How to Win on Google with Small Business Marketing Analytics

There is no doubt you have heard the phrase; content is king. While that isn’t necessarily inaccurate, I’m here to tell you DATA is the true king for growing your business. Proper data collection is the pillar of small business marketing analytics.

Data informs every business decision, from content strategy, social media posts, branding, and your website’s font. Collecting and understanding this data is critical for small businesses to make intelligent decisions and grow. 

Luckily, Google has provided us with an in-depth and FREE tool suite that provides unmatched insights into consumer behavior, website functionality, and marketing efficacy. Let me walk you through the best four ways to use data to keep your small business one step ahead of the competition.

Recognizing and Making Use of Google Analytics 4 (GA4)

Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is the foundational piece of your online presence. It’s used to track user behavior on millions of websites worldwide. significant improvement that provides more sophisticated reporting and monitoring features. Although switching to GA4 from Universal Analytics may seem intimidating, several advantages exist.

• Enhanced Data Collection: By switching from session to event-based data modeling, GA4 enables a more thorough comprehension of user interactions across various platforms. This enables you to monitor user behavior on your website, giving you a complete picture of their experience.
• Advanced Machine Learning: GA4 uses sophisticated machine learning algorithms to forecast user behavior, including likelihood of purchase and probable churn. This predictive analysis helps you customize your marketing efforts more successfully.
• Cross-Platform Tracking: GA4’s capability to monitor user activities across many platforms and devices is one of its most notable capabilities. For companies with a web and mobile presence, cross-platform tracking offers a consolidated picture of their audience.

Making Custom Reports with Google’s Looker Studio

The next step after data collection is data visualization. Data in its raw state is hard to comprehend and often overwhelming. We recommend transforming your raw data into clear, readable reports and dashboards using Looker Studio. This is an indispensable tool for businesses trying to display usable data, as it’s free and accessible across any device or browser.

• Configurable Dashboards: Looker provides configurable dashboards that let you see the critical metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs). We recommend starting with tracking:
  • Conversion Rate
  • Click-through Rate
  • Cost Per Acquisition
  • Website Traffic
  • Number of Calls
  • Number of Contact Form Submissions
  • Meetings and/or Calls Scheduled
• Integration with Multiple Data Sources: Google Analytics, Google Ads, and external platforms such as social media channels are just a few data sources that Looker easily interfaces with. Thanks to this integration, you can create a cohesive report by combining data from several sources.
• Real-Time Data Sharing: Gain the ability to share data in real time with your team or other stakeholders using Looker while filtering in or out the pertinent information. You can customize these reports into an interactive format that makes it possible to explore data dynamically and make smarter decisions.

Using Google Tag Manager to Improve Marketing Campaigns

Now that we have your Google Analytics 4 tracking code set up and capturing data, the often overlooked key analytics suite is Google Tag Manager (GTM). GTM makes conversion tracking, site analytics, and remarketing easier. This application has the potential to greatly improve small businesses’ marketing efforts.

• Streamlined Tag Administration: GTM eliminates the need for complex code by letting you manage all your tags in one location. Because of their simplicity, tags are easy to adopt and change as your marketing strategy changes.
• Event tracking: Using GTM, you may create custom events to monitor particular user actions, such as clicking buttons, submitting forms, and starting and stopping videos. This detailed tracking allows you to gain a greater understanding of how users engage with your website.
• Enhanced Page Load Speed: GTM can help you improve your site’s load speed, which is essential for SEO rankings and user experience. This can be done by handling tags more effectively. Faster page loading can result in higher engagement and lower bounce rates.

Google Search Console’s role in Optimizing Search Engine Optimization

Google Search Console (GSC) is an indispensable tool for tracking, managing, and debugging your website’s visibility in Google Search results. Making efficient use of GSC can greatly improve your Search Engine Optimization (SEO) efforts.

• Performance Monitoring: GSC provides comprehensive information about your website’s clicks, impressions, and average position in searches. Knowing these stats enables you to determine which sites require optimization and which keywords generate the most traffic.
• Index Coverage Reports: These reports assist you in determining what problems may be preventing Google from correctly indexing your website. You may ensure your website is completely optimized for search engines by handling mistakes, warnings, and excluded pages.
• Search upgrades: With GSC, you can monitor and improve several search upgrades, including mobile usability, structured data, and AMP pages. Improving these components will raise your website’s visibility and user experience.

Implement Your Small Business Marketing Analytics Suite!

If you use WordPress, I STRONGLY recommend the Google Site Kit plugin for creating and connecting accounts to everything mentioned above. The Site Kit plugin makes it easy to be aware of any existing accounts or start from scratch ensuring everything is connected as it should from the start.

For Looker Studio, I recommend this Google Analytics Marketing Template and this tutorial.

We do all of this and more in our comprehensive Data Analytics Suite Setup Service.

Next Steps – Best Practices for Maximum Impact

Keeping up to date with new features and best practices is the best way to get the most out of Google’s analytics suite. By establishing specific goals, marketing managers and owners can better direct a company’s marketing strategy through data analysis and decision-making procedures. Whether your objective is to boost SEO, increase revenue, or improve user engagement, having precise goals will enable you to make the most of these tools.

Google has provided us with every tool we need to succeed online for free. The value is in knowing when and how to use each one. Testing and optimization must be continuous. Use the information these tools provide to perform A/B testing and improve all aspects of your strategy, including website design and marketing messaging.

When teams work together, analytics insights are shared, resulting in more unified plans and superior business outcomes. By incorporating these techniques, your small business is now better positioned to obtain a competitive advantage in the digital economy.