VDPs are arguably the most important part of a dealer’s website and as the people responsible for its success, you need to know how well it’s performing so you can make the right decisions. Google analytics provides a ton of metrics to look at. But with so many ways to slice and dice these metrics, it’s often difficult to find out which ones are important and which ones are just noise. View Ian Cruickshank's session “VDP Traffic and Google Analytics - Are they really friends?” to learn how to cut through the clutter, correctly interpret the massive tangle that is google analytics and ultimately allow you to make the right decisions surrounding your digital strategy. VDP Direct Traffic and Google Analytics – Are They Really Friends? Ian Cruickshank, VP of Sales and Marketing, Speed Shift Media Session Category: Digital Marketing Session Level: Intermediate Primary Learning Objectives: Learn how to properly track VDP traffic separate from other site traffic. Understand the difference between sessions and clicks. Discover how site metrics like: Bounce, Time Spent and Pages Viewed are going to vary between VDP direct traffic and typical traffic. Session Description: Measuring VDP direct traffic is different from measuring other site traffic and we are doing to take a deep dive into those details. We’ll be assessing VDP direct traffic and taking a look into how to measure it appropriately within Google Analytics. Direct VDP traffic is different and it’s important to understand where your traffic is coming from, how the consumer behaviour path differs and what types of metrics you should focus on.

1. VDP Direct
Traffic and
Google
Analytics - Are
They Really
Friends?
Brought to you by

2. A bit about me…
Ian Cruickshank
Vice President of Sales & Marketing
Speed Shift Media
• Over 10 years in Marketing and Digital Advertising.
• Working with dealers, leading sales teams, consulting
on digital disruption, and as the head of sales and
marketing for a social media marketing firm in
Vancouver, BC.
• Masters in Business and IT Management
• Regular speaker and Adjunct Professor at the
University of British Columbia Sauder School of
Business.
• Most of all I love to be outside with my wife and boys
in Port Moody, BC.

10. VDP vs. GA
Vs.

11. Agenda
1. What is a VDP?
2. What is a VDP View?
3. What is a VDP Click?
4. The Google Machine
5. How to measure VDP Direct Traffic?
6. Clicks vs. Sessions WTF
7. The Typical Site Metrics
8. VDP Focused Site Metrics
9. What else can you do?

12. What is a VDP?
1.

13. What should a VDP be?

14. 11of6
2 3
4 5 6
1
2Contact Seller
3
$48,950$50,950
1. Great (Live!) Images and a Video
2. Consumer friendly description
3. A clear call to action
What should a VDP be?

15. The Key to a great VDP!
Source: Patrick Spenner and Karen Freeman from Corporate Executive Board – a consulting firm in the UK.

16. What is a VDP?
Check out Ian’s
presentation from
DD18 for more on
great VDP’s

17. What is a VDP View?
2.

18. What is a VDP View?
Website Visit
Page View
VDP View

19. The VDP View
1. 9 Million Reasons Why VDP Views Are The Metric That Matters, CDK Global/Cobalt, By Shaun Kehrberg, March 5, 2013

20. The VDP View
& increase sales

21. What is a VDP Direct Click?
3.

22. What is a VDP Click?
Open Road Used Lexus IS250 Port Moody

23. What is a VDP Click?

24. What is a VDP Click?

25. What is a VDP Click?

26. The Google Machine
4.

27. 1. Google Analytics - Free tool
1. Is it free?
2. Google’s Mission
3. Google Analytics is best designed for?
4. Google’s Share price…
A few thoughts about Google

28. A few thoughts about Google

29. How to measure
VDP Direct Traffic?5.

30. How to measure VDP Traffic?
Goals or Filters
Check out my
presentation from
DD18 for more on
goals and filters?

31. Clicks vs. Sessions WTF
6.

32. Clicks Vs. Sessions
What’s a click?

33. Clicks Vs. Sessions

34. Clicks Vs. Sessions

35. Clicks Vs. Sessions

36. Clicks Vs. Sessions
Super… So what’s a session?

37. Clicks Vs. Sessions
A session is a group of interactions
that take place on your website
within a given time frame.

38. 1. UTM Code
2. Click on the Ad
3. UTM Cookies needs to fire
1. What can prevent that?
1. Privat browsing
2. Cookies being turned off
3. Mobile phones
4. No page redirect
1. Mobile optimized site
2. Any other redirect
5. Page must fully load before a secondary click
How is a session recorded?
Urchin Tracking Module

39. Clicks Vs. Sessions
Trendlines

40. Clicks Vs. Sessions
What should I use sessions for?
Your sessions are the most valuable
tool to track traffic quality.

