In Google Analytics Dashboards, you can display useful data that can be understood quickly and made accessible to other team members. Start with either a starter dashboard (default widget) or a blank canvas (no widget). For each GA account, you can customize 20 dashboards that include 12 widgets for each View | Property and get an overview of the most sought after KPIs. Add a widget or use the widget editor depending on your selection either added to an existing dashboard or for a blank canvas. Select the type of widget and customize its dimensions and metrics. Widget configuration will depend on the widgets selected. Filters allow you to limit data on a widget. Moreover include or exclude data based on a mix of norms for the filter used. Add multiple rows for your filter definition and ensure all conditions are met for it to work. Real-time widgets display only active users or pageview metrics.
Alternatively, you can import those dashboards from the solutions gallery that are built by the KPIs you would be interested in. .Further link the widget to your Google Analytics Report. Click on the pencil icon to modify the widget or hover over the widget title and click the (x) icon to delete it. The clone widget tool helps in creating a copy. Add segments to your dashboard. Unless you share a dashboard, it remains private. If you have edit permission, share your dashboard by creating a copy. Use the export >PDF option to embed and distribute the exported view of dashboards.
Google Analytics Dashboards: Blank Canvas
The blank canvas of your dashboard needs to be populated with widgets.
Widget Editor
The widget editor allows you to add metrics (measurement) and dimensions (data description). The display options for widgets under Standard are:
- Metric is a numeric representation of a single selected metric.
- Timeline referred as a secondary metrics is a graph of the selected metric over time.
- Geomap is a map plotted with specified metrics for the selected regions. Hovering over the map highlights the actual metric values.
- Table is a tabulated format of up to 2 metrics that describe the selected dimension.
- Pie is the selected metric grouped by a dimension which is represented by a chart. Hovering over a slice highlights the specific metric value. Up to 5 slices are available.
- Bar is the selected metric grouped by up to 2 dimensions which are represented as a bar chart. Hovering over a slice highlights the specific metric value.
Real-Time Widget
Real-time widgets show data as it happens and consist of the active users or page views metrics. Not all metrics are possible in Real-time eg: bounce rate. The display options for Real-time widgets are:
- Counter is a count of the active users on your site which can be optionally grouped by a selected dimension. It is a graph of page views on your site for the past 30 to 60 minutes.
- Geomap is a map which shows where the active users come from.
- Table plots active users against up to 3 selected dimension in a tabulated format.
As an example consider a KPI built around a “Content Blog Posts” for observing “Traffic Sources”. The Table under Standard would be the best choice for displaying such data.
Type ‘Default Channel Grouping’ in the box under Display the following columns and enter Users in the first Add a metric box and Sessions in the second Add a metric box. Show the table with as 10 rows.
Google Analytics Dashboards: Filter
Google Analytics data can be refined further with the use of a filter.
Add a filter for users from India only by navigating to filter this data and entering only show > Country – Containing > India and click on Save.
Google Analytics Dashboards: Widgets
Google Analytic will then populate this first ‘Traffic Source Widget’ in your Dashboard.
After you have added the first analytics widget to your dashboard the ‘Add Widget’ link at the top of the dashboard can be used to add more widgets. Each Dashboard in Google Analytics can contain a maximum of 12 widgets
After creating a widget you can edit by hovering the mouse near the top of the widget until a pencil icon appears. Click on it to change metrics, dimensions, and the widget title.
The DashboardJunkie links to external sources. This DashboardJunkie shows some of the key metrics for ‘Bloggers’ that include the most liked posts, how the users find your site and the source from where the links come.
Alternatively, you can go for a readily configured dashboard from the google solution gallery platform where these can be downloaded and applied to your site.
You can share your dashboard if you include other users in your view. After data has been shared it is possible to drag and drop widgets between reports and views. Dashboards can be exported in pdf or automated for regular scheduling by email to be sent to relevant team members. Check the duration time period dates for the data generated in these dashboards.
In Google Analytics each view can contain up to 20 private Dashboards per user. Each Google Analytics account can contain up to 50 shared Dashboards per view.
Adding Traffic Overview Report to Google Analytics Dashboards
You can create the “Traffic Overview” in Custom Reports Google Analytics as per below:
- Under Customization from the left side, the menu in Google Analytics clicks on Custom Reports.
- Write a name in the Title Bar for your report say ‘Traffic Overview’.
- In the ‘Type’ section you will be shown 3 options – Explorer | Flat Table | Map Overlay.
- Select the ‘Flat Table’ type
- Under Metrics from the drop-down choose – Add Pages / Session in the first box, | Unique Views in the second box | Avg Session Duration in the third box| Bounce Rate in the fourth box.
- Under Dimensions Add Source in the first box and Country in the second box.
- If you want to exclude any traffic type Add a filter.
- Click on Save
To add this “Traffic Overview” report to Google Analytics Dashboard, you will be required to select the dimension and the associated metrics from this report and create this widget in the dashboard where you want it to appear. The “add to dashboard” feature which was earlier available can now be found in Google Data Studio. Read more about Dimension and Metrics by clicking on dimensions-&-metrics-explorer
An Example Of SEO Analytics Dashboards
An SEO Dashboard is a focus for all your web analytics data so that digital marketers can get a grasp of SEO performance through metrics for numerous viewpoints.
A common example of an SEO metrics for organic traffic widget in an SEO dashboard is as shown below:
The choice of selecting metrics for your business is based on which specific metrics works for you.
Add your first widget to the SEO Analytic dashboard and begin by giving a title for this widget [total organic visits]
The metric used here is “total organic visits”. Under Standard choose ‘Metric’ and in the Add a metric choose ‘Session’ from the drop-down menu.
Click on Add a filter and choose – only show > Medium – Exactly Matching > Organic as shown in fig5.
For the widget “Top Landing Pages by Entrances & Bounce Rates,” fig6 select Standard “Table.” Choose Landing Page – Entrances and Bounce Rate as the metrics, and 10 rows as shown in fig-seodw2
Google Search Console
Google Search Console shows SEO metrics such as Keywords under Query, Rankings, and CTRs (refer to fig7)
Google Analytics
In Google Analytics click on the Acquisition tab for Landing page metrics fig8 which can be assessed by navigating to Landing Page under Search Console. Moreover, SEO metrics such as top queries click & generating clicks for KPIs keywords & top queries (impressions) can be tracked under Google Search Console.
To analyze search engine optimization efforts one needs to track search metrics and KPIs fig9. SEO Analytics dashboard should display those SEO metrics which can help to improve organic search results and boost website leads and visits.
Using Moz Analytics or Ahrefs tools, it is possible to track metrics such as a number of linking domains for the KPI backlinks.