Google Analytics is a powerful tool for digital marketers to track website traffic and user behaviour and gather insights to improve website performance. However, it is crucial to filter out internal traffic from the website's data to achieve accurate analytics data. Internal traffic refers to website visits from people who are part of the organisation, such as employees, contractors, and other stakeholders, which can skew website data and make it harder to analyse. So today, we will talk about something super important for your website: getting rid of internal traffic on Google Analytics. It might sound a little bit technical, but trust me, it's worth it. Using filters helps your SEO, gets more accurate data analytics, and improves your digital marketing efforts. So stick with me, and let's get your website traffic optimised and your online presence shining!
Why Filter Out Internal Traffic?
The Impact of Internal Traffic on Website Data
Internal traffic can heavily skew website data and make it harder to gain valuable insights for digital marketing efforts. For example, if the website receives 1000 visits in a day and 200 of them are from internal sources, the website data would show 1200 visits, which does not accurately represent actual website traffic. This can cause website owners to make incorrect assumptions and decisions based on inaccurate data.
The Importance of Accurate Analytics Data:
Accurate analytics data is crucial for digital marketers to understand website performance and user behaviour and make informed decisions. In addition, accurate data helps identify what works and what doesn't, leading to better website optimisation and improved ROI for digital marketing efforts. Therefore, filtering out internal traffic is essential to achieve accurate analytics data.
How to Filter Out Internal Traffic in Google Analytics
Understanding Filters in Google Analytics:
Filters in Google Analytics are used to exclude or include specific data from the website data analysis. For example, to filter out internal traffic, a filter must be created to exclude traffic from specific IP addresses. The filter needs to be added to the Google Analytics account view, and it will automatically exclude the specified IP addresses from the website data analysis.
Creating a Filter to Exclude Internal Traffic:
To create a filter to exclude internal traffic, follow these steps:
- Step 1: Go to the Admin section of your Google Analytics account.
- Step 2: Click on the View to which you want to add the filter.
- Step 3: Click on Filters under the View column.
- Step 4: Click on the +Add Filter button.
- Step 5: Name the filter, such as "Exclude Internal Traffic".
- Step 6: Select the filter type as "Exclude".
- Step 7: Select "traffic from the IP addresses" from the drop-down menu.
- Step 8: Enter the IP addresses to be excluded from the website data analysis.
- Step 9: Save the filter.
Testing and Verifying the Filter
To ensure that the filter is working correctly, testing and verifying the filter is essential. Google Analytics provides a tool to test filters that can help check if the filter works correctly. After the filter has been applied, the user can test the filter by visiting the website from an IP address that is being excluded by the filter. Then, the user can check whether the website data shows the visit as excluded. It is also recommended to wait a few days to observe the impact of the filter on the website data before making any significant changes based on the data analysis.
The Benefits of Filtering Out Internal Traffic
Accurate Website Metrics for Data Analytics
By filtering out internal traffic, the website data will show only external traffic, which leads to more accurate website metrics for data analytics. Accurate data helps identify which marketing campaigns, channels, and keywords are performing well, leading to better optimisation of digital marketing efforts.
Improved SEO Strategy
Internal traffic can also impact search engine optimisation (SEO) efforts, as it can skew the website's organic search data, making it harder to understand the effectiveness of SEO strategies. By filtering out internal traffic, SEO professionals can focus on improving organic search performance based on accurate data and insights.
More Effective Digital Marketing Efforts
Accurate website data and metrics can lead to more effective digital marketing efforts, as marketers can make informed decisions based on accurate insights. In addition, by filtering out internal traffic, digital marketers can focus on optimising campaigns and channels that drive external traffic and generate revenue for the business.
Best Practices for Filtering Out Internal Traffic
Keep an Eye on Filtered Traffic
While filtering out internal traffic is essential for accurate analytics data, keeping an eye on the filtered traffic is important. External traffic can sometimes be filtered out by mistake, leading to incorrect data analysis. Therefore, it is vital to review filtered traffic regularly and make any necessary adjustments to the filter.
Regularly Review and Adjust Filters
As the business and website evolve, it is essential to regularly review and adjust filters to ensure they are still relevant and practical. For example, if the business expands its operations and hires more employees, new IP addresses must be added to the filter to exclude internal traffic from those sources.
Consider Multiple Filters for Different Internal Traffic Sources
If the business has multiple internal traffic sources, such as remote employees or contractors, it may be necessary to create various filters to exclude traffic from different sources. By creating numerous filters, businesses can ensure that all internal traffic sources are excluded from website data analysis.
Conclusion
When it comes to digital marketing, it's crucial to have accurate analytics data. To achieve this, it's important to exclude internal traffic, which refers to visits to your website from your company's employees. Failure to filter out this type of traffic can lead to inaccurate data, making it difficult to determine what's working and what's not. You can set up filters in your analytics tool to exclude internal traffic and regularly review and adjust them to ensure they function correctly. Doing so will give you more precise insights into your website's performance and user behaviour, enabling you to make informed decisions about your SEO and digital marketing strategies.
