How to measure the blog success without Google Analytics

Do you really need Google Analytics for your blogs? Although it is a popular tool for many websites, it is not the only option not it is always the best. The truth is that many blog owners often feel overwhelming, confusing or excessively intrusive.

The good news is that there are many alternative ways to get valuable insights into the performance of your blog. Many of them are easier, better for their privacy or are only better suited for certain needs and preferences. Let’s take a look at you below.

Why search for Google Analytics alternatives?

Simply put, Google Analytics 4 (GA4), which was published in 2023 as the latest version of Google Analytics, leaves a lot to be desired. Some surveys determine that this is up to a rich 75% of SEO specialists are not satisfied with GA4.

Why is that?

Many bloggers find GA4 too complex. The user interface can be confusing and overwhelming, and some even report inaccurate data processing. Many even prefer universal analytics (the previous iteration of Google Analytics).

In addition, Google Analytics has always been known to collect personal data -both those of website owners and users. That is why both blog owners and visitors use one VPN under Windows Whenever you access your website, especially if you use travel and public WiFi.

While GA4 has recorded gradual improvements, many are still looking for other ways to optimize their blogs.

The metrics that are actually important

You can still follow many important metrics without pursuing yourself on Google Analytics. If you want to improve your blog, you will find the most important parameters on which you should concentrate on:

1. Clear visitor

The number of people who visit their website. A consistent increase in clear visitors usually means that their content gain more visibility and attract new readers.

You may get many website traffic, but if you only come from a few people, it is difficult to scale your website (as loyal as these few visitors).

2nd side views per visit

Even if you have many clear visitors, it doesn’t mean you stay.

People who visit several pages when you visit means that your content is really appealing and valuable (and that your internal link strategy works).

3. Breapling rate

The bounce rate is the other side of the coin of the side views per visit. This metric shows you how many visitors only go one side after viewing.

High bounce rates often signal that your blog does not leave a good first impression. Maybe your layout for the eyes is not easy or your website takes too long. Or simply that your content does not meet the expectations of visitors.

4. Time on the side

Another metric that shows how useful its content is, is how much time the visitors spend on reading their contributions. Low time on the page could mean the opposite – or that users find and go the answer quickly.

5. Traffic sources

If you know where your visitors come from (search engines, social media, recommendations, etc.), you can improve the marketing of your blog. Depending on your strategy, you may want to double your largest traffic sources or spread into your weaker.

6. Convention

Ultimately, conversions are the final goal:

• Product sale;
• Newsletter Registrations;
• Course registrations;
• Form degrees.

Whatever it may be, many simpler tools than GA4 can track these different forms of conversion.

Light tools for replacing Google Analytics

To follow the metrics mentioned above, you will find some of the most popular tools here – all without punching, complexity or data protection problems from Google Analytics.

These are probably better than Google Analytics for people who:

• Value;
• Like clean dashboards;
• I wish essential data at a glance.

These are usually small bloggers or business owners who are not particularly technically versed.

Plausible analytics

Plausible is a tool focused in privacy, in which all data is collected anonymously and no cookies are used. It is easy and helps you to pursue the essential side views, powerful content, recommendations and goals and nothing more.

Find out more about plausible analyzes >>

Fathomaniac

Fathom Analytics is proud to be the GDPR-compliant direct exception and to take the privacy of its visitors very seriously. No cookies are used, and it also has an intuitive, easy -to -learn interface.

Find out more about Fathom Analytics >>

Easy analysis

True to his name, the simple analytics keep things simple and minimalistic. It only shows the essentials (visitors, recommendations, top sites, etc.) without tracking.

Find out more about simple analyzes >>

Pencil

If you are already linked to your blog with Google Analytics, but want a simple interface for your data, Owgguru is a good option. You need your GA-4 data and drill on a implementable to-do list (broken links, contributions with falling power and low-hanging fruit posts that you can update).

Take the lifespan of Appsumo >>

Other methods for persecution of the blog success

Apart from the usual metrics that are measured based on these analytical tools, you can measure the performance of your blog.

E -mail metrics

If you send newsletters (which you probably should), use your newsletter platform (such as Mailerlite, Convertkit or Substack) to use things like:

• Opening rates
• Click rates
• Subscription growth

It is a good sign that people are worth their brand based on their blogs.

Commitment in social media

It is also a good idea to have social media for your brand in addition to blog content.

With the integrated analysis tools of these various social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest etc.) you can measure how many people click on your blog.

The more views, likes, shares and comments you have, the higher the public’s interest in general.

Google search console

The Google Search Console differs from Google Analytics. It can tell you:

• Which search queries bring people to your website?
• How often do their pages appear in search results
• Your average click rate.

It is invaluable for SEO tracking and very light and much easier to learn than Google Analytics.

Content performance over time

Use something like a concept database -or even a good old table if you want to do things manually -to follow how your blog posts are executed. Note your traffic, the time on the page and the conversions and how you develop over time.

Analyze all patterns that appear (or are missing) and go from there.

Scenario Example: A yoga studio in Texas

Imagine you lead a yoga studio in Austin. Your blog shares Yoga information, wellness tips and updates via community events -all while linking to your classes and trainers.

You do not want to deal with Google Analytics, so use one of the tools or methods listed above. You discover this:

• Your blog post entitled “Beginner Yoga Poznan for Back Pain” receives the greatest traffic -mainly from Facebook shares.
• People spend an average of 3 minutes to read this post.
• Many visitors from this article also click on their “Book a class” button.

What knowledge can you derive from these? And how can you react to them?

• You will receive the greatest traffic of beginner -Yoga practitioners –Maybe you should start more marketing?
• Facebook is the social media platform on which you get visibility –Maybe you should create more Facebook content? An idea: Covered versions of your blogs into Facebook posts.
• Many people are already clicking on the “Book” button in their blog –What if you also include a registration link in your Facebook posts?

With these findings, you have a much better idea of ​​which direction you should use your blog – and the business as a whole.

How to improve your blog without analytics

Numbers are only part of the story. And they are only useful if they lead to better decisions. Here you can find out how you can continuously improve your blog with or without analytics.

1. They deliver a constant value

Do not pursue artificial numbers. Simply concentrate on ensuring that your blogs are really valuable for your audience. Quality always over quantity.

2. Improvement of the UX (user experience)

Sometimes it may not be the quality of your written blogs. Many people are switched off by the following before you can read your blogs:

• Slow load times
• Involved layouts
• Bad selection
• Confusing navigation

Optimizing these things is just as important as the improvement of your blogs.

3. Please ask for feedback

The best data often comes from your readers. Ask them directly! Use surveys, e -mail surveys or comments to ask what you want to see more about.

Do you need Google Analytics?

Measuring the performance of your blog – and improving Google Analytics – is not only possible. It can even be better.

As long as you focus on the right metrics, respect the time of your readers with good content (and your privacy) and select tools that are best suited for your circumstances and preferences, you can just as well expand your blog.