WiscWeb - WordPress UW Theme - Google Tools
The following document aims to differentiate between the various Google tools that are currently offered as integrations for the UW Theme in WiscWeb.
Important
- Note: The apps listed below are not “core apps” under UW-Madison’s Google Privacy Policy or Terms of Service.
- Support: Support is not available from the UW-Madison Google team for non-core apps. We recommend the following for assistance:
- Review Google documentation.
- Enroll in free Google training. View training links below.
- Recommendation: Use a departmental service account when using non-core apps to share ownership of data and avoid losing access to data owned by a former employee/student.
Google Analytics
Vendor Documentation | Vendor Training
Area of Focus: Website Usage Metrics
Why You Should Use It: Google Analytics generates detailed statistics about a website's traffic and traffic sources. It is intended for learning more about how people use your website.It helps you make decisions about changes you may need to make to the site in order to improve the overall user experience.
- Adding Google Analytics to Your Site: WiscWeb - WordPress UW Theme - Adding Google Analytics to Your Site
- Adding Google Analytics to Your Site Using Google Tag Manager (not required): WiscWeb - WordPress UW Theme - Adding Google Analytics to a Website Using Google Tag Manager
Google Custom Search (AKA Programmable Search Engine)
Vendor Documentation | No Training Certificate Offered
Area of Focus: Website Search Function
Why You Should Use It: Google Custom Search allows you to provide your users with more robust search capabilities so that they can more easily find what they need on your website. The results provided by this tool are more fine-tuned and all-encompassing than the native WordPress search.
- Adding a Google Custom Search Engine to Your Site: WiscWeb - WordPress UW Theme - Adding a Google Programmable Search Engine to Your Site
Google Search Console
Vendor Documentation | Vendor Training
Area of Focus: Search Engine Optimization (specifically, for Google)
Why You Should Use It: Google's Search Console tool allows users to monitor and optimize their site's performance in Google search results. This tool is helpful in keeping Google up-to-date with what exists on your site. Connecting your site to it allows Google to better-track things you’ve added or removed, and helps ensure that the content displayed in their search results are accurate.
- Adding Google Search Console to Your Site: WiscWeb - WordPress UW Theme - Adding Google Search Console to Your Site
- Adding a Sitemap to Google Search Console: WiscWeb - WordPress UW Theme - Adding a Sitemap to Google Search Console
- Request Google to Recrawl Your Page: WiscWeb - WordPress UW Theme - Request Google to Recrawl Your Site or Page
Google Tag Manager
Vendor Documentation | Vendor Training
Area of Focus: Tracking + Website Usage Metrics
Why You Should Use It: Google Tag Manager is used to track events that users trigger when visiting your website. Most groups don’t need to go this deep with their metrics but it is helpful for those that have very marketing-specific website goals.
- Adding Google Analytics to Your Site Using Google Tag Manager (not required): WiscWeb - WordPress UW Theme - Adding Google Analytics to a Website Using Google Tag Manager
- Adding a Facebook Pixel to a Website Using Google Tag Manager: WiscWeb - WordPress UW Theme - Adding a Facebook Pixel to a Website Using Google Tag Manager