Google Site Kit gives you an easy way to bring Google web data right into your WordPress dashboard. Site Kit includes Google Analytics, Google Search Console, Page Speed Insights and more.
These tools are all available outside WordPress. You’re likely already using Analytics. So do you need the Site Kit plugin? And do you need those other tools – like Search Console and Page Speed Insights? Let’s take look at what each can do for your website.
Google Search Console
Search Console is the often overlooked partner to Analytics – perhaps Google’s more widely used tool. Analytics gives you rich insight into who’s arriving at your website and how they’re behaving. Search Console gives you valuable insights into when, where and how your website is showing up in Google search results pages.
Search Console shows you which search queries people are using when your website shows up, which pages shows up, your average position and much more. You can use this data to better optimise your website and identify new search opportunities. Search console also provides a range of tools to inspect your website’s performance (from Google’s point of view).
Google Analytics
Google Analytics provides rich insight into how people interact with your website. Data includes Audience, Acquisition, Behavior and Conversions. Analytics gives you real time and historical data on pages visits, time spent on site, your top pages, visitor pathways and more.
Audience shows you the demographics and interests of your visitors. Acquisition shows you how visitors find your website – directly, from organic search, Ad campaigns, Facebook and more. Behavior shows you which pages people view, time spent onsite and more. Conversions shows you how many visitors reach a described goal – website enquiry, product sales and more.
Find out more about using Google Analytics to grow your business online.
Note – Google Tag Manager can help you integrate ad campaigns with Google Analytics.
PageSpeed Insights
PageSpeed Insights shows developers how they can improve your website’s speed, stability and accessibility. To do this, the PageSpeed Insights tool assesses technical aspects of your website, including its code, page file sizes, image formatting and more.
Page load speeds – the time it takes your website pages to load and be visible in the browser – greatly influence user behavior. The faster your pages load, the more likely visitors are to spend more time your site.
Google’s looking for faster loading pages. In fact, they’ve made it a significant ranking factor. So now it directly affects your position on search results pages.
PageSpeed recommendations are generally a developer-level tasks, so you might want to reach out for professional help. Site Kit gives you an easy way to bring PageSpeed Insights right into the WordPress dashboard.
Google AdSense
AdSense is Google’s advertising partner program – unless you’re a publisher, or running ads on your website, this won’t be applicable.
Will I need a new Google account?
Already use one of the apps associated with Site Kit? You can use you can use that account. Many site owners already have Google Analytics, for example. If so, use that account when prompted after installing the plugin. You’ll also be prompted to connect to connect to Search Console – so you’ll then be using the same account for both Google Analytics and Search console.
Note – this does not mean that Analytics and Search Console are now sharing data. You’ll need to link them separately to achieve that – find out how in a coming post.
If you already have a Google My Business account, keep things tidy and consistent by using that address. It’s a great idea to create a free gmail account that’s used specifically for your website admin and analytics.
If you don’t already have a Google account you use in this way, go ahead and install the plugin (managing your own website? Find out more about using WordPress in Coffs Harbour). When you connect each service you’ll be prompted to either use, sign into or create a Google account.
Installing Google Site Kit
Site Kit is a WordPress plugin by Google and is available from the WordPress dashboard. If you have a managed website, check with your website manager before installing any new plugins. Or just let them know you’d like to add Google Site Kit. The Site Kit plugin is well maintained and unlikely to cause any problems. But your developer might want to perform other updates or checks before installing the plugin. Otherwise, go ahead and search for Google Site Kit from within the add new plugins page.
