Chad Deckard hosts Internet Marketing Pro with guest Jonathan Goodman, president of Halyard Consulting, focusing on the idea that “what you don’t know can hurt your website”, especially when it comes to tracking and interpreting performance data.

Jonathan explains that Google Analytics is a free, powerful tool that helps small businesses understand website traffic and avoid being misled by dishonest or inexperienced marketers. He emphasizes that owners should learn the basics so they can verify claims like “more traffic” or “better rankings” against real metrics inside Analytics. Key red flags include higher visit counts paired with declining time-on-site, which may signal low-quality traffic or even artificial/bot-driven visits.

The conversation also highlights Jonathan’s role as a professor at the School of Internet Marketing, which offers affordable, university-style training (under $50/month) across topics like Google Analytics and social marketing. Jonathan describes his Google Analytics course as a step-by-step program that teaches installation, core reporting areas (traffic, demographics, SEO insights), and how to build enough confidence to manage analytics internally or hold a marketing firm accountable.

They close by noting Jonathan’s conference speaking (including Affiliate Summit East, where he’ll present on schema markup) and his book, “The World of Internet Marketing: The Basics,” aimed at helping small business owners understand foundational digital marketing and how to “communicate” clearly with search engines. Jonathan also offers free copies of the book to early listeners who contact him.