A long-awaited feature has been added to Google Analytics: Shortcuts!
The intention of shortcuts is to provide a simple way to reach frequently-used reports with less clicks.
If you attended or watched the recording of my “Top 3 Google Analytics Reports for SEO” webinar, you’ll know that I recommend checking just a few Analytics reports on a regular basis. However, each of these reports requires several clicks to drill down to. In theory, shortcuts would help make these top priority reports easier to reach.
As soon as the official Google Analytics blog announced the addition of this feature, I tried it out right away.
Google Analytics Shortcuts: The Good
The shortcuts do achieve their intended purpose: they create a list of links to your favorite reports. This makes it easy to focus on the most important reports, and eliminates the need to memorize the path of clicks to find them.
Google Analytics Shortcuts: The Bad
As excited as I was to create my shortcuts, I was bummed to find out that the list of shortcuts resides on the “Home” tab, instead of the more frequently-used “Standard Reporting” tab. The “Standard Reporting” tab is also the default landing tab when I first sign into Google Analytics, so having to travel over to the “Home” tab is an extra (and annoying) step.
I was also disappointed to realize that the shortcuts are profile-specific. I manage a lot of Google Analytics profiles, and I wasn’t enthused at the realization that I will need to recreate the list of shortcuts once per profile. I use the same reports regardless of which client’s data I’m reviewing, so I’d prefer one master list of shortcuts that applies to all profiles. Additionally, if I decide to make a change or addition to my shortcuts, I would need to repeat that change on each profile.
Your Google Analytics Shortcut Feedback
What do you think of the new Google Analytics shortcuts feature? For instructions on setting up shortcuts, refer to this Google Analytics blog article. Then come back and let me know what you think in the comments below.
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