Own Your Google Analytics Data (Video)


By Jay Adamsson

You should always make sure you are the owner of your Google Analytics data. Too often, your web developer retains ownership and the business owner doesn’t even realize it. Here is what you have to know about keeping ownership of your Google Analytics data.

Transcript:

Hi there.  This is Jay from AOR Web Solutions.  I’m going to talk to you today about owning your Google Analytics data.

When you create your website, what you want to do is create your own Google Analytics account.  You go to www.google.com/analytics and go through the process to create your own Google Analytics account.  You may have to create your own Google account first, but create your own Google Analytics account.

Once you create your account, you’re going to be given a number like this: UA-1234567-1.  This is your Google Analytics Tracking ID. You want to make sure that your Google Analytics Tracking ID is owned by you.

Now, in that account, you will have the option of multiple profiles. What often happens is that your web developer will create a profile for you under their account.  So you own one of these little profile boxes.  What that means is that you don’t own your own data. You want to make sure that you own your own data.

But what if you already have a website, and you’re afraid that maybe you don’t own your own data, but you’re not sure? Here is one way to kind of get an idea if that’s happened to you.

Go to your website, and right click on your website.  It’s going to bring up a little menu.  Look for View Source in that menu. Click on that – it’s going to give you a page with a whole bunch of writing. That’s the background of your website. Look for a tracking code, UA-something. The last number in there indicates the profile number. If it’s a “dash 1”, there is a pretty good chance that you are the only one in that account. If you see something like “dash 28”, well, odds are that your webs developer has set you up under their account, and you don’t own your own data.

For more on this and for other resources, visit our website at www.aorweb.ca.  Thanks for listening.

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