Glossary · Analytics and measurement
Analytics
The collection and interpretation of defined data to answer questions about behavior, performance, and business decisions.
Definition
Analytics is broader than one product. It includes the measurement plan, data collection, definitions, quality controls, privacy choices, reporting, interpretation, and decisions made from the evidence. Website analytics commonly use events, dimensions, metrics, and conversion definitions.
Why it matters
The useful system starts with a question and an action, then collects only the information needed to evaluate them.
Common misunderstanding
A dashboard is not automatically analytics, and more collected data does not guarantee a better decision.
Related terms
Related system family: Measurement & Search Signals
Sources
- Google Analytics Data API overview (opens in a new tab) · Google for Developers
- Search Console API (opens in a new tab) · Google for Developers
Last reviewed July 16, 2026