Intro
Steve delivers an elementary introduction to Google Analytics and recommends an nifty way to add hyperlinks in WordPress.

Zero Authority Toolbox: One Step Hyperlink Addition in WordPress
A few episodes ago, Steve detailed the very simple process of adding links quickly in WordPress using CTRL-K, CTRL-V to add a copied URL to highlighted text.  Except that Steve is mentally challenged and it’s actually simpler than that.
All you need to do is copy your desired URL, then highlight your intended anchor text, and select CTRL-V and your hyperlink will be created.
This may only save you a second, but the time saved will really add up.

Main Topic: Intro to Google Analytics
What is Google Analytics?  
Why Do You Need It?
Google Analytics is a free web service offered by Google to let you track damned near anything that’s going on with your website. You can learn how many visitors are on your site, where they came from, what they did when they were on your site.  On a more advanced level, it can tell you how successful your site is based on the different goals that you set in Google Analytics, whether your goal is for a visitor to view a certain number of pages, sign up for your email list, or even make a purchase
How Do You Install It?
It’s simple!

* Sign up for an account with Google, register your site
* Get Tracking Code
* Install tracking code in your WordPress site using a free plugin like Insert Headers and Footers.

Why do you need it?
Simply put, you’re blind without GA. Unless you’re using something like Site Stats in Jetpack, you simply have no clue how your site’s performing and even then, Site Stats will not give you anywhere near the detail that Google Analytics will.

 Intro the the Analytics Home Page

* Dashboard – collection of widgets that give you a good look at the reports you find most important.
* Shortcuts – a drop down menu to even more reports
* Intelligence Events – it don’t matta!  This is going to be removed from Google Analytics any day now.
* Real- Time – lets you know what’s going on right now.  Who’s on your site, where they are, what pages they’re looking at etc.
* Audience – this is an in-depth look at who your audience is, to include:

* Age
* Location
* Language
* Device
* Browser
* Who they are
* Other interests and demographic data

* Acquisition – this shows how your visitors got to your site, whether via search engines, direct, referral, or social

* This is huge for you to know what channels are working best right now.

* Behavior – hugely important look at what people are doing when they make it to your site.  How many “bounced” without interacting with the site?  How many pages per session were viewed?  How did users flow through your site?  Understanding the Behavior section is a must for any site owner.
* Conversions – if you tell Google Analytics what  you call a “success” (like visiting a certain URL, making a purchase, viewing 3 pages, etc), Google will track these conversions for you.

How a Beginner Should Approach Google Analytics

* Don’t be intimidated by its complexity.  For the new site owner, there’s very little consequence to not understanding analytics out of the gate.  Just learn what you can, when you can.
* Beware of “vanity metrics.