The Real-World Guide to Web Analytics in Digital Marketing

You’ll discover how web analytics can transform raw data into digital gold. Learn what this essential skill is all about, how it drives marketing success, and how to turn it into a rewarding career.

With close to 200,000 subscribers, more than 600 in-depth videos, and expert-led courses, MeasureSchool has become a trusted resource for marketers looking to master web analytics.

Unfortunately, many businesses, even successful ones, realize too late how crucial web analytics is to their marketing success. That’s why we’ll explain what it means and how it will shape the future of digital marketing.

Together, we’ll cover: 

• What Is Web Analytics in Digital Marketing
• What Is the Difference Between Web Analytics and Digital Marketing?
• How Is Analytics Used in Digital Marketing?
• What Are the Two Main Types of Web Analytics Tools?
• How to Set Up Web Analytics Tools
• What Is an Analytics Strategy?
• How to Become a Web Analyst

Let’s get started.

What Is Web Analytics in Digital Marketing?

Web analytics in digital marketing is the measuring, collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data from websites and digital platforms.

It goes beyond simple data collection to provide comprehensive insights into user behavior and campaign performance.

Digital marketing leverages various online technologies to promote websites and landing pages.

On the other hand, web analytics measures traffic on these pages, tracking both volume (number of users) and quality metrics (user behavior and traffic sources).

🚨Note: It is important to note that, in practice, the scope of web analytics extends beyond basic website measurement. It includes the broader digital ecosystem. Because digital marketing operates across multiple platforms, web analytics in digital marketing includes measuring the following:

• Websites
• Mobile applications
• Mobile devices
• Social media
• Search engines
• Other online channels

These platforms are distribution channels with web analytics providing measurement and insights across all digital interactions.

Importance of Web Analytics in Digital Marketing

Consider what digital marketing would be without web analytics. They would essentially be operating in the dark.

Without analytics, digital marketers would only have access to basic data points, such as several purchases, without understanding the journey that led to these conversions.

The entire user journey, including interactions and behavioral patterns, would remain unknown.

Measuring digital activities and understanding traffic sources and user behavior enables organizations to better serve their audience, uncover trends, and develop or improve their marketing strategy.

Web analytics transforms raw data into actionable insights and allows marketers to make informed decisions rather than relying on assumptions.

What Is the Difference Between Web Analytics and Digital Marketing?

To put it simply, digital marketing is about getting your message out there, like promoting products, sharing content, and advertising services. Web analytics, however, zooms in on all the numbers and data.

Web analytics (or digital analytics in the broader context) measures and evaluates user interactions and behaviors across digital platforms.

This includes tracking visitor activities on websites, social media platforms, advertising campaigns, and other digital touchpoints where promotional content is distributed.

The information acquired from web analytics will support digital marketing efforts by knowing what works and what doesn’t and identifying opportunities. In short, one is centered around data, and the other is on promotion.

How Is Analytics Used in Digital Marketing?

In digital marketing, web analytics measures the customer journey or purchase funnel. The data collected at each funnel stage helps marketers refine their strategies and achieve their digital marketing objectives.

One common way to break down this journey is through the ABC funnel, which stands for:

• A – Acquisition
• B – Behavior
• C – Conversion

Understanding the ABC Funnel

The ABC funnel is a fundamental framework for understanding how users move through the customer journey.

Web analytics provides the data needed at each stage to track performance, optimize marketing efforts, and improve user experience. 

1. Acquisition

The Acquisition stage is the first step in the funnel, where digital marketers focus on creating brand awareness and attracting visitors.

Analytics tools, such as Google Analytics, help track where users are coming from by providing insights into:

• Traffic sources (e.g., Facebook ads, Google search, referral websites)
• User demographics (e.g., age, location, interests)
• Devices used (e.g., mobile, desktop, tablet)

For example, if you run a Facebook ad campaign directing users to a product landing page, the source in your analytics reports will show Facebook as the referral platform.