41. Clicks Vs. Sessions
What should you use sessions for?

42. The Typical Site Metrics
7.

43. Typical Traffic Quality Metrics
1. Time on Site
2. Pages Viewed
3. Bounce Rate
4. Conversions (Significant Actions)
The Metrics

44. What’s with this bounce rate?
Avinash Kaushik
Analytics Evangelist,
Google
"I Came,
I Puked, I Left"

45. What’s with this bounce rate?
Bounce Rate is the percentage of single-page sessions (i.e. sessions in which the
person left your site from the entrance page without interacting with the page).
There are a number of factors that contribute to a high bounce rate. For
example, users might leave your site from the entrance page if there are site
design or usability issues. Alternatively, users might also leave the site after
viewing a single page if they've found the information they need on that
one page, and had no need or interest in going to other pages.
if they've found the information they need

46. What’s with this bounce rate?
The Punch Line Effect
VDP
SRP VDPSearchLanding PageWeb Ad
AUTOREVIEW
Smith
Autos
x
Learn More
Smith Autos
Web Ad
AUTOREVIEW
Smith
Autos
x
Learn More
Smith Autos

47. The Data

48. The Data

49. The Data

50. The Data
Check out my
presentation from
DD18 for more
examples?

51. The Data
Values
Average
of
Bounce
Rate
Average
of
Pages
/
Session
Average
of
Avg.
Session
Duration
New
Visitors 46.15% 2.68 2:18
Min
Returning
Visitors 34.76% 4.37 4:55
Min
Source: Primary Data, Speed Shift Media
11.39% 1.69P 2:37M

52. VDP Focused Site Metrics
8.

53. VDP Traffic Metrics
1. Increase VDP Traffic
2. Return Rate
3. Source Efficiency
The Metrics

54. VDP Source Efficiency
Source: Primary Data, Speed Shift Media
SRP VDPSearchLanding PageWeb Ad
AUTOREVIEW
Smith
Autos
x
Learn More
Smith Autos
VDP
Web Ad
AUTOREVIEW
Smith
Autos
x
Learn More
Smith Autos
1000 750 500 250

55. VDP Source Efficiency
Source: Primary Data, Speed Shift Media

56. VDP Source Efficiency
*Percentage of Auto Audience Network ad which deliver a VDP, the alternate click is typically an SRP Click

57. VDP Traffic Metrics
1. Increase VDP Traffic
2. Return Rate
3. Source Efficiency
4. Your Google Analytics Setup
1. Events
The Metrics

58. Example: No events tracking on VDP
If someone were to:
• View dozens of vehicle photos
• Watch a video
• Submit a lead form
But never view a new page…
GA Setup for VDP

59. GA Setup for VDP Keep an eye
out for Events
setup tips in the
coming weeks

60. What else can you do?
9.

61. What else can you do?
1. DFA - DoubleClick for Advertisers
2. 1X1 Tracking Pixels
3. Test paid analytics solutions
1. KISSMetrics
2. Woopra
3. FoxMetrics
4. SiteCatalyst
5. Coremetrics
4. Trust - your partners

62. Summary
Now you know about:
1. VDP
2. VDP Views
3. VDP Clicks
4. The Google Machine
5. Measure VDP Direct
Traffic?
6. Clicks vs. Sessions
7. Typical Site Metrics
8. VDP Focused Site Metrics
9. and a few other tricks.

63. VDP vs. GA
Vs.

64. Confidential © Copyright Speed Shift Media
Questions?

65. Please feel free to
follow up with any
questions you may
have at any time.
Ian Cruickshank
VP of Sales & Marketing
email ian@speedshiftmedia.com
office 604.520.9177 ext. 225
mobile 778.997.9474
The most-targeted and effective
automotive ads in the market today.
Or visit us at our booth #237