Google Analytics stands as an influential asset for monitoring and understanding the flow of traffic on your website. It offers crucial data on the behavior of your site’s visitors, empowering you to make educated choices regarding your content approach and promotional strategies. Although numerous WordPress plugins exist to facilitate the integration of Google Analytics with your website, at times, inserting the code directly can be a simpler method.
Step 1: Create a Google Analytics Account
The first step in adding Google Analytics to your WordPress site is to create an account. Go to Google Analytics and sign up for an account if you don’t already have one. Once you’ve created an account, you’ll be able to generate a unique tracking code that will allow Google Analytics to track your site’s traffic.
Step 2: Add the Tracking Code to Your Site
Once you have your tracking code, it’s time to add it to your WordPress site. The easiest way to do this is by adding it to your site’s header file. To do this, go to wp_head and add the following code:
<script>
(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){i['GoogleAnalyticsObject']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){
(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),
m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)
})(window,document,'script','https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js','ga');
ga('create', 'UA-XXXXX-Y', 'auto');
ga('send', 'pageview');
</script>
Replace “UA-XXXXX-Y” with your unique tracking code. This will allow Google Analytics to track all of the traffic on your site.
Step 3: Verify Your Tracking Code
Once you’ve added the tracking code to your site, it’s important to verify that it’s working properly. To do this, go to Google Analytics and log in to your account. Click on “Real-Time” in the left navigation bar and then select “Overview.” You should see a graph showing your site’s traffic in real-time. If you don’t see any data, it may mean that your tracking code is not working properly.
Conclusion
Adding Google Analytics to your WordPress site without a plugin can be a simple and effective way to track your site’s traffic. By following these steps, you can easily integrate Google Analytics into your site and start gathering valuable insights about your visitors.