An introduction to Google Analytics

Google Analytics Joris Roebben ( [email_address] ) Tom Michiels ( [email_address] ) www.queromedia.com

1. Introduction

What is Google Analytics?

urchin.js GA.js 2004 2005 2007

Conventions

GA = Google Analytics

GATC = Google Analytics Tracking Code

Google Analytics advantages

Free

Sufficiant possibilities for most companies

Easy to implement

Easy to use

Easy to understand

Google Analytics disadvantages

URL and title based

No data history

Privacy ?

JavaScript and cookies

Only visitors, no crawlers or bots

2. Google Analytics interface

Dashboard

Add / remove elements

Personalized

Calendar

Reporting

XML

PDF

CSV

TSV

Send now

Schedule

3. Setup Google Analytics

Create Google Account

Free

No spam

Gmail = OK

Best practice for GA accounts

Create GA account on [email_address]

Add [email_address] as administrator

Add [email_address] as reviewer

Advantage: structure

Sign up

Login

Create GA account

Get the GATC

Google Analytics Tracking Code

Old vs. New one

urchin.js vs. GA.js

urchin.js

Old code

Can still be used

GA.js

New code

New features not yet available

Host your own GATC

Possible

Not advised

Check your installation

Put code just before </body>

Loads pages faster

No problem if GA offline

Easy implementation

All HTML-files: lot of work

Dynamic site: look for footer inclusion

CMS: look for templates

Put GATC on ALL pages !!!

Correct data = essential

Access manager

Give access to GA account

Must be Google account

Administrator or View Reports only

Add user

4. Adding AdWords to Google Analytics

Use GA in AdWords interface

AdWords reports in GA

Step 1: check GATC

Make sure every page on website is tagged with GATC

Step 2: Login to Google AdWords

www.google.com/adwords as Administrator

Step 3: Tab Analytics

Click on the tab Analytics

Step 4: Link to existing GA account

Step 5: Account preferences

Make sure auto-tagging is on !

5. Profiles and Filters

Are the real strength of GA

Segment data

Deep analysis

Depending on needs

Start collecting data when created

Best practices

Profile with ALL data

Testing profile

Data needed for profile

Website URL

Profile Name

Time Zone

Default Page

Exclude parameters

E-commerce website

Search

GATC for different profiles <script src="http://www.google-analytics.com/urchin.js" type="text/javascript"> </script> <script type="text/javascript"> _uacct = "UA- 123456-1 "; urchinTracker(); </script> <script src="http://www.google-analytics.com/urchin.js" type="text/javascript"> </script> <script type="text/javascript"> _uacct = "UA- 123456-2 "; urchinTracker(); </script> <script src="http://www.google-analytics.com/urchin.js" type="text/javascript"> </script> <script type="text/javascript"> _uacct = "UA- 654321-1 "; urchinTracker(); </script>

Filters

Applied to profile

Change data (forever!)

Segmentation

Business rules

2 sorts: predefined and custom

Test profile

How do filters work?

3 components

Filter Type

Filter Fields

Filter Pattern

Filter data before submitting it to GA DB

Multiple filters

No problem

Multiple filters applied to data

Data output filter 1 is input filter 2

Be careful !!!

Wrong conclusions

Filterfields

37 fields

Field = pageview attribute

Regular fields and user defined fields

Regular: request URI, hostname, referral, page title, browser, IP address,...

User defined: campaign name, source, campaign term, e-commerce variables,...

Possible values for Filterfields

Check GA reports !!!

Lists not yet available

Filter Patterns

Pattern is applied to filterfield

If ok, data registered

If not ok, data neglected

Build patterns using RegEx

RegEx = set of characters, representative for bigger set of data

Filter Type

10 different types

3 predefined

7 custom

5.1 Exclude all traffic from a domain

5.2 Exclude all traffic from an IP address IP ranges with RegEx !!!

5.3 Include only traffic to a subdirectory

5.4 Include / Exclude filter (1)

5.5 Search and replace filter (1)

5.5 Search and replace filter (2)

No RegEx !!!

Changes data !!!

5.6 Uppercase / Lowercase filter

5.7 Lookup table filter

Not available in GA

Only old Urchin customers

~Search and replace filter

Text file

5.8 Advanced filters

Change data fields

By combining elements

2 filter fields: Field A and Field B

Extract field = Constructor

RegEx !!!

