Google Analytics really is good for your Photo Site

[sugbo]

Hi,

I recently created a photography website:

www.nunukphotos.com (http://www.nunukphotos.com/)

Upon asking in several forums for reviews - including this one - and upon reading other photo website reviews, I have noticed many folks indicate you should be using Google Analytics on your site. I have been using this tool for some time now and find it invaluable.

I'm guessing that there are some folks out there who may not know how to install this on their site - installation is quite easy. I have just created a writeup on my blog explaining how to install this on your photography site and why you should do it. You may find it useful:

www.stockphotosblog.com (http://www.stockphotosblog.com/)

Please let me know if you feel I have left anything out or if you have comments. If people find this helpful I will do another writeup on Google Webmaster tools (which is pretty important if you are trying to get your site to show up well in Google organic search results).

regards,
brent

[tracknut]

In your paragraph for inserting the code, you state "hopefully you use a template...". I guess that's one way, but another way for those of us who wouldn't touch a template with a 10-foot pole is to insert the js code into an include file, perhaps something already existant like a copyright footer.

I'm going to take a look at the Google Webmaster Tools - I wasn't aware of that and it sounds interesting.

Dave

[sugbo]

Hey Dave

You make a good point. Thanks for the feedback. I will add that information to my blog posting if you don't mind.

I've been using Webmaster Tools for quite a while and I believe it is indeed worthwhile. Setting it up is, in my opinion, even easier than setting up Analytics and it can really be helpful especially if you are building and growing your site with Search Engine Optimization in mind.

-brent

[AdamAsh]

I was going to say using an include because then you only have one place for the code to be stored and if at any point you need to change the code you can do easilly and only once.

I like the option to compare to similar sites too - as this can give you a real good indication of how you compare to competing sites. Also what is handy are the entry search keywords - as this helps you target your market better and allows you to focus on areas you are not penetrating as well as you should be.

I use it quite a lot on most of my sites :)

[tracknut]

Hey Dave

You make a good point. Thanks for the feedback. I will add that information to my blog posting if you don't mind.

Oh absolutely do... I didn't invent the idea :)

I still need to look into the webmaster tools, they sound pretty good.

Dave

[narlus]

i've not looked at it too closely, but what are the differences between the google analytics and webmaster tools?

[blackshadow]

i've not looked at it too closely, but what are the differences between the google analytics and webmaster tools?

Google analytics tells you where your web traffic is coming from and allows you to analyse it.

Webmaster tools tells you what google "sees" about your site.

[tracknut]

I've been looking at my sites with the webmaster tools over the last couple days. It's very interesting to see the data Google has, and the tools are quite helpful for not only showing you gaps in your SEO implementation, but teaching you what this stuff is all about. Definitely a good tool to have in the toolbox, thanks for bringing it to my attention.

Dave

[Adaptive]

Thread should be stickied to the top.

=)

[basroil]

Not only is google analytics good for SEO, it also works wonders for advertisement management, as you can see what ads redirected the most people and which lead the most to view more than one page. Also tells you when your home page needs updating (if people don't click past first page, you have a problem).