Goals in Google Analytics are a way to measure how well your site or app fulfills your target objectives. A goal represents a completed activity, called a conversion, that contributes to the success of your business. Examples of goals include making a purchase (for an e-commerce site), completing a game level (for a mobile gaming app), or submitting a contact information form (for a marketing or lead generation site).

Before diving into the setup process, it's important to understand some key concepts related to goals in Google Analytics:

1. Goal Types:

   • Destination: A specific location loads, such as a thank you page.
   • Duration: Sessions that last a specific amount of time or longer.
   • Pages/Screens per session: A user views a specific number of pages or screens.
   • Event: An action defined as an event is triggered (e.g., video play, ad click).

2. Goal Value: Assigning a monetary value to a goal can help you understand the return on investment (ROI) of your website or app.

3. Goal Funnel: A series of pages leading up to the goal. This is useful for understanding where users drop off in the process of completing a goal.

1. Sign in to your Google Analytics account.
2. Select the website or app for which you want to set up goals.
3. Click on the Admin button at the bottom left corner of the screen.

1. In the View column, click on Goals.
2. Click the + NEW GOAL button to create a new goal.

1. You can choose from a template, create a custom goal, or use a smart goal.
2. For this example, we'll create a custom goal. Select Custom and click Continue.

1. Enter a name for your goal (e.g., "Newsletter Signup").
2. Select the goal type. For this example, we'll use Destination.
3. Click Continue.

1. Destination: Enter the URL of the page you want to track as a goal (e.g., /thank-you.html).
2. Value: Toggle the switch to ON if you want to assign a monetary value to the goal. Enter the value.
3. Funnel: Toggle the switch to ON if you want to set up a funnel. Enter the URLs of the funnel steps.
4. Click Save to create the goal.

If you are setting up an Event goal, you need to ensure that the event tracking code is implemented on your site. Here is an example of how to set up an event tracking code:

In this example:

• Category: 'button'
• Action: 'click'
• Label: 'nav buttons'
• Value: 4

1. After setting up the goal, you can verify it by navigating to Conversions > Goals > Overview in the Google Analytics interface.
2. Check if the goal is being tracked correctly by performing the action on your site and seeing if it appears in the reports.

1. Create a new goal in your Google Analytics account.
2. Name the goal "Contact Form Submission".
3. Set the goal type to Destination.
4. Enter the destination URL as /thank-you.html.
5. Assign a value of $10 to the goal.
6. Save the goal and verify it by submitting the contact form on your website.

1. Navigate to Admin > Goals > + NEW GOAL.
2. Select Custom and click Continue.
3. Name the goal "Contact Form Submission".
4. Select Destination and click Continue.
5. Enter /thank-you.html in the destination field.
6. Toggle the value switch to ON and enter 10.
7. Click Save.

• Incorrect URL: Ensure the URL entered in the destination field matches exactly with the URL of the thank you page.
• Not Assigning Value: Assigning a value helps in measuring the ROI. Even if it's an estimate, it provides valuable insights.
• Ignoring Funnels: If your goal involves multiple steps, setting up a funnel can help identify where users drop off.

Setting up goals in Google Analytics is crucial for tracking the performance of your website or app. By understanding and configuring goals, you can measure conversions, assign values, and analyze user behavior to make data-driven decisions. In the next topic, we will explore event tracking, which allows you to track specific interactions on your site.