Optimizing your Google Analytics setup in 9 steps

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "Optimizing your Google Analytics setup in 9 steps"

Clarissa Booker
5 years ago
Views:

1 Optimizing your Google Analytics setup in 9 steps October 2, 2012 PRNews Social Media Measurement Conference NYC Alhan Keser, Blue Fountain Media

2 Web Design / Development / Online Marketing Blue Fountain Media

3 Why a good GA setup matters

4 Why a good GA setup matters Gather accurate data

5 Why a good GA setup matters Gather accurate data Make GA work for you

6 Why a good GA setup matters Gather accurate data Make GA work for you Out-of-the-box vs. advanced setup

7 Why a good GA setup matters Gather accurate data Make GA work for you Out-of-the-box vs. advanced setup When it s decision making time, you ve got the data you need.

8 9 steps to a successful GA setup Get the basics right Implement all the way Filter out internal visitors Only track your website

9 9 steps to a successful GA setup Get the basics right Implement all the way Filter out internal visitors Only track your website Track more with GA 404s Docs & external links Social actions Smartphone actions Tag all URLs Connect with AdWords

10 Implement all the way

11 Implement all the way Why:

12 Implement all the way Why: It s easy to get it wrong

13 Implement all the way Why: It s easy to get it wrong Track all visitors

14 Implement all the way Why: It s easy to get it wrong Track all visitors Avoid incomplete visitor paths

15 Implement all the way How:

16 Implement all the way How: The right account number

17 Implement all the way How: The right account number Asynchronous code

18 Implement all the way How: The right account number Asynchronous code In <head> tag of html

19 Implement all the way How: The right account number Asynchronous code In <head> tag of html On all pages, only 1x

20 Implement all the way How: The right account number Asynchronous code In <head> tag of html On all pages, only 1x

21 Filter out internal visitors Your staff Your target audience Your website

22 Filter out internal visitors Why:

23 Filter out internal visitors Why: Making real visitor data less accurate

24 Filter out internal visitors Why: Making real visitor data less accurate Leading to potentially erroneous conclusions

25 Filter out internal visitors How:

26 Filter out internal visitors How: Filter by IP (most common)

29 Filter out internal visitors How: Filter by IP (most common) Filter by Custom Variable (more clever)

30 Step 1: Create a visitor-level custom variable on a page that only your internal visitors would visit. (Intranet, special URL, admin area, etc.) _gaq.push(['_setaccount', 'UA-XXXXXXX-1']); _gaq.push(['_setcustomvar', 1, 'Internal Visitor', 'Exclude', 1]); _gaq.push(['_trackpageview']);

31 Step 1: Create a visitor-level custom variable on a page that only your internal visitors would visit. (Intranet, special URL, admin area, etc.) _gaq.push(['_setaccount', 'UA-XXXXXXX-1']); _gaq.push(['_setcustomvar', 1, 'Internal Visitor', 'Exclude', 1]); _gaq.push(['_trackpageview']); Step 2: Create a filter to exclude these visitors.

32 Filter out internal visitors How: Filter by IP (most common) Filter by Custom Variable (more clever)

33 Only track your website Copycat 1 Your website Copycat 2

34 Only track your website Why:

35 Only track your website Why: It s easy for your GATC to be hijacked

36 Only track your website Why: It s easy for your GATC to be hijacked Hurts accuracy

37 Only track your website Why: It s easy for your GATC to be hijacked Hurts accuracy Easy to fix

38 Only track your website How:

39 Only track your website How: Create a filter to only track your domain(s)

40 Track 404s via GA Page Not Found

41 Track 404s via GA Why:

42 Track 404s via GA Why: Seeing error page good experience

43 Track 404s via GA Why: Seeing error page good experience Become self-reliant

44 Track 404s via GA How:

45 Track 404s via GA How: Modify the GATC on your 404 page template _gaq.push(['_trackpageview','/404error/' +document.location.pathname+document.location.search']);

46 Track 404s via GA How: Modify the GATC on your 404 page template _gaq.push(['_trackpageview','/404error/' +document.location.pathname+document.location.search']); 404 views show up in Content reports

47 Track docs & external links

48 Track docs & external links Why:

49 Track docs & external links Why: Better view of user paths

50 Track docs & external links Why: Better view of user paths Ability to attribute value to non-html content

51 Track docs & external links Why: Better view of user paths Ability to attribute value to non-html content Easy to implement

52 Track docs & external links How:

53 Track docs & external links How: Track links as virtual Pageviews

54 Track docs & external links How: Track links as virtual Pageviews Link without virtual Pageview tracking: <a href=" </a>

