How to See Website Traffic by Zip Code

While Google Analytics can show your business website traffic down to the city from which it originates, it cannot display exact zip codes. Viewing website traffic by zip code can be beneficial if you own a local business and want to tailor your marketing strategy to reach a specific geographical area. Yahoo Web Analytics has the ability to run a zip code report, and can be used in combination with Google Analytics to help analyze your website's traffic.

Yahoo Web Analytics

To obtain access to Yahoo's zip code report, you must be a Yahoo Small Business Merchant, an umbrella term that includes Yahoo Small Business Merchant Standard, Merchant Professional and Store merchants. Yahoo Web Analytics is available free of charge as long as you have one of these accounts. If you're not already an approved Yahoo Small Business merchant, you can apply to become one, or gain access through a member of the Yahoo Web Analytics Consultant Network, which is a group of third-party companies with expertise in Web analytics. If you hire a member of the Yahoo Web Analytics Consulting Network, she will manage your Yahoo Web Analytics for you. There may be fees for using a member of the consultant community, as other website analytics services are often included in addition to zip code reporting.

Zip Code Reporting

When you have access to Yahoo Web Analytics, running a zip code report can show you the zip codes of website visitors from the United States and Canada. The report includes the number and percentage of visits from each zip code included on the report. Since Yahoo uses different methods of obtaining zip code data, you can expect the first three digits of the reported zip code to be accurate. It's possible that all five digits can be reported accurately, but the results can vary depending on the technology used to obtain the information.

Running a Zip Code Report

Access the zip code report by logging in to your Yahoo Web Analytics dashboard. When you're logged in, click on "Reports," "Demographics" and then "Geography." You'll see an option for Zip Code (U.S. and Canada). Run the report by clicking on "Zip Code (U.S. and Canada)."

Customizing the Zip Code Report

You can customize a zip code report once the standard zip code report has been generated. Click on the "Customize Report" icon located in the Report Toolbar. A Custom Report Wizard opens, allowing you to drag and drop metrics and dimensions into the appropriate slot on the report. Click "Show Report" to customize the zip code report with the requested changes. In addition to customization, you can print the report or export it to PDF, HTML, Excel or CSV. Download the exported report instantly to your computer, or email it to recipients by adding their email addresses to the appropriate field.