Saturday, April 11, 2015

Random Blog Stats

 
 
Graph of Blogger page views




Another month has gone by and I picked up a few hundred more page views in March than in February. As I have mentioned in previous months, these Blogger stats are inflated and I have tried a couple of times to use Google Analytics just so I could have some more accurate data. I have also on several occasions documented my ineptitude with anything related to blog IT stuff.

One of my goals this year is to use the HTML button more and learn a few new skills to help enhance the blog. Usually my progress resembles something like "One step forward, Ten steps backwards."

A few months back I decided to start using Google Analytics and quite honestly, I had trouble even getting the account opened. That is fucking ridiculous. Anyway each month I see reports that others show regarding new unique users, blog traffic, etc. and I find myself jealous. It would be so cool to be able to have something like that.

Recently GEN Y FINANCE GUY suggested to me that I start using Google analytics. He was also kind enough to show me a diagram to help me set it up. The best part is he mentioned that it would only take about 5 minutes to set up. Clearly he doesn't know who he is dealing with.

After spending about 45 minutes on the Google site, I decided to take a break from the computer before throwing the monitor through my office window. I am at work so this would be an H R violation especially if someone outside my office were to get hit with flying glass.

Why do I continue to subject myself to this type of frustration??? I don't know, but the other day at work I told my IT Director that I might take a course in HTML programming.

His simple response: "Why the fuck would you do something like that?"  It looks like he has a pretty good feel for the situation. I'm going to shelf that idea.



So below is the progress that I have made today. I probably am close to finishing, but I don't know for sure.


Right now I am in the Admin page of Google Analytics under the Tracking Info tab and I can see my tracking ID number and there is a sentence next to it that says:
  • STATUS:  Tracking Not Installed

The Google Analytics tracking code has not been detected on your website's home page. For Analytics to function, you or your web administrator must add the code to each page of your website.

Then it says

This is your tracking code. Copy and paste it into the code of every page you want to track.

What follows is a long ass HTML code looking thing that resembles a foreign language.

Just for grins I copied and pasted this code to my most recent post just to see if anything would happen. I had a feeling nothing would happen and I of course I was right.

Also on my Blogger site under Settings - Other, I can see my Analytics Web Property ID with my AU code in the the box. It looks like everything should be working but it isn't.

So anyway enough bitching about my pathetic computer skills. Last month I received $24.51 which is a drop from February's total. April is starting off better as I have reached $13 already and hopefully can surpass $30.


8 comments:

  1. Sorry for all the frustrations, MDP :(

    Have you tried watching a video tutorial on youtube? Here is one that recent comments are suggesting works great: There are other tutorials on blogger features if it ends up working for you and you want to risk trying some other improvements as well.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0F7jCovhpQ

    Apologies if you've already tried that, and I hope you're able to get things working and looking the way you like eventually!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ryan,

      Thanks for the support. Apparently my impatience was the problem. A day later and VOILA! Everything is working great!

      MDP

      Delete
  2. It's all good MDP. Don't sweat it. Watch how to use Google Analytics on Youtube.com. That's how I learned to install it. Take a breath, stay calm, no big deal bud. Keep up the hustle and take it easy my friend.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. DH,

      You are 100% correct. I have a tendency to get worked up over stupid shit like this and major problems have no impact on me. I think it may be some type of OCD problem. Anyway it took a day for GA to become operational and now it is working great!

      MDP

      Delete
  3. Hey MDP,

    No need to learn HTML in today's day and age with Blogger or Wordpress.

    You will not have to copy any code onto your website since blogger has Google Analytics pre-coded for your website. You only need to enter the UA code.

    It sometimes takes 24 hours before Google Analytics starts receiving any data once you insert you UA code into Blogger.

    I have a Chrome extension that allows me to debug GA and it looks like it is now installed. I see the following UA code installed - UA-61765981-1

    Cheers!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. GYFG,

      You nailed it buddy! Everything is working great...for now. Now I just need to figure out what to do once I log into GA. So many buttons and tabs and choices and other cool stuff. :-)

      MDP

      Delete
  4. Glad to hear that you have GA up and working! You will get more stats that you won't know what to do with it at first. Once you play with it more it becomes a really cool tool for analytics. Plus, it's free!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ron,

      There is no shortage of options on the dashboard. I will have to fumble my way around and hopefully I will discover some helpful tools.

      MDP

      Delete