The document discusses tips and tricks for improving data quality in Google Analytics. It provides examples of tracking additional metrics like weather and page visibility. It emphasizes understanding data collection mechanisms and moving beyond aggregate metrics to combine, segment, and visualize data. Custom dimensions and tags can be used to inject semantic data for crawlers. Overall it stresses that high quality data requires understanding how the data is collected and earned, not acquired.

1. Reaktor
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www.reaktor.com
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©2015 Reaktor
All rights reserved
MEANINGFUL DATAInventive Google Analytics Tips, Tricks, and Hacks
@SimoAhava | 22 September 2015 | Best Internet

2. Simo Ahava
Senior Data Advocate, Reaktor
@SimoAhava from @ReaktorNow | 22 Sept 2015
Google Developer Expert, Google Analytics
Blogger, developer, www.simoahava.com
Twitter-er, @SimoAhava
Google+:er, +SimoAhava

3. Plug-and-play Analytics
@SimoAhava from @ReaktorNow | 22 Sept 2015
Data quality isn’t acquired — It’s earned.

4. Google Analytics is a tool
designed to work for
9,352,458*
different businesses.
* Author’s estimate, not an official figure
@SimoAhava from @ReaktorNow | 22 Sept 2015

5. It is thus conceivable
Google doesn’t know
what your business
objectives are.
@SimoAhava from @ReaktorNow | 22 Sept 2015

6. 23.75 %
@SimoAhava from @ReaktorNow | 22 Sept 2015

7. 23.75 %
Dear CMO, last month, the Ecommerce Conversion Rate on our site
was…
…which is an uplift of 3.45% compared to the previous month!
@SimoAhava from @ReaktorNow | 22 Sept 2015

8. 2,342,566
Dear CMO, last month, the number of sessions to our site was…
…which is an uplift of 3.45% compared to the previous month!
Digital Analytics Café 20-May-2015 | @SimoAhava

9. Definition of a Session
Group of interactions that takes place on a website
That expires after 30 minutes of inactivity…
Or at the end of they day…
Or when acquisition campaign changes…
Unless the referral is in the Referral Exclusion List…
Or traffic is cross-domain, and cross-domain tracking is implemented…
Unless it’s implemented incorrectly…
Which is likely since it’s so !#/%(“% difficult…
Unless you’re using Google Tag Manager…
Except if you’ve implemented THAT incorrectly…
There’s also the sessionControl parameter…
@SimoAhava from @ReaktorNow | 22 Sept 2015

10. @SimoAhava from @ReaktorNow | #2015ac | 8–11
X

11. This has two major implications on
how we collect, process, and
analyse the data.
@SimoAhava from @ReaktorNow | 22 Sept 2015

12. Stay away from
aggregate metrics.
1
@SimoAhava from @ReaktorNow | 22 Sept 2015

13. Stay away from
aggregate metrics.
Combine, segment,
visualize, predict.1
@SimoAhava from @ReaktorNow | 22 Sept 2015

14. All metrics and dimensions used by
a platform subscribe to the
schemas of said platform!
GPeC Summit 11-May-2015 | @SimoAhava from @ReaktorNow

15. All metrics and dimensions used by
a platform subscribe to the
schemas of said platform!
GPeC Summit 11-May-2015 | @SimoAhava from @ReaktorNow
Sessionization Schema

16. Plug-and-play metrics
are session outcomes.
Measure the funnels
that produce them.2@SimoAhava from @ReaktorNow | 22 Sept 2015

