PAGE NAMING STRATEGIES Naming Yur Pages in SiteCatalyst May 14, 2007 Versin 1.1
CHAPTER 1 1 Page Naming The pagename variable is used t identify each page that will be tracked n the web site. If the pagename variable is nt ppulated with a defined value (e.g. "Hme") then SiteCatalyst will recrd the URL as the page name. Since the page name is central t yur SiteCatalyst reprts, make sure that all parties in yur rganizatin agree n a strategy befre yu implement SiteCatalyst. Depending n the cntent management system yur site uses, it is ften helpful t add cntent elements t yur system that can be used t ppulate SiteCatalyst variables. Many cmpanies find that mst SiteCatalyst variables can be ppulated frm existing cntent management elements. 1.1 Page Naming Strategies The pagename variable shuld be ppulated with an easy-t-read, intuitive page identifier. The fllwing methds utline varius ways f ppulating the pagename variable.! NOTE: Yu can determine the best way f ppulating the pagename variable by lking at the structure f yur web site. While the pagename variable is central t identifying user behavir, Omniture recmmends using multiple variables t indicate page infrmatin. The best page naming strategies use a different variable fr each level f hierarchy within yur site, as shwn belw. The channel variable can be used t indicate the site sectin. The pagename variable can be used t shw cntent type. A custm insight variable (prp1) can be used fr detailed cntent. Table 1-A: Levels f Detail can Vary by Prperty Variable Level f Detail Example Channel General Sectin Electrnics Prp1 Sub Sectin Sprts : Lcal Sprts PageName General Cntent Descriptin Lans : Hme Mrtgage : Rate Cmparisn Prp2 Detailed Cntent Descriptin Electrnics : Ntebk PC : Detailed Specs : IBM Thinkpad T20 The mre layered yur site is, the mre variables shuld be used t identify page cntent. Cmpanies als find value in allwing fr verlap between variables. Fr example, a mre detailed variable may cntain infrmatin nt nly abut the prduct being viewed, but als abut the site sectin and sub sectin, which can be particularly helpful when a prduct r article may appear in mre than ne sectin f the site. The fllwing page naming strategies describe hw t ppulate the pagename variable. While it is tempting t chse the page naming strategy that is easiest t implement, the page naming strategy largely determines the usability f all Path and Page Reprts. In shrt, use cautin when deciding hw pages will be named. Page Naming Strategies 1
PAGE NAMING 1.1.1 Unique Name fr Each Page The mst valuable methd f naming pages is t give each page a unique identifier that is easily understd by all SiteCatalyst users in yur rganizatin. Examples f page names include Hme Page, Electrnics Department Hme, and Sprts : Lcal Sprts : High Schl. Mst SiteCatalyst users find that hierarchical page names are useful in bth identifying where the page is fund n the site, and its purpse. The fllwing table shws sme sample page names fr varius industries. Table 1-B: Sample Page Names fr Varius Industries Cnversin Media Finance Hme Page Hme Page Hme Page Electrnics Technlgy Hme Lans Electrnics : Ntebk PCs Technlgy : New Gadgets Hme Lans : Rate Cmpare Electrnics : Ntebk PCs : Prduct Page Technlgy : New Gadgets : Article Page Hme Lans : Rate Cmpare : 10 Year Fixed 1.1.2 File Path (Nt the Full URL) Fr sme sites, the file path is clear and therefre easily read. Therefre, any business user can read a URL and determine the page t which the file path refers. If this is the case fr yur site, yu can use a server-side variable t ppulate the path t the file int the pagename variable, as shwn belw. s.pagename="<%= file_path %>" Omniture des nt recmmend leaving the pagename blank (which results in using the full URL f the page) even thugh yu may be tempted t d s. The fllwing side effects are caused by leaving the pagename variable blank and using the pageurl as the page identifier. The dmain and path f a page may nt always be displayed identically. Fr example, the fllwing fur URLs return a single page. http://www.mysite.cm/index.jsp http://www.mysite.cm http://mysite.cm/index.jsp http://mysite.cm/ If the pagename is left blank, each f these page names wuld shw separately in SiteCatalyst. Sme pages (e.g. frms) pst t themselves, thereby erasing any distinctin between the riginal frm and the resulting utput. When yur page is translated int anther language by search engines r ther nline tls, the URL f the page is the URL f the search engine (nt the URL f yur site). 1.1.3 HTML Title (dcument.title) If yu have invested time int making yur HTML titles readable and intuitive, yu might cnsider using the same title as the value in the pagename variable. Hwever, Omniture recmmends using a server-side variable t ppulate the pagename rather than using JavaScript s dcument.title because sme brwsers will interpret the HTML title differently than thers, which may cause SiteCatalyst t receive different page names frm different brwsers. Page Naming Strategies 2
