Checking your analytics on a regular basis is key to understanding what’s working and what’s not working on your site. If you don’t look at the hard data, you might miss out on some hot content marketing opportunities.

One of the main platforms to drive traffic and raise your visibility is social media. Interacting online through all the different networks and tools is great for getting your word out and starting conversations with prospects, but how do you know if what you’re doing is actually working?

If you’re using Google Analytics, you know what’s happening where your visitors come from. Although the new version of Google Analytics (still in beta) has a somewhat built-in way to track social interactions, I haven’t spent as much time in there and in this post, I will give you the simple process I use to track what social networks my blog traffic comes from.

For this process, you will need to grab this text file and copy the text into your favorite text editor:

http://www.georgepasswater.com/ga/tracksocial.txt

Now, let’s get started.

Tracking Social Referrers in Google Analytics

Step 1

Sign into your Google Analytics account and click on view report for your specific site. If you don’t have a GA account, go get one at: http://www.google.com/analytics

Step 2

Find the advanced segments section on the left menu.

Step 3

Create a new advanced segment

Step 4 

Search for source in the search box to the left and then drag that green box to the right and place it into the box. Then, in the drop down next to that box, select “matches regular expression.” Now copy and paste the text from that text file I asked you to get from my site earlier and paste it into the value field.

Then, name your segment something like social media site visitors and click the create segment button.

Step 5

When you’re ready to see what social sites or shortened URLs drove visitors to your site, go to the top of your Google Analytics dashboard and click on advanced segments and uncheck All Visits and check your new advanced segment.

Now just go through your analytics and start analyzing where your audience comes from and how that creates content marketing opportunities for you.

Do you have other ways you track your social sharing and interactions to your site? If so, what tools do you use and what opportunities have you found?

Photo credit for analytics coffee: Brafton.com

Related posts:

1. Creating Content Marketing Opportunities Through Analytics
2. Part 2 – Utilizing Analytics to Create Content Marketing Opportunities
3. 50 Ideas For Content Marketing Opportunities

In a previous post, I shared the first presentation I spoke on at the SEO Copywriting certificate training call. Everyone loved it and when it was time to talk about part 2, it was even more successful. To share what I presented on that call, I wanted to post it here as I did the first one.

If you have any questions or comments on the presentation or other information, please let me know.

Related posts:

1. Creating Content Marketing Opportunities Through Analytics
2. Using Analytics For Effective Content Marketing
3. 50 Ideas For Content Marketing Opportunities

For effective content marketing, it’s important to look at all possible opportunities. For many one area that’s overlooked is hard data…in other words: analytics. With accurate analytics from web, email and other sources, we not only can tell how many people did something, but other things that are critical to creating content marketing that drives positive results.

Recently, I spoke on analytics and how it may help with content marketing opportunities on Heather Lloyd-Martin’s SEO copywriting certificate training call. I have another session coming up tomorrow, where I go more in-depth on specific areas to look at in your Google analytics.

From the first talk, here’s my presentation, now up on SlideShare. If you have any comments or questions, please leave them below or contact me.

Disclaimer: Some links here are affiliate links.

Related posts:

1. Part 2 – Utilizing Analytics to Create Content Marketing Opportunities
2. Creating Content Marketing Opportunities Through Analytics
3. How to Improve Your Analytics Numbers

Lots of content marketers have different sources of inspiration when they look to create quality content. From note taking to reading others content, there’s one resource many neglect: Analytics.

Yes, web, email and other statistics are a virtual gold mine of opportunities for generating ideas for quality content.

In a guest post I wrote for seocopywriting.com, I address 5 key areas of analytics that give you a plethora of ideas for your content marketing.  Check out the post here:

http://www.seocopywriting.com/content-marketing/5-ways-to-use-analytics-to-find-content-marketing-opportunities/

Related posts:

1. Part 2 – Utilizing Analytics to Create Content Marketing Opportunities
2. Using Analytics For Effective Content Marketing
3. How to Find Marketing Opportunities By Tracking Social Referrers