If multiple marketing campaigns run across different channels, acquisition metrics will help you compare their performance and identify which channels bring the most valuable traffic.

Custom acquisition tracking can also be set up within analytics tools to measure specific user interactions that indicate brand awareness or initial engagement.

2. Behavior

The Behavior stage focuses on how users interact with your website or app after arriving. This stage helps marketers understand user engagement and navigation patterns.

Analytics tools provide standard reports and key behavior metrics, such as:

• Pageviews: Which pages users visit, and how often
• Bounce rate:– The percentage of users who leave after viewing just one page
• Average engagement time: How long users stay on a page or session
• Conversions– Identifying buttons, links, or elements users interact with

Marketers can also implement custom tracking to monitor specific behaviors, such as scroll depth, video plays, or form interactions.

Understanding user behavior helps businesses optimize their website experience, improve the content, and increase engagement.

3. Conversion

The Conversion stage is the most critical part of the funnel, where users complete key actions that align with business objectives. In digital marketing, conversions typically include:

• Purchases: When a user buys a product or service
• Lead generation: When a user submits a contact form
• Subscriptions: When a user signs up for a newsletter or membership

Web analytics tools allow marketers to define and track conversion events.

These events signal that valuable action has taken place and help businesses measure the success of their campaigns.

By analyzing conversion data, marketers can identify which strategies drive the most sales or leads and optimize accordingly.

By leveraging analytics effectively, businesses can make data-driven decisions that lead to higher conversions and better marketing outcomes.

What Are the Two Main Types of Web Analytics Tools?

The two most well-known tools in the world of web analytics are Google Analytics and Adobe Analytics.

While some searches may include other solutions, particularly alternatives to Google Analytics, these two platforms maintain a strong presence in the market.

When looking at the numbers, Google Analytics holds an undeniably strong position. Google’s analytics technologies, combining Universal Analytics (UA) and Google Analytics 4 (GA4), account for more than 70% of the market share.

🚨 Note: We cover everything you need to know about this tool in our courses and on the MeasureSchool blog.

Google Analytics offers a free version that is used by over 30 million websites.

This tool has evolved over the years, and its latest version, GA4, was designed to adapt to new privacy regulations, such as GDPR and cookieless tracking. This aspect is far from perfect, hence the transition to server-side tagging.

Initially, Google Analytics was relatively easy to use, but with these changes, GA4 has become more complex, especially for those transitioning from UA.

However, you can quickly get familiar with this powerful tool by exploring our dedicated learning blog. If you’re just starting, we recommend beginning with ABCD GA4.

Both Google Analytics and Adobe Analytics offer enterprise versions designed for large companies.

In this space, Adobe Analytics is often more recognized, particularly for handling complex analytical challenges and offering customized solutions for advanced business needs.

Exploring Other Web Analytics Solutions

That being said, these two tools are not the only viable options. On the contrary, several new platforms have emerged in recent years, particularly following the enforcement of GDPR and other privacy regulations.

💡 Top Tip: Check out our list of Top 10 Web Analytics Tools.

Additionally, major analytics platforms have introduced new features that require significant resources to implement and maintain. Learning these new features takes time, and companies often need to hire experts to fully leverage them.

The integration of these tools with other platforms adds even more complexity, requiring specialized skills and additional resources.

As a result, many digital asset owners (website and app owners, for example) are looking for simple and efficient analytics solutions. 

New competitors in the analytics space address these needs by offering lighter, more accessible tools that require less technical expertise.

Some noteworthy alternatives include Matomo and Plausible.

How to Set Up Web Analytics Tools

There are two main methods for installing a web analytics tool:

1. Direct Integration of the Tracking Code
2. Using a Tag Manager

1. Direct Integration of the Tracking Code

The first method involves inserting a tracking code from your analytics account directly into your website’s source code.

