Having trouble tracking how many times your website visitors downloaded any files on your website?
Being able to track file downloads comes with its fair share of advantages and thankfully there’s a way that it can be done!
In this article I will be showing you exactly how you can track file downloads directly in Google Analytics in a few simple steps so buckle up, this is going to be an interesting one!
So without further ado, let’s dive straight into the article!
Table of Contents
The Best Plugin To Enable File Downloads Tracking
If you have read any of my previous articles on WordPress plugins then you would know that I’m a huge fan of MonsterInsights. MonsterInsights is a plugin that allows you to connect Google Analytics seamlessly to your website in a couple of minutes.
MonsterInsight not only allows you to track file downloads in Google Analytics but it also has really amazing features like enhanced eCommerce tracking, page-level analytics, ad tracking, an intuitive dashboard, and much more!
The best part? You need no coding experience in order to download MonsterInsights and you can have it up and running in a couple of minutes.
Related: How To Install MonsterInsights
Click HERE To Try MonsterInsights For Free!
How To Track File Downloads on your website
In order to enable file downloads tracking the first step is to install MonsterInsights For more information on how you should correctly install MonsterInsights click here.
Now, this is where the magic happens, once you install MonsterInsights file download tracking will be automatically enabled so all you have to do is sit back, relax and watch the data roll in.
Boom! That’s it! Simple right? Keep reading to find out how you can manage your file downloads efficiently and effectively.
The Benefits of Tracking File Downloads with MonsterInsights
Here are a few of the benefits of tracking your file downloads with MonsterInsights. They are as follows.
Build More Valuable Content
By tracking which items receive the highest number of downloads you will be able to begin to build content that resonates more with your audience. This will not only save you time but also money in the long run!
Access to more data
Unfortunately, Google Analytics does not support file downloads tracking automatically which means your downloads won’t be tracked which can place you at a major disadvantage if you want to grow your online business rapidly.
Managing Your File Downloads
Tracking your file downloads is great but MonsterInsights goes a step further than just being able to track your downloads.
Let me show you how you can fully take advantage of your file downloads so you can get the most out of MonsterInsights. I will be showing you how to:
- Add more file extensions to track as downloads
- View file downloads in WordPress
- View File downloads in Google Analytics
How To Add More File Extensions
Despite the fact that MonsterInsights allows you to track file extensions such as doc, pdf, ppt, zip and xsl you can still add more extensions that you are interested in tracking. Don’t worry
How To View File Downloads in WordPress
In order to view your top downloads in WordPress, all you need to do is click the “Insights” button and then click the “Report” button and then click “Publishers Report”. You will then be directed to a screen that will showcase all of your downloads including your top downloads.
How To View File Downloads in Google Analytics
In order to view file downloads in Google Analytics, login to your Google Analytics account and navigate to the left side of the screen and click “Behaviors” then click “Site Content” then click “All Pages”. On the other hand, if you enabled your downloads as events click “Behaviors” and then click “Events”.
Final Words
All in all, if you are looking for a plugin that not only tracks your file downloads but also comes equipped with tons more functionality then I would highly recommend that you look no further than MonsterInsights.
Also, check out these other articles :
- 13 Best Plugins for WordPress websites
- The Best WordPress Contact Form Plugin
- How To Set Up Conversion Tracking in Google Analytics