Most standard website statistics packages leave a lot to be desired. They provide data in a very one-dimensional way that don't really give you a good understanding of your website traffic.

I've been trying out Google Analytics lately on my Joomla sites, and I highly recommend it to my clients. The presentation of the data is understandable and empowering. It is a very visual platform, allowing you customize which metrics you want to track on your "dashboard." You can also browse your own site with an overlay that shows you click patterns and stats right on your own site. That's pretty amazing!

How to Install Google Analytics in Joomla

1. Sign up for a Google account. If you already have one, sign in.
2. Click on "My Account" in the top right, then "Analytics" in the list of services.
3. Your Analytics account can contain multiple website profiles. Click "Add Website Profile" to set up your first one.
4. Copy the code to your clipboard.
5. Go into the backend of your Joomla site, go into the HTML of your template, and paste the code following Google's instructions.
6. Save the template modification and reload your site from the front end.
7. Go back to your Analytics control panel and verify the addition of the new code. It should now say "Waiting for data."

That's all there is to it. Now you'll start collecting traffic data through your account and have a much better understanding of your Joomla website traffic statistics.

Comments (2)

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marist melbourne province site - new joomla site i'm slowly building !
written by nick ramage, June 12, 2008

howdy kev - nice site structure you are using here as well - is this a joomla 3 column by the way??

anyhow do i need to dump on each joomla the magic google script just before or is there in the joomla admin thing a spot that will do the lot - i hope i just need to do the index page but then how does the analytics trace which pages are being viewed etc for how long by who etc etc etc .. ALSO - last question - what is a realistic OK bounce rate for a normal website not some whizz bang throw lots of flash at it site -- - maybe 55% - thanks kev. Nick Ramage

Genius post above!
written by Paul, June 29, 2008

Must say kevin that I was struggling with this for ages, trying to find the right place in the php files etc. Even tried using some of the vast array of google analytics modules to no success.

Your post above was very helpful, I am truly grateful! Nice one.

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