Google analytics
- 1. Google Analytics Basics & tweaksMizzou Web Developers groupJason L RollinsApril 13, 2010
- 2. What is Google Analytics?From google.com/analytics:“Google Analytics is the enterprise-class web analytics solution that gives you rich insights into your website traffic and marketing effectiveness. Powerful, flexible and easy-to-use features now let you see and analyze your traffic data in an entirely new way. With Google Analytics, you're more prepared to write better-targeted ads, strengthen your marketing initiatives and create higher converting websites.”Google Analytics basics and tweaksApril 13, 2010
- 3. What is Google Analytics?From google.com/analytics:“Google Analytics is the enterprise-class web analytics solution that gives you rich insights into your website traffic and marketing effectiveness. Powerful, flexible and easy-to-use features now let you see and analyze your traffic data in an entirely new way. With Google Analytics, you're more prepared to write better-targeted ads, strengthen your marketing initiatives and create higher converting websites.”Blah, blah, blah…Google Analytics basics and tweaksApril 13, 2010
- 4. What is Google Analytics?It’s a piece of software that tracks most traffic and user behavior on your web sites for free.It’s a page tagging – not log analysis – approach to analytics.It integrates nicely with other Google applications…AdSense (if you’re using it), Site Search, etc.It tends to have an e-commerce leaning, but it still works great for non-profit entities like us.It’s not perfect.Google Analytics basics and tweaksApril 13, 2010
- 5. Remember!Data doesn’t answer your problems, you do.Google Analytics basics and tweaksApril 13, 2010
- 6. Pros & consPros Free!
- 7. Relatively easy set-up.
- 8. Integrates with Google Site Search.
- 9. Lots of features that get update from time-to-time.Google Analytics basics and tweaksApril 13, 2010
- 10. Pros & consCons JavaScript-based.
- 11. Mobile users aren’t tracked very well.
- 12. File downloads aren’t tracked without some manipulation of the tracking code.
- 13. Log files are not used.
- 14. Google haz ur webz. OH NOEZ!!!Google Analytics basics and tweaksApril 13, 2010
- 15. Getting set upGet a Google account Even if you have a personal Google account, definitely get an account for the use of your department or entity.
- 16. Make it generic, i.e., not specific to analytics.
- 17. You can give other Google accounts access later, but a generic admin account is important to have.Google Analytics basics and tweaksApril 13, 2010
- 18. Getting set upSign up for and implement analytics Go through the steps and jump through the hoops
- 19. Get your tracking code and paste it into your site. If you already have the code make sure you’re not using the old urchin.js code. Don’t use this urchinTracker(); After 24 hours you should start seeing results.Google Analytics basics and tweaksApril 13, 2010
- 20. Site Search & AnalyticsA marriage made in heavenIf you’re using Google Site Search you can connect your site’s analytics with your search to leverage that information as well.Great tool for finding out: What your users are searching for
- 21. Where they’re searching for it
- 22. Whether or not they found itGoogle Analytics basics and tweaksApril 13, 2010
- 23. FiltersWhat are they?Filters – either predefined or custom – refine your site’s data as it comes into your site based off the filter’s settings.Predefined filters
- 24. Exclude traffic from the domains
- 25. Exclude traffic from the IP addresses
- 26. Exclude traffic to the subdirectories
- 27. Custom filters
- 28. Exclude & include patterns
- 29. Search & replace
- 30. Advanced
- 31. Uppercase / LowercaseGoogle Analytics basics and tweaksApril 13, 2010
- 32. FiltersCoupling filters with profilesFilters are set on a profile by profile basis. Because of this it is a good idea to have one profile that is complete and unaltered raw data. Then, create profile and filter pairs based off needs. Remember:Once you filter data in a profile it cannot be retrieved!MU Homepage profile/filter pairings Full Profile
- 33. Off-campus
- 35. Mobile users*
- 36. On-campus
- 37. Current studentsGoogle Analytics basics and tweaksApril 13, 2010
- 38. SegmentationWhat is it?Segments are much like filters, except they can be run on the fly over raw data and shared over profiles. Generally they are used for quicker, lower level information.Examples include segmenting out: Location, language
- 39. Browser, OS, System info.
- 40. Bounce rate, visits, unique pageviews, etc.
- 41. Mediums, campaigns, user defined variablesGoogle Analytics basics and tweaksApril 13, 2010
- 42. User taggingUsing setVarUser defined variables are ways of keeping track of the “whos” on your web site.Once you’ve tagged links or pages with the setVar code that user is tagged as the variable.You can then use this “user defined variable” within filters, segments or to cross-correlate other datum.As simple as adding this line of code to your GA script:pageTracker._setVar('Marketing/PR');Google Analytics basics and tweaksApril 13, 2010
- 43. ConversionsGoals and funnel visualizationGoals are basically “paths” through your site deemed valuable. If the path is completed fully then a goal has been successfully completed and “conversion” has occurred.To implement a goal you need to identify a tangible end result that you can measure from your site. Filling out a form
- 44. Purchasing an item (e-commerce)
- 45. Commenting on a blog entry
- 46. Applying to your school or collegeGoogle Analytics basics and tweaksApril 13, 2010
- 47. URL taggingCampaigns, sources, mediums, etc.You can add certain parameters to your links to infer more information about your users:Source – Usually the referring source of the link; domains.