17. Tweaks & Tricks
To improve data quality at data collection time.
@SimoAhava from @ReaktorNow | 22 Sept 2015

18. Track content with Ecommerce

19. Setup Enhanced Ecommerce in the GA View
GA
@SimoAhava from @ReaktorNow | 22 Sept 2015

20. Figure out the terminology
GTM
@SimoAhava from @ReaktorNow | 22 Sept 2015

21. Connect interactions with the data layer
GTM
@SimoAhava from @ReaktorNow | 22 Sept 2015

22. Create Tags for the individual events
GTM
@SimoAhava from @ReaktorNow | 22 Sept 2015

23. Funnelize your content
GA
@SimoAhava from @ReaktorNow | 22 Sept 2015

24. Analyze scroll depth
GA
@SimoAhava from @ReaktorNow | 22 Sept 2015

25. GA
READ MORE: http://goo.gl/KvAvJ6
Content performance!

26. Track weather as a dimension

27. How it works
@SimoAhava from @ReaktorNow | 22 Sept 2015

28. Create Custom Dimensions
GA
@SimoAhava from @ReaktorNow | 22 Sept 2015

29. Custom HTML Tag to collect the data
GTM
@SimoAhava from @ReaktorNow | 22 Sept 2015

30. Event Tag to send weather data to GA
GTM
@SimoAhava from @ReaktorNow | 22 Sept 2015

31. READ MORE: http://goo.gl/ZM2FOP

32. Track page visibility

33. @SimoAhava from @ReaktorNow | 22 Sept 2015
1. Page is loaded in the browser
2.Is the Visibility API supported?
3.Is the page visible?
4.Is a visibility change detected?
yes / no
FIRE PAGE VIEW
…and remove visibility listener…
…and end the process…

34. @SimoAhava from @ReaktorNow | 22 Sept 2015
1. Page is loaded in the browser
2.Is the Visibility API supported?
3.Is the page visible?
4.Is a visibility change detected?
yes / no
FIRE PAGE VIEW
…and remove visibility listener…
…and end the process…

35. @SimoAhava from @ReaktorNow | 22 Sept 2015
1. Page is loaded in the browser
2.Is the Visibility API supported?
3.Is the page visible?
4.Is a visibility change detected?
yes / no
FIRE PAGE VIEW
…and remove visibility listener…
…and end the process…

36. @SimoAhava from @ReaktorNow | 22 Sept 2015
1. Page is loaded in the browser
2.Is the Visibility API supported?
3.Is the page visible?
4.Is a visibility change detected?
yes / no
FIRE PAGE VIEW
…and remove visibility listener…
…and end the process…
document.addEventListener(
'visibilityChange',
function() {
dataLayer.push({
'event' : 'visChange'
});
}
);

37. @SimoAhava from @ReaktorNow | 22 Sept 2015
1. Page is loaded in the browser
2.Is the Visibility API supported?
3.Is the page visible?
4.Is a visibility change detected?
yes / no
FIRE PAGE VIEW
…and remove visibility listener…
…and end the process…

38. @SimoAhava from @ReaktorNow | 22 Sept 2015
1. Page is loaded in the browser
2.Is the Visibility API supported?
3.Is the page visible?
4.Is a visibility change detected?
yes / no
FIRE PAGE VIEW
…and remove visibility listener…
…and end the process…

39. @SimoAhava from @ReaktorNow | 22 Sept 2015
1. Page is loaded in the browser
2.Is the Visibility API supported?
3.Is the page visible?
4.Is a visibility change detected?
yes / no
FIRE PAGE VIEW
…and remove visibility listener…
…and end the process…

40. @SimoAhava from @ReaktorNow | 22 Sept 2015
1. Page is loaded in the browser
2.Is the Visibility API supported?
3.Is the page visible?
4.Is a visibility change detected?
yes / no
FIRE PAGE VIEW
…and remove visibility listener…
…and end the process…

41. 1. Page is loaded in the browser
2.Is the Visibility API supported?
3.Is the page visible?
4.Is a visibility change detected?
yes / no
FIRE PAGE VIEW
…and remove visibility listener…
…and end the process…
READ MORE: http://goo.gl/EJc6MQ

42. http://goo.gl/5U1wv2
@SimoAhava from @ReaktorNow | 22 Sept 2015

43. INJECT SEMANTIC DATA FOR CRAWLERS

44. Custom HTML Tag to inject Meta Descriptions with
GTM
READ MORE: http://goo.gl/uxJjIh

45. Custom HTML Tag to inject Structured Data with
GTM
READ MORE: http://goo.gl/m5xtmV

46. Data is difficult
It’s supposed to be.
@SimoAhava from @ReaktorNow | 22 Sept 2015

47. Data quality is directly proportional to
how well you understand the data
collection mechanism.
@SimoAhava from @ReaktorNow | 22 Sept 2015

48. 2,342,566
Dear CMO, last month, the number of sessions to our site was…
…which is an uplift of 3.45% compared to the previous month!
Digital Analytics Café 20-May-2015 | @SimoAhava

49. Thank you!
simo.ahava@reaktor.com
www.simoahava.com
Twitter: @SimoAhava
Google+: +SimoAhava
Data is difficult - http://goo.gl/WZDVgK
The Schema Conspiracy - http://goo.gl/I4PT9P
#GTMtips - http://goo.gl/I0e8RR
Further reading: