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WordPress Guide → SEO → Website Traffic
How to see website traffic on WordPress
Want to know how many people are visiting your WordPress site—or which pages they’re reading the most? You’re not alone. WordPress doesn’t offer built-in traffic stats, but there are several easy ways to monitor visits, popular content, and referral sources right inside your dashboard.
Let’s walk through the best plugins and tools for tracking WordPress traffic, from Jetpack to Google Analytics, and even privacy-first alternatives.
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Why tracking website traffic matters
Understanding your WordPress traffic helps you:
- See how many people are visiting your site
- Identify your most popular posts and pages
- Discover where visitors are coming from (Google, social, etc.)
- Make data-driven decisions about content, SEO, and marketing
- Track engagement and conversions
Use Jetpack for built-in traffic stats
Jetpack offers quick, easy access to basic stats without needing a separate Google Analytics account.
1. Install and activate Jetpack
In your WordPress dashboard:
- Go to Plugins → Add New
- Search for Jetpack
- Click Install Now, then Activate
- Connect it to your WordPress.com account to enable features
Make sure the Site Stats module is active. You can find this under Jetpack → Settings → Traffic.
2. View traffic in the Jetpack dashboard
Once activated, go to Jetpack → Site Stats in your admin menu. You’ll see:
- Views and visitors per day/week/month
- Top posts and pages
- Search engine terms
- Referring websites
- Clicks on outbound links
3. Access detailed stats on WordPress.com
Click the “View more stats on WordPress.com” button to open enhanced analytics. This view includes:
- Traffic by country
- Device breakdown (desktop vs mobile)
- Subscriber stats (if active)
- Views per post/page over time
It’s not as in-depth as Google Analytics, but it’s fast and beginner-friendly.
Use MonsterInsights to view Google Analytics in WordPress
If you want Google Analytics data directly in your dashboard, MonsterInsights makes it easy and there’s no code needed.
1. Install and activate MonsterInsights
In your dashboard:
- Go to Plugins → Add New
- Search for MonsterInsights
- Click Install Now, then Activate
The free version is enough to view traffic basics, but premium unlocks ecommerce tracking, real-time reports, and more.
2. Connect your Google Analytics account
Follow the guided setup wizard:
- Sign into your Google account
- Choose the correct property (website)
- Grant permissions and complete the link
MonsterInsights will automatically add the Analytics tracking code to your site.
3. View MonsterInsights reports in your dashboard
Go to Insights → Reports to see:
- Sessions, users, bounce rate, and time on site
- Page-level traffic and engagement
- Referral sources and top countries
- WooCommerce/ecommerce performance (if enabled)
This gives you a more detailed and flexible view than Jetpack, especially if you’re already using Google Analytics.
Use Site Kit by Google to connect Analytics and Search Console
Site Kit is Google’s official plugin for WordPress, offering a native way to access Google Analytics, Search Console, and other tools.
How to set up Site Kit
- Install Site Kit by Google from Plugins → Add New
- Click Activate, then Start Setup
- Connect to your Google account and verify site ownership
- Add Google Analytics, Search Console, and other services as needed
No manual code insertion needed. Site Kit handles everything behind the scenes.
Benefits of Site Kit
Once installed, Site Kit adds traffic and search performance data directly to your WordPress dashboard:
- Page-level visits and impressions
- Top search terms from Google Search Console
- Average engagement time
- Traffic by channel (search, direct, social, etc.)
It’s a great option if you’re using multiple Google tools already.
View page-specific traffic using Google Analytics
Sometimes you need to go beyond plugins and dig into traffic for a specific page or post. Google Analytics gives you that control.
Steps to view traffic by page:
- Open Google Analytics and select your property
- Go to Reports → Engagement → Pages and screens
- Scroll or search for specific URLs or page titles
- Review metrics like pageviews, users, time on page, and bounce rate
You can also add a secondary dimension like “Source/Medium” to see where that page’s traffic is coming from. For campaign tracking, set up UTM links and track performance under Acquisition → Traffic acquisition.
Use third-party tools for broader traffic insights
Some platforms estimate traffic for your site (or competitors) without needing plugins or analytics setup.
- SimilarWeb: Estimates traffic volume, sources, and engagement metrics
- SEMrush: Tracks organic keyword traffic and backlink trends
- Ahrefs: Offers traffic estimates and SEO visibility scores
Note: These tools are best for SEO or competitor research. For exact site traffic, use a plugin or Google Analytics.
Track visitors without Google Analytics
Not everyone wants to use Google tools. If you prefer a privacy-focused or local analytics option, these plugins are worth checking out.
Statify
Statify is a lightweight, privacy-friendly analytics plugin that shows your top pages and referrers without using cookies or storing personal data—perfect for GDPR compliance.
- Lightweight and simple
- Shows referrers and top content
- No cookies, GDPR-compliant
WP Statistics
WP Statistics is a comprehensive traffic analysis plugin that runs entirely on your server, giving you visitor counts, search keywords, geolocation data, and more without relying on third-party services.
- Full traffic reporting stored locally
- Tracks visitors, pages, search terms, and geolocation
- Useful if you don’t want third-party data sharing
Independent Analytics
Independent Analytics offers clean, modern traffic reports right in your dashboard, with no external scripts or cookies—ideal for users who want simple, privacy-respecting insights.
- Modern charts with clean UI
- Doesn’t use cookies or Google services
- Great for freelancers and bloggers wanting basic traffic info
These tools don’t offer the same depth as Google Analytics but are easier to manage and often better for compliance.
WordPress traffic FAQs
Next steps for tracking WordPress website traffic
Traffic insights help you create content your audience actually wants, improve your SEO, and make smarter business decisions.
To start, pick a tool that fits your comfort level. Jetpack works for simple stats, MonsterInsights makes Google Analytics easier, and Site Kit integrates Google services directly. Prefer a privacy-first option? Go with Statify or Independent Analytics.
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Alexis Wisniewski is an Organic SEO Manager at Liquid Web. She has been leading SEO, primarily for technology brands, since 2013, specializing in SEO content and strategy. When she’s not reading and writing online, she’s usually reading and writing offline, or spending time with her family in the Chicagoland suburbs.