Cross-Device Tracking in Google Analytics: A How-to Guide
Cross-Device Tracking in Google Analytics: A How-to Guide
Cross-device tracking is becoming increasingly popular in the digital marketing world. It allows marketers to track the user’s activity across multiple devices, such as a desktop computer, a mobile device, and a tablet. With this information, marketers can gain a more comprehensive view of the user’s behavior, and make better decisions about how to reach and engage with them. In this article, we’ll provide an in-depth look at cross-device tracking in Google Analytics, and provide a step-by-step guide on how to start using it.
What is Cross-Device Tracking?
Cross-device tracking is the process of collecting data on how users interact with a brand or website across multiple devices. For example, a user may visit your website on their desktop computer, and then access the same website on their mobile device. With cross-device tracking, you can track how the user is engaging with your website across both devices.
For example, you can see if the user made a purchase on their desktop computer, and then followed up with a second purchase on their mobile device. You can also use cross-device tracking to understand user behavior, such as how often users switch devices, and what type of activities they’re engaging in while using each device.
How Does Google Analytics Handle Cross-Device Tracking?
Google Analytics provides a comprehensive set of features for cross-device tracking. It offers several options for how to track user behavior across devices, such as User ID tracking, App+Web properties, and Google Signals.
User ID Tracking: This tracking option allows you to assign each user a unique ID. You can then track their activity across devices by looking at the data associated with the user’s ID. This allows you to gain a better understanding of how they’re engaging with your website, and how their behavior changes across devices.
App+Web Properties: This option allows you to track users across both web and app environments, which can be useful if you have a mobile app. You can track user behavior in both environments, and gain insights into how users engage with your website or app across different devices.
Google Signals: Google Signals is a service that allows you to track users across devices, using information from their Google account. This can be particularly useful if you’re looking to track users who are logged into their Google account on multiple devices.
How to Set Up Cross-Device Tracking in Google Analytics
Once you’ve decided on a tracking option, you’ll need to set it up in Google Analytics. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you get started.
1. Create a New Property: The first step is to create a new property for cross-device tracking. To do this, log in to your Google Analytics account, and select the “Admin” tab. Then click “Create Property” and choose the “Cross-Device Tracking” option.
2. Select a Tracking Option: Once you’ve created the new property, you’ll need to select a tracking option. You can choose from User ID tracking, App+Web properties, or Google Signals.
3. Add the Tracking Code: Once you’ve selected a tracking option, you’ll need to add the tracking code to the website or app. This code will allow Google Analytics to track user behavior across devices.
4. Review the Data: Once you’ve added the tracking code, you can start collecting data. You can view the data in the “Audience” report in Google Analytics. Here, you can review the data and gain insights into how users are engaging with your website or app across devices.
Conclusion
Cross-device tracking can be a powerful tool for marketing teams. It allows you to track how users interact with your website or app across multiple devices, and gain a more comprehensive view of user behavior. In this article, we’ve provided an in-depth look at cross-device tracking in Google Analytics, and provided a step-by-step guide on how to set it up.