Hardcore Analytics - How to Avoid Getting Embarrassed by Dirty Data

How to avoid gettingembarrassed by dirty data @rachaelgerson

@rachaelgersonSEER Interactive The Search ChurchGA Top ContributorTech geekData junkie

Links to EVERYTHING will be on last slide

Why is getting good data important? Everyone has to be accountable

We’ve all been there

GA is used on 95% of sites

Issues are typically either… Code / site issues, GA setup issues (filters, settings, goals, etc), OR User knowledge issues

So let’s be GA detectives for the next 10 minutes

Here are some initialquestions you should ask inorder to avoid dirty data

Section 1: Site Issues

Question 1Is your GA code on everypage of the site?

Missing GA code =incomplete data

Use Screaming Frog to check for code screamingfrog.co.uk/seo-spider/

Already scanned site in last month?Know your GA code’s on every page? +1

Tip: Make sure GA code is alsoon 404 and internal site search result pages!

Question 2Do you have more than oneset of the same GA code?

1) Look for pages with amazing bounce rates Standard > Content > Site Content > Landing Pages

How to find 2) Open the source code for these pages 3) Search for ga.js

How to find You should only find one instance with the same UA! 2 If only 1, +1

Question 3Do you have more than 1 domainor a domain + subdomain?

What’s your site? Single Domain: www.seerinteractive.com 1 Domain + Subdomain: www.seerinteractive.com and blog.seerinteractive.com Multiple Domains: www.seerinteractive.com and www.thesearchchurch.com

Multiple domains / subdomainsmeans you need different GA code

Find it in GA Oh noes seerinteractive.com Traffic Sources > Sources > Referrals

If you have multiple domains orsubdomains, check source code+1 if GA code contains a line with _gaq.push([_setDomainName

Filter to show full domain in GA If using filter, +1

Question 4Do you run an ecommercesite?

If yes, GA ecommerce tracking

If using ecommerce tracking(and it’s populating all the data) +1

Section 2: GA Setup Issues

Question 5Are you reporting on yourown visits?

Don’t want to report on our own visits

GA makes it ridiculously easy to block our visits

If you don’t know IP, ask Google

Exclude IP Address +1 if using filter

Question 6Is your GA code used onother sites?

What happens when your code is placed on another site?Affects visits, bounce rate, conversion rate… EVERYTHING

How to find in GA What we hope to see: Audience > Technology > Network > Hostname

Include Hostname filter +1 if using filter

Aa Bb Cc Dd EeQuestion 7Are you addressingcapitalization?

Google Analytics does not know these are the same page: domain.com/Analytics domain.com/analytics domain.com/AnAlYtIcS

Lowercase filter +1 if using filter

Question 8Are you tagging yourmarketing efforts?

Google Analytics URL Builderhttp://www.seerinteractive.com/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=june

If properly tagging marketing efforts +1

Includes paid search – Need tomanually tag everything except AdWords

Google AnalyticsAdWords

Quick check Click one of your paid search ads. Does URL have either utm parameters or gclid? If yes, +1

Section 3: User Knowledge Issues

Question 9Are you comparing brandedorganic traffic to non-branded?

Due to (not provided), we can no longer accurately report on this number

Tried applying branded vs non-branded ratios

Instead, focus on landing pages

(np) – PageUsing this filter OR this report? +1

Question 10Did you make a filter mistake?

Doesn’t get much moreembarrassing than user errors

Couple of the recent filter errors I’ve seen

“Someone on SEOmoz shared the coolest filter!”Implemented filter wrong on the only profile = NO DATA

“I want to only include my hostname”Made the filter exclude rather than include = NO DATA

Raw Data Profile Filters: None Goals: All, once tested +1 for Raw Data profile

Test Profile Filters: Any being tested Goals: All existing + all being tested +1 for Test profile

Main Profile Filters: All applicable filters, once tested Goals: All applicable goals, once tested

It takes time to develop all of theseprofiles, often replicating the same settings multiple times

Question 11Do you really understand GA??

Frequent mistake Required first step in goals Do you really understand GA? +1

Question 12How can I get access to myaccount?

Currently only two GA user types: Administrator & User

Personal favor to me: Please make sure you have at leasttwo Admin AND know the login info

How to see admin Admin > Profiles > Users

At least two Admin, +1

Final Report Card GA code – every page Tagging paid search Only 1 set of same UA Brand vs Non-Brand Domain / Subdomain Raw Data profile Using ecomm tracking Test profile Exclude Internal Understand GA Hostname Account access Capitalization Extra – Domain filter Tagging marketing

Report Card Grades A+ 13 points A 11-12 points B 9-10 points C 7-8 points D 5-6 points F 4 or lower

@rachaelgersonbit.ly/smx-2012-analytics

Hardcore Analytics - How to Avoid Getting Embarrassed by Dirty Data

by Rachael Gerson on Jun 05, 2012

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Hardcore Analytics - How to Avoid Getting Embarrassed by Dirty Data Presentation Transcript

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