- 48. Medium – banner, emails, text messages, etc.
- 49. Term – usually used for search terms.
- 50. Content – used to differentiate ads (images vs. text)
- 51. Name – campaign’s name, e.g., @Mizzou, “Fall campaign”.http://mizzouwire.missouri.edu/stories/2010/dog-days/index.php?utm_source=Homepage&utm_medium=webpage&utm_campaign=homepageBannerGoogle Analytics basics and tweaksApril 13, 2010
- 52. Other customizationsReportingThere are two types of reports Google Analytics can provide:Manual reporting – great if you’ve found a quick bit of data you’d like to save or send to people.
- 53. Scheduled reports – wonderful for keeping the boss in the loop, or just letting people know what they need to know on a recurring basis.Google Analytics basics and tweaksApril 13, 2010
- 54. Other customizationsIntelligence (Beta)Google describes it as a sort of “Analytics Assistant” that notifies you when something significant occurs.To take full advantage you can couple this with Goals or anything else to send you e-mails when something important occurs.Pay attention to “Significance”.Google Analytics basics and tweaksApril 13, 2010
- 55. Questions?Google Analytics basics and tweaksApril 13, 2010
- 56. The end.A Miller-Boyett ProductionDistributed by Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution
Editor's Notes
- #2: Lots of questions…just trying to get some information out there so we can discuss.I am in no way an expert in either web analytics or Google Analytics…I know *some* things, maybe more than most… and I can reasonably answer questions or help you find answers.I’ll try to bring up things that have been asked before. If there are questions, I’ll do my best to answer them…if I can’t, we’ll Google it!
- #5: Some ad blocking software will block GA…also if your JS is turned off you’re invisible.Who knows what the difference between page tagging and log analysis is?Nothing will do the work for you…you still must infer and solve questions from the data. The data doesn’t answer your questions you do.
- #6: Some ad blocking software will block GA…also if your JS is turned off you’re invisible.Who knows what the difference between page tagging and log analysis is?Nothing will do the work for you…you still must infer and solve questions from the data. The data doesn’t answer your questions you do.
- #8: JS. Current percentage disabled? ~5% of users. Mobile .See previous reason. Browsers that can handle JS will be tracked, though. Doesn't track downloads of files (images, PDFs, etc.) where the JS isn't housed right out of the box. Event tracking. Google hazurwebz. If you're paranoid about the GOOGLE MACHINE, then you might not like them having all your information. No log files. The data Google collects is stored in their servers. You can’t refilter historical data, nor can you re-analyze data based on changed settings. If you’ve been collecting data for a year in GA and decide to set up a goal for conversion tracking today, you will only be able to see the conversion data moving forward. If something happens to Google’s data, well, you’re out of luck.
- #9: Specific to: An example would be muwebcom and not muwebcomanalytics. You can use this across Googles apps.Other accounts: You can give other Google accounts access later. Why? Turnover, centralization, all users main access.
- #10: Show the little checkmark saying that analytics is installed. Show all the choices on the edit screen.After this slide run through each little piece showing the following things: Annotations Map Overlay Correlating Top Content with Source Dashboard Visitors (Show some neat data [Connection speed] and then change the views to percentage etc.) Traffic Sources ContentWe’ll come back to Intelligence and Goals
- #11: Use nursing.missouri.edu as an example to set up site search.Step through all the data returned, one-by-one.Explain adding a link to ROAR to the admissions.missouri.edu/housing/ page because of search data.
- #12: Show examples after next slide.
- #13: Make sure everyone understands how filters change data.Show MU Homepage filters. Show IP example. Explain how the mobile users filter works and explain why it’s not perfect…give Michael Feinen credit.
- #14: Show MU Homepage Off-campus example. Create a segment with a keyword or something. Ask the group? Then apply it to some data.
- #15: http://www.google.com/support/googleanalytics/bin/answer.py?answer=57045Show Current Students and Prospective Students example in missouri.edu as an advanced example. Give Paul credit. (mu-homepage-examples.txt)
- #16: Explain the importance of visualizing the goal before you try to put it in GA. Decide which pages are involved Step 1 -> Step 2 -> Step 3.Show fail of Admissions form change…
- #17: 5 dimensions of campaign tracking - http://www.google.com/support/googleanalytics/bin/answer.py?answer=55579URL builder - http://www.google.com/support/googleanalytics/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=55578Explain how a lot of referrers or sources (All Traffic Sources)are “(direct)” but that doesn’t really tell you much. Using tagging allows for you to explicitly say so.@mizzou example. Show the spike in traffic when @mizzou goes out.Nerd of the Year example. The day the NotY was announced on Facebook, Mar. 2, 2010. It seems as though there is a huge spike from what would appear to be Facebook. In reality it is just a large holdover from the homepage banner. Source reveals this.Homepage banner is a huge driver to our site.
- #18: Just give quick overview of this and demo.
- #19: Use the low setting on Mizzou Wire to add additional proof to the previous comment of changing the MU Homepage’s banner rotator.Make a few alert e-mails.
- #20: Event Tracking - http://code.google.com/apis/analytics/docs/tracking/eventTrackerGuide.html