Examples of advanced filters (1)

Examples of advanced filters (2)

6. Custom segmentation

Segment data

_utmv cookie

JavaScript function _utmSetVar()

On pages tagged with GATC

Applied to HTML attributes as onLoad(), onChange(), onSubmit()

Only 1 cookie per visitor (website)

Custom segmentation example

Custom segmentation code

Everyone = visitor (“not set”)

When registered = member

When completed buy = customer

Report: Visitors > User defined

User Defined Values

RegEx Regular expressions are used to match or capture portions of a field using wildcards and metacharacters. They are often used for text manipulation tasks. Most of the filters included in Google Analytics use these expressions to match the data and perform an action when a match is achieved. For instance, an exclude filter is designed to exclude the hit if the regular expression in the filter matches the data contained in the field specified by the filter. Regular expressions are text strings that contain characters, numbers, and wildcards. Note that these wildcard characters can be used literally by escaping them with a backslash ''. For example, when entering www.google.com , escape the periods with a backslash: www.google.com

RegEx

. match any single character

* match zero or more of the previous items

+ match one or more of the previous items

? match zero or one of the previous items

() remember contents of parenthesis as item

[] match one item in this list

create a range in a list

| or

^ match to the beginning of the field

$ match to the end of the field

escape any of the above

More: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regex

7. Goals

Conversions ?

Conversion rate

Reports

Success of site

“ Thank you” page

Max. 4 per profile

Contact – buy – download - register

Setting up goals

Goals howto

Match type

Goal value

Choose good name

Unique “thank you” page per conversion

Keep track of filters

Goals visualisation (1)

Goals visualisation (2)

Funnels

Extension of goals

Predefined steps

Track conversion process

Required steps ?

Funnel visualisation

8. E-commerce tracking

Not accounting

Use it to find trends

No absolute figures !!!

Implementing E-commerce tracking

Activate E-commerce tracking in profile

Add code below GATC

Extra reports

Data from transaction needs to be transfered to GA

1 Transaction

Multiple items

urchin.js vs. GA.js

E-commerce for GA.js <script src="http://www.google-analytics.com/ga.js" type="text/javascript"></script> <script type="text/javascript"> var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-XXXXX-1"); pageTracker._initData(); pageTracker._addTrans( "1234", // Order ID "partner", // Affiliation "2500.25", // Total "200.25", // Tax "3", // Shipping "Brussels", // City "Brabant", // State "Belgium" // Country ); pageTracker._addItem( "1234", // Order ID "MTB25", // SKU "Mountainbike", // Product Name "Off-road", // Category "1500", // Price "1" // Quantity ); pageTracker._addItem( "1234", // Order ID "MTB44", // SKU "Mountainbike", // Product Name "Cross", // Category "1000.25", // Price "1" // Quantity ); pageTracker._trackTrans(); </script>

Complete process

E-commerce reports

9. Tips & Tricks: Site Search

Tips & Tricks: Event tracking

Downloads, clicks, ...

Urchintracker() generates pageview

Pageviews in reports

Naming !

Tips & Tricks: Multi-domain tracking

Website on multiple domains

Most often used for external checkout

Transfer content of first party cookies to other domain

urchin.js vs. GA.js

Multi-domain tracking urchin.js (1)

Change GATC

Multi-domain tracking urchin.js (2)

Change cross-domain links

<a href="https://www.secondsite.com/?login=parameters">Log in Now</a> <script type="text/javascript"> document.write('<a href="javascript:__utmLinker(' https://www.secondsite.com/?login=parameters');">Log in Now</a>'); </script> <noscript> <a href=" https://www.secondsite.com/?login=parameters ">Log in Now</a> </noscript>

Multi-domain tracking GA.js (1)

Change GATC

Multi-domain tracking GA.js (2)

Change cross-domain links

<a href="https://www.secondsite.com/?login=parameters">Log in Now</a> <script type="text/javascript"> document.write(‘<a href="javascript:pageTracker._link('https://www.secondsite.com/?login=parameters');">Log in Now</a>'' );</script> <noscript> <a href="https://www.secondsite.com/?login=parameters">Log in Now</a> </noscript>

Tips & Tricks: Tracking outbound links

Creating pageviews

Using UrchinTracker()

Pageviews in reports

Naming !

Tips & Tricks: Tagging inbound links http://www.website.com/pagina.html http://www.website.com/pagina.html?utm_source=partner&utm_medium=banner&utm_campaign=nl&utm_term=zoekwoord

Adjust cookies

~Google AdWords auto-tagging

Not all parameters are required

10. Conclusion

11. Roundup 1. Create a Google Analytics account. 2. Analyze the website. 3. Create and Configure profiles. a) Create filters. b) Create goals and funnels. c) Create recommended profiles. 4. Edit the tracking code. 5. Modify the web site. 6. Add the tracking code to web site pages. 7. Tag marketing campaigns. 8. Enable e-commerce transaction tracking. 9. Implement custom segmentation. 10. Configure other administrative features. a) User accounts and report access. b) Automated email report delivery.

12. Q & A