How to Use Google Analytics and Search Console for Small Business

Oct 11, 2025 • 7 min read

We see it often. A small business launches a beautiful, mobile-friendly website -- and then they wait. But nothing happens. Rankings stay low, traffic is weak, and the orders or calls never come.

The problem is often not the design or content; it's the data. Without tools to monitor performance and visitor behavior, a site owner can only guess why business problems are happening -- such as:

• Money spent on ad campaigns that send low-quality traffic.
• Customers leaving your checkout page due to hidden issues.
• Google not indexing your most important product pages.

The good news? The underlying problems may be easy to fix -- once they've been identified.

Two Free Website Analytical Tools That Work Beautifully Together

Google Analytics and Google Search Console (formerly "Webmaster Tools") are the two most essential, free tools for website owners. Each provides unique insights, and together, they form a powerful website performance tracking system:

Google Search Console reveals technical issues, indexing status, and the exact search queries people use to find your site.

Google Analytics focuses on visitor behavior, sales, and traffic sources.

You can even link the two tools so that Google Analytics displays Search Console data directly within its reports -- saving you clicks and time.

• Google Analytics shows how visitors behave once they reach your site -- what pages they view, how long they stay, and what actions they take.
• Google Search Console shows how Google sees your site -- what search queries bring visitors, whether your pages are indexed, and any technical issues affecting visibility.

You can even link the two so that Google Analytics displays Search Console data directly within its reports -- saving you clicks and time.

Safely Granting Access to Your Web Designer

Setting up Analytics and Search Console can be technical, so many business owners delegate the setup to their web designer. Here’s how to safely grant access without ever sharing your Google password:

⚠ Critical Warning: Never share your Google account password. A login from an unfamiliar location could trigger a security lock on your account.

In Google Analytics:

1. Go to Admin > Property Access Management > Add User.
2. Enter their Gmail address.
3. Choose "Editor" access (enough to manage tags and settings, but not user permissions).

In Search Console:

1. Go to search.google.com/search-console.
2. Click Settings > Users and Permissions > Add User.
3. Choose "Full" access (allowing them to verify ownership, connect Analytics, and confirm everything is reporting correctly).

Tracking Key Actions (Purchases, Phone Calls, and Form Submissions)

Perhaps your SEO is attracting visitors, but few convert (call, buy, or complete a form). Event tracking helps you identify exactly where the engagement breaks down.

Before assuming you're not reaching the right audience, use event tracking to find out why visitors aren't converting. Common reasons might include:

• Trust Issues: Lack of reviews, unclear refund policies, or missing SSL padlock.
• Friction: Checkout is confusing, or the preferred payment methods aren't accepted.
• Cost Shock: Prices or shipping costs seem too high after a user commits.

Tracking these interactions provides insight into how far users make it in the buying process, and where they drop off. That's where tools like Google Tag Manager come in.

How Google Tag Manager Fits In

Google Tag Manager (GTM) is a separate, free tool that acts as a central hub for managing all your tracking scripts (tags) without constantly editing your website code.

Once installed, GTM can fire tags to send data about user actions directly to Analytics, such as:

• Phone number clicks (mobile users tapping "Call Now").
• Form submissions (Contact, Quote Request, Lead Capture forms).
• "Buy Now" or PayPal button clicks.

Because Tag Manager loads asynchronously (runs concurrently with other tasks), it generally won't slow down your site when set up correctly. And once it's in place, you can create and modify event tracking without touching the HTML again.

Tracking Sales with PayPal

Over 10 million online merchants accept PayPal -- and small and medium-sized businesses account for 75% of these.

If you use PayPal for transactions, it's easiest to track completed purchases using a Thank You page.

1. Enable "Auto Return" in PayPal's website preferences.
2. Set your return URL to something like /thank-you.html.
3. Track visits to that page as conversions in Analytics.

This avoids the complexity of tracking events that occur off-site on PayPal's servers.

The Most Useful Reports for Small Businesses

Once Analytics and Search Console are connected, focus on these four core reports:

• Traffic Acquisition -- where your best visitors come from (Google, Facebook, referrals, direct).
• Engagement Overview -- which pages keep visitors interested (and which lose them fast). Helps you prioritize content improvements.
• Conversions -- how many users are performing key actions? (Calls, form submissions, or purchases). Your ultimate bottom-line measurement.
• Search Console Queries -- the actual search terms people use to find you. Essential for writing relevant, high-ranking content.

Are Analytics and Search Console Worth It for Low-Traffic Sites?

Yes, Absolutely. Many small business owners feel discouraged by low initial traffic, but even these sites can gain insights from the data:

• See where your best visitors are coming from.
• Identify which marketing efforts truly drive traffic.
• Get alerts for broken pages or visibility issues before they cost you customers.

Search Console email alerts will automatically notify you of issues like:

• Coverage issues (pages not indexed, redirect errors, server errors)
• Mobile usability issues
• Manual actions or penalties
• Security problems (like hacked content or malware)
• Page experience / Core Web Vitals warnings

Common Questions

"Do I need both tools?"

Yes. Analytics tracks visitor behavior; Search Console shows how Google views your site.

"Can I see which keywords people search for?"

Partly. Search Console provides keyword data; Analytics focuses on visitor behavior.

"Do I need to log in daily?"

No. Once or twice a month is enough to address issues before they snowball. You can also ask your designer to provide a monthly summary report.

Next Step

At Joe Website Design, we include setup and installation of both Google Analytics and Search Console with every project -- at no extra cost. We'll connect your accounts, test event tracking, and walk you through how to read your reports.

To learn more about our full package of website design and SEO monitoring services, contact our Asheville web design team today.

Joe Web site design

Website designer Asheville NC

Call: 828-551-9761 EMail: info@JoeWeb.com