian McAllister

  21. ChiQ Montes says:
    July 28, 2008 at 12:16 am

    great strategy! simply means leveraging on what really works and creating more similar content to those topics / posts which seems popular on your site.

    ChiQ Montess last blog post..Page Rank Update July 2008

  22. Dude World Order says:
    July 28, 2008 at 1:44 am

    Hey Cow

    I use a wordpress plugin called Kramer which tells me if my particular post is on StumbleUpon. Most of my traffic comes from SU.

    Kramer will show me if it is coming from SU, Reddit and a heap of other social sites. It will leave a link as a trackback, for example (shameless plug time): http://www.dudeworldorder.com/2008/07/dark-knight-wallpapers/

    Kramer can be found here: http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/kramer/

    Dude World Orders last blog post..Celebs Without Makeup

  23. The Dude says:
    July 28, 2008 at 4:38 am

    I have to be honest, thats the first time i have used the content side of analytics, silly me! Thanks John, great set of posts you have here, packed full of awesome useful info :)

    The Dudes last blog post..Introducing… John Cow!

  24. Pemenang Pemilu 2009 says:
    July 28, 2008 at 6:03 am

    Woww.. it is a good tips again. John Cow is my favorite guru

  25. JK Swopes says:
    July 28, 2008 at 8:45 am

    Makes sense, I think it’s a great strategy and great use of the tools available.

    JK Swopess last blog post..IMwithJoe.com weekly update and goals 7-28-08

  26. Google Analytics - Advanced Tracking with JavaScript Events | John Cow dot Com says:
    July 28, 2008 at 9:14 am

    [...] enter to WIN an LCD TV, Ipod Touch, Flip Mino and More!In the previous post I talked about “Google Analytics - Content” and how you can use the information to understand what are popular topics on your blog / [...]

  27. Duh Only says:
    July 28, 2008 at 11:39 am

    I’ve used this strategy and I’ve had great results by building upon popular content like this. Great tip and worth using.

    Duh Onlys last blog post..My Kid Could Paint That - Modern Art, The Media and Unanswered Questions

  28. Google Analytics & Social Marketing Go Hand in Hand | John Cow dot Com says:
    July 29, 2008 at 1:58 am

    [...] Part 3: Google Analytics - Incoming Links Part 4: Google Analytics - Outgoing Traffic Part 5: Google Analytics - Content Part 6: Google Analytics - Tracking with JavaScript Events Part 7: Google Analytics - Creating [...]

  29. Google Analytics - Creating Goals | John Cow dot Com says:
    July 29, 2008 at 2:15 am

    [...] Part 3: Google Analytics - Incoming Links Part 4: Google Analytics - Outgoing traffic Part 5: Google Analytics - Content Part 6: Google Analytics - Tracking with JavaScript Events Part 7: Google Analytics - Creating [...]

  30. The Blue Planet says:
    July 29, 2008 at 5:53 am

    links from TechnoratiI am thinking I am next going to get into creating effective presales material. Part 1: Google Analytics - Installing Part 2: Google Analytics - Keywords Part 3: Google Analytics - Incoming Links Part 4: Google Analytics - Outgoing Traffic Part 5:Google Analytics - ContentPart 6: Google Analytics - Tracking with JavaScript Events Part 7: Google Analytics - Creating Goals Click Here Now to Download “How to Build a Business Not Just a Blog” for FREE and Learn the Right Way to

  32. Best Posts From the Week of July 27, 2008 says:
    August 11, 2008 at 1:57 pm

    [...] 1. Google Analytics - Content [...]

  33. Blog Tycoon Wrap Up | Butterfly Media Romania Blog - Marketing, SEO and WordPress says:
    November 5, 2008 at 5:40 am

    [...] Part 3: Google Analytics - Incoming Links Part 4: Google Analytics - Outgoing traffic Part 5: Google Analytics - Content Part 6: Google Analytics - Tracking with JavaScript Events Part 7: Google Analytics - Creating [...]

  34. dan vervondel says:
    May 15, 2009 at 11:57 pm

    I agree,
    Google offers quite a lot of interesting tools also via adwords.
    Even the keyword analyzer gets near to performances of wordtracker.com.
    Things is to be able to find out the main message behind all these data, which is ot always easy and straight forward.
    Dan Brussels, Belgium