Google Analytics (GA) is a robust tool that helps site owners understand how visitors discover and interact with their websites. Insights gained from visitor data can help you track targeted goals, analyze how content performs, and watch traffic movement on your site.
But while the data available through GA makes it an indispensable tool to evaluate your website marketing efforts, knowing how to transform that data into an organic search strategy is another story. That’s why it’s important to provide your SEO team with access to your Google Analytics account.
A Guide to Google Tools for SEO
Download this guide to learn how to make the best use of the free, powerful tools Google provides to improve your SEO processes and performance.
Delegating SEO responsibilities empowers someone else to do the work it takes to boost organic traffic, engagement, and conversions on your site. In the meantime, you can spend your time meeting the myriad other demands that your thriving business requires of you.
To provide access to everyone who needs it, you’ll have to understand the different Google Analytics account levels, Google Analytics user permissions, and how to grant access to Google Analytics.
Understanding Google Analytics Access Levels
Google Analytics allows for different types of account users and lets you modify permissions and manage account users with different degrees of access to your GA account, property, or view.
The first step in sharing Google Analytics access is to determine what account level new users should be granted.
Google Analytics Access Levels
When you add someone to GA, you grant access at one of three different levels.
1 – Account Level
This level allows the greatest access to your Google Analytics account. When you add someone at the account level, you’re giving them full access to all of the account’s properties and views.
2 – Property Level
You might have more than one domain or website nested within your GA account and want to limit which ones a user can enter. If you assign a user property level access, they’re only allowed to view the data and traffic associated with the GA properties you specify.
3 – View Level
Permitting users to view your account means they can only access Google Analytics reports within the view(s) you specify.
Google Analytics User Permissions
In addition to different access levels to your account, property, or view, GA also allows you to assign four different types of user permissions. Google Analytics user permissions restrict the number and type of actions users can take within the areas of the account they’ve been granted access to.
1 – Manage Users
The permission to Manage Users allows the most authority within the account. It’s wise to restrict this level of authority to yourself or an equal business partner.
With Manage Users permission, a person can do everything an Edit user can do plus:
- Add or delete users to Google Analytics.
- Alter the user permission level of all users.
2 – Edit
Permission to Edit is the next highest tier of control in Google Analytics’s user hierarchy.
Edit users can do everything a Collaborate user can do plus:
- Create, change, or delete users, properties, and views.
- Create, change, or delete goals and view filters.
- Add and modify custom dimensions and metrics.
- Manage Google products such as Adwords and Search Console for the property.
Note: Edit permission is required at the account level to create filters. Edit permission is required at the view level to apply filters.
3 – Collaborate
Collaborate permissions let a user create and edit shared assets, like custom segments, annotations, and dashboards.
Collaborate users can view report and configuration data just like a Read & Analyze user, plus they can:
- Add, edit, delete, and share assets they’ve created.
- Edit any shared asset.
4 – Read & Analyze
Granting users Read & Analyze permission will limit their actions to viewing report and configuration data.
Read & Analyze users can:
- View reports.
- Filter tables, add secondary dimensions and create segments.
- View, but not collaborate, on shared assets.
How to Add Someone to Google Analytics
Now that you understand the actions that users can take at various access levels with different types of permissions, it’s time to dig further into GA user management and learn how to share access to your account.
Adding a new user to your Google Analytics account is a straightforward process.
- To get started, log into your Google Analytics dashboard and choose your property. Don’t forget to confirm you’re logged into the correct Google Account by checking the little circle icon at the top right of the window and switching accounts if necessary.
- At the bottom left of the analytics panel, you’ll find the Admin option.
- Here, you’ll see three columns — Account, Property, and View — and you’ll notice there’s a User Management link under every column. In this example, I’ll show you how to give someone Property access to your website analytics.
- Click User Management under Property, then click the “+” icon.
- Then, click Add New Users from the drop-down list.
- This is where you’ll enter the new user’s email address.
- Next, you can assign permissions to Manage Users, Collaborate, Edit, or Read & Analyze. If you’re still not sure which level of permissions to grant, click the “learn more” text to view Google’s detailed description.
- Finally, click Add.
Congratulations! You’ve successfully taken the first step in Google Analytics user management by granting a new user access to your account!
How to Share Google Analytics Access
There are times that you want to share specific information with someone who isn’t a user on your GA account. When you send them a link to a report or dashboard, they’ll need to request access from you to view it.
When the recipient clicks on the link you sent, they’ll be prompted to request access to Google Analytics, which will send an email to an administrator of the Analytics account. From here, the admin has control over the level of access they wish to grant them. They can limit access to Read & Analyze or permit additional access if they choose.
Do You Have More Questions About Google Analytics?
If you still have questions about how to give access to Google Analytics, or if you want to learn more about using GA to inform your SEO strategy, we’re here to help. Our SEO agency has a deep bench of strategists whose approach to search engine optimization is built on time-proven and innovative tactics that drive business growth.
Contact us today to learn more about our comprehensive SEO services.