How to use Google Analytics WITHOUT Using a WordPress Plugin

If you have a WordPress blog and you are serious about growing your traffic, it is vitally important for you to install Google Analytics. By installing this piece of code you can see how many visitors you had, how they got to your site, how engaged they were and more.

There are plugins that allow you to install your tracking code in a Wordpress website, but really, there is no need to install a plugin to do this.

To get your tracking code, open an account at http://google.com/analytics and follow the directions on how to register your website. You will be given a code that looks something like this:

<!–GOOGLE TRACKING BEGINS–>

 <script type=”text/javascript”>

 var gaJsHost = ((“https:” == document.location.protocol) ? “https://ssl.” : “http://www.”);

 document.write(unescape(“%3Cscript src=’” + gaJsHost + “google-analytics.com/ga.js’ type=’text/javascript’%3E%3C/script%3E”));

 </script>

 <script type=”text/javascript”>

 try {

 var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker(“UA-XXXXXXX-1″);

 pageTracker._trackPageview();

 } catch(err) {}</script><!–GOOGLE TRACKING ENDS–>

Step 1: Copy the code

Copy the tracking code onto your clipboard. You will eventually paste this into your footer.

Step 2: Paste the code into your footer

Go to your wp-admin panel by typing in www.yourwebsite.com/wp-admin.

On the menu on the left select Appearance and then Editor.

Now, on the right hand menu, select Footer.

This will open up your Footer.php file for you to edit. Scroll down to the bottom of the file. At the very end you should see this:

</body>

</html>

Place your cursor just before the </body> tag and paste your analytics code.

Next, click update file and you are done!

Now, whenever someone visits your website you will be able to track them by looking at your Google Analytics account.

Marie Haynes is an internet marketing specialist. She and her husband, David are also Ottawa Real Estate agents.

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