55 Track docs & external links How: Track links as virtual Pageviews Link without virtual Pageview tracking: <a href=" </a> With: <a href=" onclick="_gaq.push(['_trackpageview', '/pdfs/companybrochure.pdf']);"</a>

56 Track social actions

57 Track social actions Why:

58 Track social actions Why: Different from social sources

59 Track social actions Why: Different from social sources See trends & impact over time

60 Track social actions Why: Different from social sources See trends & impact over time Attribute value to button actions

61 Track social actions How:

62 Track social actions How: Use GA s tracksocial method _gaq.push(['_tracksocial', 'Facebook', 'Like', targeturl]);

63 Track social actions How: Use GA s tracksocial method _gaq.push(['_tracksocial', 'Facebook', 'Like', targeturl]); Instructions & examples:

64 Track smartphone actions Call Locate

65 Track smartphone actions Why:

66 Track smartphone actions Why: Attribute value to smartphone visitors

67 Track smartphone actions Why: Attribute value to smartphone visitors Set-up goals specifically for smartphones

68 Track smartphone actions How:

69 Track smartphone actions How: Add event tracking to phone number and map links

70 Track smartphone actions How: Add event tracking to phone number and map links Without tracking: <a href="tel: >Call Us</a>

71 Track smartphone actions How: Add event tracking to phone number and map links Without tracking: <a href="tel: >Call Us</a> With tracking: <a href="tel: " onclick="_gaq.push(['_trackevent', 'Mobile', 'Call']);">Call Us</a>

72 Track smartphone actions

73 Tag every URL utm_source=newsletter-customers &utm_medium= &utm_content=50offallmenscardigans &utm_campaign=fallsale2012

74 Tag every URL Why:

75 Tag every URL Why: Gather campaign-level information, across channels

76 Tag every URL Why: Gather campaign-level information, across channels Find optimal ad copy/creative/messaging

77 Tag every URL How: Campaign

78 Tag every URL How: Campaign 2012 Fall Sale Photo Contest

79 Tag every URL How: Campaign > Medium 2012 Fall Sale Photo Contest

80 Tag every URL How: Campaign > Medium 2012 Fall Sale Photo Contest cpc social

81 Tag every URL How: Campaign > Medium > Source 2012 Fall Sale Photo Contest cpc social

82 Tag every URL How: Campaign > Medium > Source 2012 Fall Sale Photo Contest cpc social Bing Customer Newsletter Facebook

83 Tag every URL How: Campaign > Medium > Source > Content 2012 Fall Sale Photo Contest cpc social Bing Customer Newsletter Facebook

84 Tag every URL How: Campaign > Medium > Source > Content 2012 Fall Sale cpc Bing Lowest Prices Photo Contest Customer Newsletter Tell Us Your Story social Facebook Send us Your Photo

85 Tag every URL How: Campaign > Medium > Source > Content Use Google s URL Builder:

86 Tag every URL How: Campaign > Medium > Source > Content Use Google s URL Builder: Use tagged URLs when shortening: Turn this: %2Bus%2Bfree&utm_campaign=Free%2BTrial%2B2012 into:

87 Tag every URL How: Use it for: Social shares s lists & signatures Digital documents QR Codes Non-Google advertising (such as adcenter)

88 Connect with AdWords

89 Connect with AdWords Why:

90 Connect with AdWords Why: Integrate cost data, placement, & more into GA

91 Connect with AdWords Why: Integrate cost data, placement, & more into GA Manage access

92 Connect with AdWords How:

93 Connect with AdWords How: Need user profile that is Admin in both AdWords and Analytics

94 Connect with AdWords How: Need user profile that is Admin in both AdWords and Analytics In AdWords, under Tools and Analysis > Google Analytics > Admin

96 Connect with AdWords How: Need user profile that is Admin in both AdWords and Analytics In AdWords, under Tools and Analysis > Google Analytics > Admin Select profiles with which you wish to integrate

99 9 steps to a successful GA setup Get the basics right Implement all the way Filter out internal visitors Only track your website Track more with GA 404s Docs & external links Social actions Smartphone actions Tag all URLs Connect with AdWords

100 Thank You. Alhan Keser, Blue Fountain Media Send questions to

Creating Campaign Tracking URLs

Creating Campaign Tracking URLs Best Practices Guide to Creating Campaign Tracking URLs Feb 2018 ToTheWeb LLC (650) 627.8800 success@totheweb.com STEPS 1 What is a Campaign Tracking URL? 2 When Should