Be Critical: Going Beyond The Defaults With GA And GTM (SMX Munich 2015)

1. NETBOOSTER NORDIC // COPENHAGEN // AARHUS // STOCKHOLM // HELSINKI // OSLONETBOOSTER NORDIC // COPENHAGEN // AARHUS // STOCKHOLM // HELSINKI // OSLO BE CRITICAL GOING BEYOND THE DEFAULTS WITH GA AND GTM SMX Munich, 17th March 2015

2. NETBOOSTER NORDIC // COPENHAGEN // AARHUS // STOCKHOLM // HELSINKI // OSLONETBOOSTER NORDIC // COPENHAGEN // AARHUS // STOCKHOLM // HELSINKI // OSLO SIMO AHAVA @ NetBooster Head of Analytics, Nordics Google Developer Expert 2014-2016 Twitter: @SimoAhava Google+: +SimoAhava #SMX | @SimoAhava www.simoahava.com

3. NETBOOSTER NORDIC // COPENHAGEN // AARHUS // STOCKHOLM // HELSINKI // OSLO 3 The Rant AGENDA OVERVIEW #01 The Workaround The Takeaway #02 #03 #SMX | @SimoAhava

4. NETBOOSTER NORDIC // COPENHAGEN // AARHUS // STOCKHOLM // HELSINKI // OSLO THE RANT #SMX | @SimoAhava

5. NETBOOSTER NORDIC // COPENHAGEN // AARHUS // STOCKHOLM // HELSINKI // OSLO #SMX | @SimoAhava Google Analytics is a tool designed to work for 9,163,750* different businesses * Author’s estimate, not an official figure

6. NETBOOSTER NORDIC // COPENHAGEN // AARHUS // STOCKHOLM // HELSINKI // OSLO #SMX | @SimoAhava It is thus conceivable Google does not know what your business KPIs are

7. NETBOOSTER NORDIC // COPENHAGEN // AARHUS // STOCKHOLM // HELSINKI // OSLO #SMX | @SimoAhava 2,578,000 DEAR BOSS, Last month, the number of Sessions on our site was… …which is an uplift of +2.78% compared to the previous month.

8. NETBOOSTER NORDIC // COPENHAGEN // AARHUS // STOCKHOLM // HELSINKI // OSLO #SMX | @SimoAhava 21.20% DEAR BOSS, Last month, the Conversion Rate for eCommerce on our site was… …which is an uplift of +5% compared to the previous month.

9. NETBOOSTER NORDIC // COPENHAGEN // AARHUS // STOCKHOLM // HELSINKI // OSLO #SMX | @SimoAhava Reporting on a single metric or snapshot of a funnel is like telling only the punchline of a joke.

10. NETBOOSTER NORDIC // COPENHAGEN // AARHUS // STOCKHOLM // HELSINKI // OSLO #SMX | @SimoAhava Reporting on a single metric or snapshot of a funnel is like telling only the punchline of a joke.

11. NETBOOSTER NORDIC // COPENHAGEN // AARHUS // STOCKHOLM // HELSINKI // OSLO #SMX | @SimoAhava Raw (hit) data 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 1

12. NETBOOSTER NORDIC // COPENHAGEN // AARHUS // STOCKHOLM // HELSINKI // OSLO #SMX | @SimoAhava Schema Raw (hit) data 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 1

13. NETBOOSTER NORDIC // COPENHAGEN // AARHUS // STOCKHOLM // HELSINKI // OSLO #SMX | @SimoAhava Schema Raw (hit) data Sessionized data 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 1 0 1 0 1

14. NETBOOSTER NORDIC // COPENHAGEN // AARHUS // STOCKHOLM // HELSINKI // OSLO #SMX | @SimoAhava All metrics and dimensions used by a data collection / processing / reporting platform subscribe to the schemas of said platform.

