Google Analytics is a critical tool that your practice can use to better track and understand patient leads and traffic acquisition.
The diagram below outlines the flow of information, starting with the patient:
A patient's journey starts by clicking on your website, then by clicking on your LocalMed online scheduling widget to request an appointment. Google Analytics then collects data from your website and LocalMed widget to provide you, the Practice Admin, with insights that can help you better understand where patient leads are generating from, traffic acquisition, and more.
In this article, we'll follow the setup procedure listed below:
Follow along: step-by-step video tutorial
We recommend following along with the video below which outlines the entire Google Analytics setup and provides important background information to help you better understand the role that Dental Intelligence plays in this setup.
Step 1: Create a Google Analytics Account (Video Timestamps: 2:23-4:24)
Go to analytics.google.com and register for an account
From the left side menu, access the Admin panel and then click + Create and click Account
Add an account name, then click Next
Add a property name, then click Next
Select your business details, then click Next
Choose your business objectives, then click Create
Review the Google Terms & Conditions, then click Accept
Step 2: Setup Site Stream (Video Timestamps: 4:25-7:44)
Once you have created your Analytics account, you will add the details needed to start collecting data. On the next page, choose Web
Add the website URL that you would like to track, give it a name that will help remind you what it is for, then click Create stream
From the next window, access your tag installation instructions. If the site you have entered is hosted by any of the platforms below, follow the instructions to complete installation
If your site platform is not listed, click on the Install manually section to access the stream code. Follow the procedure to copy and paste the Google tag script code onto your site code
Once your Google tag code has been implemented onto the website, be sure to test the website and ensure that the code is functioning correctly
Important note: Be sure to add the Google tag code on all of the site pages that you would like to track. Analytics data will only be collected from pages that contain the code. We currently only track the "Viewed LocalMed Widget" for affiliates.
Step 3: Add LocalMed Widget Code to Your Site (Video Timestamps: 7:51-9:50)
Once your Google tag code has been implemented onto your website, you need to share your stream details with Dental Intelligence Support.
Once you have shared these stream details with Dental Intelligence, we will provide you with two snippets of LocalMed widget code that will then need to be copied and pasted into your website code.
Important note: Be sure to add the LocalMed widget code on all of the site pages that you would like to show the widget. The LocalMed widget will only be visible on pages that contain the code. We currently only track the "Viewed LocalMed Widget" for affiliates.
Once the code has been added to your website, your site will now show a LocalMed scheduling widget/button:
Clicking on the button will open the LocalMed online scheduling window:
Step 4: Identify URLs Generating Referrals (Video Timestamps: 10:04-14:09)
From the Google Analytics dashboard, click on the Reports icon, then click Generate leads, then click Traffic acquisition
Click Session default channel group
Choose Session source
Review the data populated by each URL
To learn more about Google Analytics, please click on the question mark icon in the upper right corner of Google Analytics or the three-dot menu to take a guided tour.
