Google Analytics Shows Real-time Traffic

A lot has changed with Google Analytics over the past several months. If you think Google Analytics was complicated in the past, buckle your seat belt because there are more tools, more features, and a lot more things to figure out, use, and configure – if you want to!

And frankly, you should use them ALL.

I live and breathe this stuff… and my head is spinning!

But the data is incredibly valuable in evaluating, analyzing, and planning your Internet marketing strategy.

Today I want to bring your attention to the REAL TIME statistics, now an option in your Google Analytics account.

You ARE using Google Analytics, right?

Real-time statistics means Google Analytics will now tell you how many people are visiting and browsing around at your website RIGHT NOW.

While I’d caution people not to get crazy or OCD about this, it is pretty valuable information, for sure.

I’m particularly intrigued by the Organic, Direct, and Paid data points.

Organic means people are visiting your website because they found you via Google search.

Direct means people probably just typed your domain name in, or came from another source that Google could not easily identify, not “organically” (i.e. maybe a newsletter link).

Paid shows you traffic from Google Adwords (paid advertising/PPC).

Here’s a screen-capture that shows you what it looks like:

Here’s how you get to it…

1) Login to your Google Analytics account.

2) If you have multiple Google Analytics accounts (i.e. website(s), blog(s)), select the account you want to view.

2) By default, you should see your Google Analytics Dashboard.

3) At the top left of the Dashboard, you should see an option labeled “Real-Time (beta).”

3a) Keep in mind this is “beta” so the option/label location might be somewhere else at anytime, that’s not unlikely and how “beta” works!

4) Click on that option and a drop-down menu should appear with options. Select Overview.

There are also options for Locations, Traffic Sources (where did your real-time traffic come from – very good information!), and Content.

You’re now looking at your real-time traffic with Google Analytics!