15. NETBOOSTER NORDIC // COPENHAGEN // AARHUS // STOCKHOLM // HELSINKI // OSLO #SMX | @SimoAhava All metrics and dimensions used by a data collection / processing / reporting platform subscribe to the schemas of said platform. Sessionization schema

16. NETBOOSTER NORDIC // COPENHAGEN // AARHUS // STOCKHOLM // HELSINKI // OSLO #SMX | @SimoAhava All metrics and dimensions used by a data collection / processing / reporting platform subscribe to the schemas of said platform. Event tracking schema

17. NETBOOSTER NORDIC // COPENHAGEN // AARHUS // STOCKHOLM // HELSINKI // OSLO #SMX | @SimoAhava All metrics and dimensions used by a data collection / processing / reporting platform subscribe to the schemas of said platform. Transactional schema

18. NETBOOSTER NORDIC // COPENHAGEN // AARHUS // STOCKHOLM // HELSINKI // OSLO #SMX | @SimoAhava This has two major implications on how we process, analyze, and report on the data.

19. NETBOOSTER NORDIC // COPENHAGEN // AARHUS // STOCKHOLM // HELSINKI // OSLO #SMX | @SimoAhava All sessionized data is arbitrary

20. NETBOOSTER NORDIC // COPENHAGEN // AARHUS // STOCKHOLM // HELSINKI // OSLO #SMX | @SimoAhava

21. NETBOOSTER NORDIC // COPENHAGEN // AARHUS // STOCKHOLM // HELSINKI // OSLO #SMX | @SimoAhava Fictional

22. NETBOOSTER NORDIC // COPENHAGEN // AARHUS // STOCKHOLM // HELSINKI // OSLO #SMX | @SimoAhava Fictional Fictional

23. NETBOOSTER NORDIC // COPENHAGEN // AARHUS // STOCKHOLM // HELSINKI // OSLO #SMX | @SimoAhava Fictional Fictional Fictional

24. NETBOOSTER NORDIC // COPENHAGEN // AARHUS // STOCKHOLM // HELSINKI // OSLO #SMX | @SimoAhava Fictional Fictional Fictional Fictional

25. NETBOOSTER NORDIC // COPENHAGEN // AARHUS // STOCKHOLM // HELSINKI // OSLO #SMX | @SimoAhava How can an arbitrary, fictional metric ever be a good KPI?* * Rhetorical question, it can’t

26. NETBOOSTER NORDIC // COPENHAGEN // AARHUS // STOCKHOLM // HELSINKI // OSLO #SMX | @SimoAhava Data quality is something you work towards

27. NETBOOSTER NORDIC // COPENHAGEN // AARHUS // STOCKHOLM // HELSINKI // OSLO #SMX | @SimoAhava Stay away from aggregate metrics.

28. NETBOOSTER NORDIC // COPENHAGEN // AARHUS // STOCKHOLM // HELSINKI // OSLO #SMX | @SimoAhava Stay away from aggregate metrics. Segment, customize, combine, visualize.

29. NETBOOSTER NORDIC // COPENHAGEN // AARHUS // STOCKHOLM // HELSINKI // OSLO #SMX | @SimoAhava Aggregate Segmented User-centric Cohorts Predictive 21.20% Our website’s eCommerce Conversion Rate for January was…

30. NETBOOSTER NORDIC // COPENHAGEN // AARHUS // STOCKHOLM // HELSINKI // OSLO #SMX | @SimoAhava Aggregate Segmented User-centric Cohorts Predictive 12.57% Visitors who landed on our site through our January Facebook campaign had an eCommerce Conversion Rate of…

31. NETBOOSTER NORDIC // COPENHAGEN // AARHUS // STOCKHOLM // HELSINKI // OSLO #SMX | @SimoAhava Aggregate Segmented User-centric Cohorts Predictive 19.20% Visitors with no previous transactions who landed on our site through our January Facebook campaign had an eCommerce Conversion Rate of…

32. NETBOOSTER NORDIC // COPENHAGEN // AARHUS // STOCKHOLM // HELSINKI // OSLO #SMX | @SimoAhava Aggregate Segmented User-centric Cohorts Predictive New customers via Facebook vs. Old customers via Facebook vs. Overall eCommerce Conversion Rate

33. NETBOOSTER NORDIC // COPENHAGEN // AARHUS // STOCKHOLM // HELSINKI // OSLO #SMX | @SimoAhava Aggregate Segmented User-centric Cohorts Predictive This data, combined with information from our sales engine and CRM, gives us the following optimization opportunities…

34. NETBOOSTER NORDIC // COPENHAGEN // AARHUS // STOCKHOLM // HELSINKI // OSLO THE WORKAROUND #SMX | @SimoAhava

35. NETBOOSTER NORDIC // COPENHAGEN // AARHUS // STOCKHOLM // HELSINKI // OSLO #SMX | @SimoAhava We need to collect data in a meaningful way.

