Posted by Michelle Merrill 7/24/09
A lot of our friends on Twitter have recently asked us several questions regarding Google Analytics problems. This post will walk you through the steps to solve the following common questions/problems with sharing or moving Google Analytics data/profiles:
• How do I install Google Analytics on my website?
• How do I share my site analytics with another user?
• I want to transfer my site profile to another account. How do I do that?
• When I try to transfer my Google Analytics profile to another account, the new account doesn’t have any of the historical data. Why?
• How do I install Google Analytics on my blog? (See our next post for this answer)
Step 1: Sign up for Google Analytics and Install Tracking Code
Sign up for GA:
• Go to the Google Analytics site: http://www.google.com/analytics
• Sign in with your Google account
• Follow the set-up instructions
Install tracking code:
• Google will give you the html text to paste before the body tag on your site
• If you are not the site administrator, email the code to the person who can update the site.
Step 2: Adding or Transferring Profile Data
After you have installed the tracking code, you will see the following table on your Google Analytics page:
Click the name of the account you wish to share with other users. In the picture above, I would click on the blue “My Web Site.” You are taken to a page with detailed information about your site. At the bottom of the page, there are three columns. Click on “User Managers.”
Click the “Add User” button.
Enter the Google email address of the user you want to share access with. Specify the access type (viewer or administrator). If you just want to share the analytics with someone, give them “View Reports Only.” If you are transferring the site profile to a different Google account or want to give someone access to analyze your site data, give the new user “Account Administrator” status.
The next part is often overlooked, causing problems. Make sure you select the profile you wish to share and click “Add.”
When the new user logs in, they will see the website on their Account Overview page.
Step 3: Removing the Site Profile from an Old Account
You must have first added the site profile to a new Google Analytics account. Next, you follow the instructions in step 2 to get to the User Manager page for the site profile you are managing. You will see the following table:
Simply click “delete” next to the user you wish to remove.
Following the steps above takes care of the last question: When I try to transfer my Google Analytics profile to another account, the new account doesn’t have any of the historical data. Why?
That error occurs when the new user isn’t added properly. It happens when you create a new Google Analytics account with a separate tracking code. By following the outlined steps above, you will maintain your historical data.
This answers the most common questions we have received on Twitter. If you have other questions, feel free to contact us or send an @ message on Twitter. We appreciate your feedback!