Google Analytics Breakthrough

4 Account Creation and Tracking Code Installation

In the previous two chapters, we reviewed a range of Google Analytics (GA) reports and then took a step back to the measurement strategy phase of your GA program. This chapter walks through the creation of a GA account and a basic installation of the GA tracking code.

Creating a Google Analytics Account

The only requirement for creating a GA account is an email address that’s associated with a Google account. Any gmail address qualifies, as does any other email address with which you have created a Google account.

Creating a GA account is a quick and painless process, but it’s important to understand the three levels of the hierarchy—account, property, and view—that are automatically generated with each new account.

Note

Create a Practice Account

Even if you’re not directly responsible for implementation, the essential processes of creating an account and accessing the tracking code will help to anchor your reporting and analysis. If you’re working within an existing implementation but have never or not recently created an account, we also recommend that you complete the steps in this chapter.

If you do not already have access to a Google Analytics account with the Google login that you are using, the steps for creating a GA account are as follows:

1. Go to: http://www.google.com/analytics.
2. Log in with your Google account ...