July 23 2013

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How To Set Up Site Search in Google Analytics

Previously, we posted where to find the internal site search terms in Google Analytics, but a question remained: how do you set up site search in Google Analytics? We’ve made this follow-up video to help you:

Step 1: Identify Search Query Parameters on your Site

The first step is to identify the search query parameters on your site.  To do this, perform an internal search on your website and look at the URL of the search results.  The search parameter will be the letter or word before the equal sign. Generally, it will be “q,” “s,” “search” or “query.” You may also find other search parameters such as “term.”

Step 2: Track Site Search

In Google Analytics, you must click the “Admin” tab at the top right of the screen and click the account that contains the website and profile you’d like to track site search on. Once the profile is selected, click “Profile Settings.”  There is a section labeled “Site Search Setting” where you must do two things:

  • Select “Do Track Site Search”
  • Enter the query parameters that were identified in Step 1.  You can enter up to five parameters, separated by commas.

If you have any questions or problems identifying your site’s search parameters, please feel free to submit the form below and TopSpot team member will reach out to assist you.  Have another Google Analytics question you’d like us to tackle? Let us know!