This approach may require some knowledge of HTML, depending on how your website is built. Many CMS platforms (like WordPress, Shopify, and Wix) allow users to insert popular tracking codes like GA4 without direct HTML editing.

To speed up the process, ask a developer or the person managing your site to install it.

This method covers basic tracking needs provided by default analytics features.

Without additional effort, you’ll see how many people visit your website, which pages they view the most, the devices they use, and their geographic location (countries and cities).

However, beyond this, tracking becomes more complex. To monitor specific user interactions, such as button clicks, you’ll need JavaScript skills to write custom code that tracks these actions.

🚨Note: We recommend using a tag manager like Google Tag Manager (GTM). With GTM, specific tracking codes come as prebuilt templates, reducing the need for manual coding. With GTM, many standard tracking codes are available as built-in templates, making it easier to deploy standard tracking setups.

However, you must still learn how the system works to configure and manage your tracking effectively.

2. Using a Tag Manager

The second method relies on a tool like Google Tag Manager (GTM), which allows you to manage different types of tags and tracking codes without needing programming skills.

GTM provides built-in templates that make it easier to deploy tracking codes without manually modifying the site’s code.

Setting Up Google Analytics 4 (GA4)

The first step for Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is to create an account and a GA4 property. Once your property is created, you will receive a Google Tag, which must be integrated into Google Tag Manager.

Here is the setup process:

1. Add your GA4 Measurement ID in Google Tag Manager.
2. This ID links your GA4 property to the data source (your website or mobile app).
3. Run tests via Google Tag Manager to verify that data is being collected.
4. Once the configuration is validated and traffic is detected, data will appear in your GA4 property.

🚨Note: This basic setup does not include user consent management. To learn more about this topic, check out How to Install Consent Mode V2 (with Google Tag Manager and Cookiebot)

What is an Analytics Strategy?

A web analytics strategy can generally be divided into two key components:

1. Implementation Strategy: focused on the technical setup and data collection.
2. Business Strategy: using analytics insights to drive decision-making.

1. Implementation Strategy

The implementation phase is all about planning, which is often overlooked or done intuitively based on experience. However, proper planning is crucial for maintaining organization and anticipating future challenges.

This phase consists of two main elements:

• The Measurement plan
• The Tagging Plan

Measurement Plan

The measurement plan defines what needs to be tracked based on business objectives. This step involves:

• Understanding what website owners or stakeholders want to measure.
• Defining key actions to track (e.g., page views, conversions, engagement).
• Aligning business goals with analytics data by mapping objectives to dimensions and metrics within the analytics tool.

A well-structured measurement plan ensures your data collection aligns with business needs and makes it easier to gain useful insights while improving digital performance.

Tagging Plan

The tagging plan (or tag plan) focuses on how the data will be collected and sent to the analytics tool. While the measurement plan states what needs to be tracked, the tagging plan specifies the technical methods required to do so.

For instance, if the measurement plan includes tracking how many people click on a specific button, the tagging plan will outline:

• Which tools should be used (e.g., Google Tag Manager for deployment)?
• How tags will be configured, such as setting up a trigger to fire when the button is clicked.
• Where the data will be sent, such as Google Analytics 4 (GA4).

When implemented properly, your analytics setup ensures you gather the right data efficiently and accurately to build a strong foundation for meaningful analysis.

2. Business Strategy

The business strategy aspect of web analytics focuses on using collected data to support strategic decision-making. This includes:

• Building sales funnels and customer journey analysis.
• Creating meaningful reports that provide actionable insights.
• Identifying opportunities for business growth through data-driven optimizations.

Ultimately, web analytics isn’t just about collecting data. It’s about using that data to guide your business in the right direction and make smarter decisions.

How to Become a Web Analyst

Before diving into technical skills and implementation, it’s important to understand the mindset needed to succeed in this field. Certain traits can make the journey smoother and help you thrive as a web analyst.

Curiosity: The digital landscape is constantly evolving, so being curious and adaptable is essential. A web analyst must stay up to date with new tools, technologies, and best practices.

