Using Google Analytics to Build Your Blog Editorial Calendar

When I’m sitting down to work on my Editorial Calendar for my blog, the first thing I do is look at what Google Analytics has to tell me. (Hint: this is why we talked in the last tip on the fact that you need to get Analytical by adding Google Analytics to your blog!)

Google Analytics is full of data. TONS of information. And … I have to confess I used to always get lost in there. (Ok, sometimes I still get lost in there!) Today I’ll share with you where to go to find the highest traffic pages on your website in Analytics. That is one of my favorite things to check out because it helps me lay the foundation for my Editorial Calendar! It tells me what has resonated with people, what you are reading, what you are likely sharing (if traffic is up for a post) and what you find engaging.

If it is content you enjoy as a reader, I want to write more about it. Especially if I have more to say about it, or if I can approach it from another angle without being redundant. If it is something I love to talk about but the engagement wasn’t so great, it gives me a chance to review it again, see what I might have missed, or find ways to continue to talk about it that might be more interesting or that Google might pick up on for SEO.

To find this data in Google Analytics, you want to log in to your account. From there, on the left menu bar, look for the section named “Behavior”. Random name, which is probably why I missed it for so long! Once you select Behavior, the Overview screen will show you the top 10 posts on your website. If one is titled “/” that means it is your home page. For most people, I’d expect that to be the most trafficked page on your site – unless you have a static page and a blog. Then your blog will be even higher.

Looking under Behavior >> Site Content >> All Pages will also provide you with this information, along with additional data. (On the iPhone Google Analytics app it is simply Behavior >> All Pages.) You can select the date range for the data you want to view – I like to view “Month” to get an overview of what is popular.

Now that you’re armed with Analytics, and we talked at the beginning of this series about how important it is to let your readers know why they are on your blog, we are ready to talk about your Ideal Client Avatar and how to build your blog editorial calendar for them! (Hint: If you aren’t on the email list already, make sure you join it so you know when those posts are live!)

30 Days to Awesomize Your Blog is my series about all the blog changes I’m making – and I want you to join in with me on them! Be sure to post your blog link below so I can check out your blog – and I’d LOVE to hear if there is anything you would like to know more about, or any topics I should be sure to cover! The hashtag for social media is #30DAB. Please pin this to share!