PAGE NAMING The best practice fr using the HTML title is t cpy the existing titles fr each page int a separate variable r cntent management element. When yu decide t make changes t the HTML title fr search engine ptimizatin r ther purpses, the SiteCatalyst page names will nt be affected.! NOTE: If a page name changes in SiteCatalyst, it becmes a new page and is nt cnnected with the ld page name, regardless f the assciated URL. 1.2 Optimum Path Engine The Pathing Reprts in SiteCatalyst use the value f the pagename variable (r the URL if pagename is blank) t shw the paths peple take thrugh yur site. While path reprts are shwn fr page names by default, yu can enable Path Reprts fr ther variables in SiteCatalyst. Thus, yu can see path reprts by site sectin, sub sectin, r detailed cntent sectin. 1.3 Changing Page Names in SiteCatalyst The Page Naming Tl may be used t change page names as they appear in SiteCatalyst, r in ther wrds, t give pages friendlier names. This tl allws yu t change the displayed page name rather than the value f the pagename variable in rder t imprve the readability f yur reprts. Since mst SiteCatalyst users expect the pagename variable t match the value shwn in SiteCatalyst reprts, using this tl may cause cnfusin within yur rganizatin. Additinally, this tl des nt cmbine pages, even if they are given identical names. U WARNING!: If yu wish t mdify the page name, Omniture strngly recmmends that yu edit the existing page name implementatin rather than using this tl. Hwever, if yu want t use the PageName Tl, d s with cautin, and nly after yu fully understand the effects f ding s. An Omniture best practice is t create a lg f changes t the page name when using the Page Naming Tl. The Page Naming Tl is mst ften used frm the Mst Ppular Pages Reprt. By clicking a page name line item in the Mst Ppular Pages Reprt, administratrs have the ptin t rename the page by selecting the text in the text bx and typing ver it. Figure 1-A: Page Naming Tl in the Mst Ppular Pages Reprt Page Naming Strategies 3
PAGE NAMING 1.3.1 Using the Name Pages Tl in the Settings Tab The Name Pages Tl is used t add friendly names t the pages f yur web site s that when the page name is displayed in a reprt, yu can view the data and the crrespnding web page name in an easy-t-read frmat.! NOTE: The rder that pages appear in the Name Pages Tl is the same rder in which they appear in the Mst Ppular Pages reprt fr the current mnth. The frmat f the Name Pages Tl can be misleading because it directs the user t believe that each page in the system has a unique URL with ne assciated page name, which is nt the case. In fact, yu may have multiple URLs assciated with a single page name. Only administratrs r grups that have specifically been given access t the Page Naming Tl can use it t rename pages. It is imprtant that nly a few peple have access t the Page Naming Tl in rder t avid prblems with page renaming. If a page is renamed, yu may nt recgnize it in the Pathing r Mst Ppular Pages Reprts. SiteCatalyst des nt recrd when a user changes a page name, but des recrd when a user views the Name Pages Tl. Yu can view the Page Renaming Lg by clicking the Permissins Tab and then accessing the Security and Access Lg. The Event Type is Tl Viewed and the Event is Name Pages Viewed. 1.3.2 String Page Names in SiteCatalyst Every Page View recrded in SiteCatalyst came frm a page with a specific page name, which is either the URL f the page r the value f the pagename variable. Omniture recmmends that yu use the pagename variable, t name pages because it ffers the mst flexibility in defining a page. When SiteCatalyst receives a page view, ne f the first steps taken is t update the database table cntaining the page names. The fllwing example shws the rganizatin f the database table. Table 1-C: Database Table Organizatin (The Hash) Key (Hash) Page Name URL cfe6e34 Hme Page http://mysite.cm d2ed34 http://mysite.cm/sitemap.asp http://mysite.cm/sitemap.asp 9a2168 Partial Site Map http://mysite.cm/sitemap.asp?id=35! NOTE: The Key Clumn in the table abve is created frm the riginal page name as it enters SiteCatalyst. The pagename clumn cntains the current page name value, which may be altered via the Page Naming Tl. 1.3.3 Additinal Ntes The nly way t und the page renaming is t revert back t riginal page name sent t SiteCatalyst. Keep a lg f changed pages in the Ntes Sectin f Mst Ppular Pages Reprt. Put a reference in the Ntes Sectin f where the lg shuld be kept. 1.4 Unique Value Limits While SiteCatalyst can easily track millins f prducts and transactins that happen n the site everyday, Omniture recmmends that the number f unique pagename values be kept within a mnthly threshld f 250,000 unique page names. If the threshld is maintained in the reprts, the interface and data typically respnd better. Page Naming Strategies 4
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