Problem-solving skills: Web analytics isn’t just about collecting data. It’s about making sense of it and solving issues. A strong problem-solving mindset is crucial, especially when troubleshooting tracking issues.

General marketing knowledge:  Web analytics intersects with many areas, including SEO, paid advertising, and social media. While deep expertise in these fields isn’t necessary, having a general understanding helps. Many web analysts come from marketing backgrounds.

🚨 Note: If you’re a beginner, we recommend starting with our free courses, followed by our digital analytics courses. The next step is to join the MeasureMasters membership, where you’ll gain access to advanced learning materials, along with expert guidance and support whenever you need it.

Technical Skills for a Web Analyst

There is no single defined path to becoming a web analyst, but a strong foundation in certain technical skills can make a big difference.

1. Basic Web Development Knowledge

A solid grasp of HTML and JavaScript is extremely valuable. You don’t need to be a developer, but understanding the basics of JavaScript will help you troubleshoot issues and implement tracking solutions

Google Tag Manager (GTM), for example, relies on JavaScript (specifically ES5). Learning the fundamentals will save you time and effort down the road.

Familiarity with the Document Object Model (DOM) is also useful, as it helps in tracking interactions on websites.

2. Mastering Analytics and Tag Management Tools

To work effectively as a web analyst, you should be comfortable using at least one web analytics platform.

Because it is the most popular web analytics tool, starting with Google Analytics (GA4) is a good place to start. However,  also explore alternatives like Adobe Analytics or Matomo.

Along with an analytics tool, learning Google Tag Manager (GTM) is highly recommended

 GTM simplifies the process of deploying and managing tracking codes, reducing the need for extensive coding skills. It allows you to set up complex tracking without directly modifying website code.

3. Data Analysis and Visualization

Web analysts need to extract insights from data and present them. While Google Analytics provides built-in reports, using data visualization tools like Looker Studio, Power BI, or Tableau can help communicate findings more effectively.

4. Hands-on Experience is Key

During and after taking courses, we highly recommend getting hands-on experience as soon as possible. The sooner you expose yourself to real-world problems, the faster you’ll build confidence.

Here are some great ways to practice:

1. Create your website
2. Volunteer
3. Help friends
4. Join an internship

The first three options give you more flexibility to experiment, make mistakes, and learn through trial and error.

From experience, these are some of the trickier topics that often come up in interviews:

• eCommerce tracking
• CSS selectors
• Cookies and cookie prolongation
• Cross-domain tracking
• Iframe tracking
• Form tracking
• The Measurement Protocol

Getting comfortable with these concepts early on can make a big difference when facing real-world challenges or technical interviews.

5. Privacy, Consent, and Server-Side Tracking

With increasing regulations like GDPR, privacy compliance is now a core part of web analytics.

Analysts must understand cookie tracking limitations, server-side tracking (using tools like Google Tag Manager Server-Side), and how to manage consent settings properly.

Additionally, knowledge of SQL and BigQuery is becoming more important for handling large datasets and advanced analysis.

There are multiple ways to enter the field of web analytics. Some people transition from web development, while others come from marketing or data analysis backgrounds.

While strategic thinking is important, having strong technical skills is becoming increasingly necessary to advance in this career.

By continuously learning and practicing real-world tracking implementations, you’ll build the expertise needed to become a successful web analyst.

Summary

We have covered what we believe are the most important aspects of web analytics in digital marketing, including what it is, how it is used, and how it can lead to a career.

Web analytics is a fascinating yet sometimes misunderstood field because it intersects with many areas such as data analysis, marketing, and technology.

If you are just starting or developing an interest in this field, we strongly recommend exploring courses and hands-on practice to deepen your understanding. A great place to start is our Google Analytics 4 Tutorial for Beginners.

How do you use web analytics in your work? Is there an important aspect we have not covered? We love to hear from you so feel free to share your insights and experiences with us!