Google Analytics tips including events, custom variables, multi-channel funnels, custom reports and more. From my #SearchFest presentation on February 24, 2012.

1. Making Google Analytics
Work For You
Mike Pantoliano
@MikeCP
Lead SEO Consultant
distilled

2. “Advanced” Analytics
Answers important questions regardless of
your web analytics package

3. GA‟s Increasing Flexibility
• Event Tracking
• Custom Reports _setCustomVar,
• Advanced
Segments „Whatever-The-Hell-
You-Want‟
• Custom Variables
• More

4. (not provided)

5. Rabble Rabble Rabble
(stupid not provided)

6. Extrapolate
or
Ignore

7. Extrapolation
• Imprecise and Untrustworthy
• Only going to get worse

8. Ignore
I know, it hurts.

9. Custom Reports

10. Custom Reports
This is annoying

11. Custom Reports
Build end-to-end reports for easier analysis!
http://dis.tl/ActldX

12. Events
_trackEvent(category, action, opt_label, opt_value, opt_noninteraction)

13. Checkout Errors & Alerts
<p>Please enter valid payment information.</p>

14. Checkout Errors & Alerts
<p onload=“_gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'Checkout
Errors', 'Please enter valid payment
information.‟]);”>Please enter valid payment
information.</p>

16. Other Event Ideas
• Video Plays - http://dis.tl/xq941K (google.com)
• Button Clicks - Same as above
• File Downloads - http://dis.tl/x56Qic (blastam.com)
• Content Scroll Analysis - http://dis.tl/y3urWb
(cutroni.com)
• Site Exits

17. Event Caveat
Watch Your Bounce Rate!

18. Event Caveat
Watch Your Bounce Rate!
_trackEvent(category, action, opt_label, opt_value, opt
_noninteraction)

19. Entourage.js for File
Downloads
http://dis.tl/xsT12z

20. Custom Variables
_setCustomVar(index, name, value, opt_scope)

21. Organic Ranking
How-to: http://bit.ly/90zcJT

22. Blog & Social ROI
_gaq.push(['_setCustomVar',1,'social','blog entrant',1]);

23. More Custom Variable Ideas
• Blog Post Author
• Blog Post Year
• Repeat Purchaser
• Logged In/Member

24. Custom Variable Caveat
Must be paired (above) with a _trackEvent or
_trackPageview

25. Custom Alerts

26. The Basics
• Traffic Drops
• Bounce Rate Increases
• Conversion Drops

27. Advanced Metrics
Long Tail Traffic Drop
RegEx for 3 or more keywords:
^s*[^s]+(s+[^s]+){2,}s*$

28. Advanced Metrics
Checkout Error Increases

29. Roll Up Accounts

30. Cross-(sub)Domain
• Can get complicated
• Don‟t forget to create secondary trackers
_setAccount(UA-XXXXX-1)
_trackPageview
b._setAccount(UA-XXXXX-2)
b._trackPageview
• Make sure your matched up exactly -
_setDomainName - _setAllowLinker

31. Using Filters
“/” “www.domain.com/”

32. A Specific Problem
Folding a new subdomain in
How to not mess with historical data
^(www.example.com|example.com)(.*)$

33. Multi-Channel Funnels

37. Assisted / Last Interaction
Ratio

38. But Wait! Let‟s Segment...

39. AdWords Awesomeness!
Campaign
Soccer Jerseys
AC Milan
AC Milan Away
JerseyTime.com

40. Affiliates Taking Too Much
Credit

41. Multi-Channel Funnel
Caveats / Limitations

42. It‟s Not Attribution Modeling
30 days only
No cost or impression data (outside of
AdWords)
No one size fits all!

43. Last Click
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
1 2 3 4 5

44. First Click
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
1 2 3 4 5

45. Even Attribution
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
1 2 3 4 5

46. U - Curve
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
1 2 3 4 5

47. Time Degrading
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
1 2 3 4 5

48. Watch for (not provided)
t.co is a referral in stock
channels!

49. Excel Magic
Excellent Analytics http://bit.ly/izpY69
http://bit.ly/excel-ninja

50. Thanks!
Mike Pantoliano
@MikeCP
mike.pantoliano@distilled.
net