Event tracking is a way to monitor how visitors interact with specific elements on your website. Unlike pageviews, which only tell you that someone landed on a page, event tracking helps you dig into the details—like which buttons they clicked, videos they watched, or forms they started but didn’t finish. It’s a tool that gives you insights into user behavior, so you can improve your site experience and increase conversions. Many small businesses use event tracking to make smarter decisions about their content, layout, or even their overall marketing strategy.

This feature is often powered by tools like Google Analytics or Tag Manager, but many modern platforms and website builders offer it as a built-in capability. If you’re interested in optimizing your SEO or understanding your funnel better, event tracking is one of the simplest and most effective ways to start.

Why event tracking matters for your website

When you’re trying to understand what’s working (or not working) on your site, looking at clicks and scrolls is just as important as page visits. Event tracking shows you where users are engaging and where they drop off. This could help you figure out if a CTA button is getting ignored, if people are watching your product video, or whether they’re abandoning a form halfway through.

Having this level of insight helps you optimize the user experience. You can tweak your design, adjust placement of elements, or test out different messaging based on real data. It’s a smarter way to build your website around what your visitors actually want to do.

How event tracking works

Event tracking works by adding a small bit of code (called an event tag) to elements you want to monitor. For example, you can track clicks on a “Buy Now” button, downloads of a PDF, or video plays. Tools like Google Tag Manager make it easier to add and manage these tags without needing to code manually.

Once a user takes an action tied to one of those tags, that event is recorded and sent to your analytics platform. From there, you can view reports, analyze trends, and even create custom goals or triggers. This gives you the flexibility to focus on specific user actions that matter most for your business.

Examples of what you can track

Here are some common events that businesses track:

• Clicks on CTAs like “Schedule a demo” or “Subscribe”
• Scroll depth to measure how far users are reading
• Form interactions (started, completed, or abandoned)
• Video plays, pauses, and completions
• File downloads like PDFs, brochures, or guides
• Outbound link clicks (like to social media or third-party sites)

These events help you understand the full journey your user takes—not just the pages they visit, but what they do while they’re there.

Tips for using event tracking effectively

To get the most out of event tracking, it’s important to set it up with clear goals in mind. Decide what user actions are most valuable for your business—whether that’s lead form submissions, newsletter signups, or product video views. Focus your tracking on those.

Make sure you label your events clearly in your analytics tool so that your reports are easy to read. It’s also helpful to create segments or filters to dive deeper into specific types of visitors or traffic sources. Over time, event data can help you make more informed decisions about content strategy, layout changes, or marketing campaigns.

FAQs about event tracking

What is event tracking in web design?

Event tracking is the process of monitoring specific user actions on a website, such as clicks, scrolls, form submissions, or video views. It gives you deeper insight into how visitors are interacting with your content beyond just pageviews.

How is event tracking different from regular analytics?

Regular analytics usually focuses on sessions, bounce rates, and pageviews. Event tracking goes a step further by measuring micro-interactions that occur within those pages—like a user clicking a button or completing a form.

Do I need to know code to use event tracking?

Not necessarily. Many website builders and tools like Google Tag Manager allow you to set up event tracking with little or no code. If you're using a platform like B12’s website builder, it might already include built-in tracking features.

What tools can I use for event tracking?

Popular tools include Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, Mixpanel, and Hotjar. Some platforms also offer their own native tracking capabilities, especially if they focus on marketing automation or conversion optimization.

Is event tracking helpful for improving SEO?

While event tracking doesn’t directly improve your SEO, it can help you understand user behavior, which leads to a better experience. A better experience often results in longer visits and lower bounce rates—both of which can support stronger search rankings.

Improve your site with smarter tools

If you want to better understand how visitors interact with your site, event tracking is the way to go. It gives you the insights you need to improve performance, drive engagement, and make smarter design decisions—without guessing.

With B12’s AI website builder, you get access to intuitive analytics tools that help you grow smarter, not harder. Sign up today and start seeing what really works on your site.