You are likely used to getting important data from Google Analytics. Many business owners use it to evaluate web traffic, conversion rates, and ad campaigns. But you may not realize that you can also get Google Analytics live chat insights and data.

Discover why you should look into live chat Google Analytics integration and how to get it set up. 

Why connect live chat to Google Analytics?

The reasons to connect live chat with Google Analytics are very similar to why you would connect anything else. You will get valuable insights that help you drive more to your bottom line and turn conversations into conversions

Pros

Google Analytics data will show you where your most valuable conversions come from. You can then use this information to focus on those sources, which will boost efficiency and streamline costs.

The insights can help you generate leads more efficiently.

You can look at data on conversations, the automated greeting, the pre-chat form, the post-chat survey, and more. 

Google Analytics is highly intuitive to use.

You can view all of your other relevant insights in the same program. This lets you track the entire customer journey on your website, from visiting pages to talking to your team. Monitoring data from various website interactions in a single place makes it easier to find and compare insights. 

You can better understand which pages on your website are most likely to generate chats.

You can better understand how chat interactions vary across user devices.

You can integrate with your Google Ads account to understand campaigns and keywords and which ones drive chats.

Compare chat performance across email, SEO, and other marketing channels.

Nearly all businesses already have Google Analytics set up. If you don’t, you probably should set it up anyway.

Setting up Google Analytics will only take a few minutes.

You can gather additional information with pre-chat surveys.

There is plenty of support available if you have questions or concerns about setting up Google Analytics or using the data.

Can include a range of analytical data, including when the chat was started, when offline messages are sent, where your visitors are from, and more. You can customize your Google Analytics reports to include the information you need. 

You can include conversations in your advertising strategies once you have better data on them. The conversations can inspire marketing campaigns via the data you find from them. Or you may even find yourself wanting to quote interactions with your team directly. 

Cons

There is some setup required. (But this is not much.)

If you don’t already have one, you must create a Google Analytics account. (But every business should have one to track their digital marketing.)

Your chat platform may be one of the few that doesn’t connect to Google Analytics. In this case, you either cannot connect or switch platforms.

You have to know how to use the data to get the most from the connection.

You have to remember that conversions are not just through the chat. There are numerous other touchpoints in the process as well. (But you can use Google Analytics for live chat to track the end of the journey.)

How to connect live chat to Google Analytics step-by-step

Once you have decided to get Google Analytics chat insights, all that is left is to connect your live chat to the Google Analytics platform. This process of Google Analytics integration is pretty straightforward, letting you start getting insights quickly. 

Step 1 – Connect live chat to Google Analytics

The most important part of the process is connecting your live chat to Google Analytics. The exact process will depend on which chat software for small businesses you use. 

But there will usually be one of two basic processes to choose from. 

With a Google OAuth connection

If your chat software connects with a Google OAuth connection, you will find an integration right in your chat app. You simply set this up. It will have you log into your Google Analytics account during the process. You can easily follow the steps on the screen and connect within minutes. 

Google Cloud Platform

With a built-in Analytics connection 

The other option is if your chat software has built-in connections for analytics. With this method, you will have to enter your analytics ID from Google Analytics into your chat software’s built-in analytics. Where you enter the ID and at what point in the setup process you do so will depend on the platform. 

You can find that analytics ID by logging into your Google Analytics account. From there, it will be on the dashboard. 

Google Analytics Property Settings

This is also called your Google Analytics tracking ID. Having this tracking ID on hand for Google Analytics integration with other programs will be helpful. 

Step 2 – Create a new event goal

Once you have connected your live chat program to Google Analytics, it is time to start tracking data. You will do this via Goals. 

Start by logging into your account. Click on “Admin” at the bottom left corner of the page. 

Google Analytics Admin

On the menu, select “Goals.” It should appear in the third column under “View.” 

google analytics admin screenshot

Then, choose “New Goal+.” You will be prompted to set up your goal. 

Google Analytics Live Chat

As you do so, you will be able to choose “Live chat” under “Enquiry.” Select that and the other options relevant to your goal. Then hit “Continue.” You will be able to select the details of your goal in more detail. 

Now, you can name your goal and set it up as an “Event.” 

Goal Description Google Analytics

Goal Setup Google Analytics

Select “Save,” and your new Goal Event will be saved. 

You can set up multiple goals to track various specific situations. 

For example, you can track details about:

  • When chats take place
  • Automated greetings
  • When rich greeting buttons are clicked 
  • Pre-chat survey filled in
  • Ticket forms are filled in
  • Post-chat surveys are filled in 

For each of these, you will choose a different element for “Action.” In the above image, the details for “Action” say “startchat.” But it could also say “Ticket form filled in,” “pre-chat survey filled in,” or something else. 

Step 3 – Test 

You can go ahead and run a test to make sure that your Goal Event works as intended. Testing can be as simple as monitoring your results carefully for the first few days to ensure it tracks correctly. You can also have someone on your team visit your website and engage the live chat to confirm the analytics are working. If you do this test yourself, be sure to log out of your Google Analytics account and website administrator accounts before doing so.

You can also test your goal within Google Analytics itself. To do so, click on “Verify your goal.” This button will calculate your conversion rate for the given goal based on your website data from the past seven days. It also lets you confirm that it is working correctly. 

Conclusion

By incorporating Google Analytics into your live chat, you will gain valuable insights. You can view specific data on your live chat interactions with customers. Additionally, you can integrate that with other data from Google Analytics to get valuable insights, such as which pages of your website are most likely to lead to live chats. With that data in hand, you can improve the customer experience, generate leads, and boost conversions. 

FAQs

How do I chat with Google Analytics support?

Google Analytics offers email support for its products, as long as you have a business 360 account. There is also live chat support within Analytics 360. Live chat support is available during working hours. 

How do I get help with Google Analytics?

You can directly contact Google support if you need help with Google Analytics. Depending on your live chat platform and the level of integration with Google Analytics they offer, you may also get some support from the chat platform.

There is also a vast knowledge base of FAQs for Google Analytics, along with a large amount of detail. 

Isaiah Rendorio
Isaiah Rendorio Product Marketing Manager, Campaigns

Isaiah Rendorio is the Product Marketing Manager for Podium Campaigns—helping local businesses tap into the power of SMS marketing to strengthen customer relationships, increase customer lifetime value, and drive more revenue.

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