36. NETBOOSTER NORDIC // COPENHAGEN // AARHUS // STOCKHOLM // HELSINKI // OSLO #SMX | @SimoAhava Sometimes it means we need to tweak the data collection mechanism.

37. NETBOOSTER NORDIC // COPENHAGEN // AARHUS // STOCKHOLM // HELSINKI // OSLO #SMX | @SimoAhava Take Bounce Rate, for example.

42. NETBOOSTER NORDIC // COPENHAGEN // AARHUS // STOCKHOLM // HELSINKI // OSLO #SMX | @SimoAhava Remember, Bounce Rate is a heavily sessionized metric that is not inherently good or bad.

44. NETBOOSTER NORDIC // COPENHAGEN // AARHUS // STOCKHOLM // HELSINKI // OSLO #SMX | @SimoAhava After X seconds on the page, send a pulse to GA which negates the bounce.

45. NETBOOSTER NORDIC // COPENHAGEN // AARHUS // STOCKHOLM // HELSINKI // OSLO #SMX | @SimoAhava Google Tag Manager 1. Create new Timer Trigger 2. Set Interval to X ms 3. Set Limit to 1 4. Fire Event Tag with this Trigger

47. NETBOOSTER NORDIC // COPENHAGEN // AARHUS // STOCKHOLM // HELSINKI // OSLO #SMX | @SimoAhava However, you’re playing into the hands of the schema overlords.

48. NETBOOSTER NORDIC // COPENHAGEN // AARHUS // STOCKHOLM // HELSINKI // OSLO #SMX | @SimoAhava Instead of trying to get Bounce Rate lower by tweaking a metric, how about improving internal linking?

49. NETBOOSTER NORDIC // COPENHAGEN // AARHUS // STOCKHOLM // HELSINKI // OSLO #SMX | @SimoAhava …or measuring calls-to- action?

50. NETBOOSTER NORDIC // COPENHAGEN // AARHUS // STOCKHOLM // HELSINKI // OSLO #SMX | @SimoAhava …or combining dwell time with scroll depth?

51. NETBOOSTER NORDIC // COPENHAGEN // AARHUS // STOCKHOLM // HELSINKI // OSLO #SMX | @SimoAhava http://cutroni.com/blog/2014/02/12/advanced-content-tracking-with-universal-analytics/

54. NETBOOSTER NORDIC // COPENHAGEN // AARHUS // STOCKHOLM // HELSINKI // OSLO #SMX | @SimoAhava Adapted for Google Tag Manager: https://github.com/sahava/content/

55. NETBOOSTER NORDIC // COPENHAGEN // AARHUS // STOCKHOLM // HELSINKI // OSLO #SMX | @SimoAhava 1 Universal Analytics Tag 1 Custom Event Trigger 9 Data Layer Variables

56. NETBOOSTER NORDIC // COPENHAGEN // AARHUS // STOCKHOLM // HELSINKI // OSLO #SMX | @SimoAhava OK, this is better for understanding intent (and content)…

57. NETBOOSTER NORDIC // COPENHAGEN // AARHUS // STOCKHOLM // HELSINKI // OSLO #SMX | @SimoAhava Reader Scanner Scanner Reader Reader Intent Content 53 % read 89 % read 60 % read 21 % read 85 % read

58. NETBOOSTER NORDIC // COPENHAGEN // AARHUS // STOCKHOLM // HELSINKI // OSLO #SMX | @SimoAhava Bounce Rate became more meaningful for users and content.

59. NETBOOSTER NORDIC // COPENHAGEN // AARHUS // STOCKHOLM // HELSINKI // OSLO #SMX | @SimoAhava Come to my session tomorrow at 11:15am! If this strikes true,

60. NETBOOSTER NORDIC // COPENHAGEN // AARHUS // STOCKHOLM // HELSINKI // OSLO #SMX | @SimoAhava …But let’s take a more focused example.

61. NETBOOSTER NORDIC // COPENHAGEN // AARHUS // STOCKHOLM // HELSINKI // OSLO #SMX | @SimoAhava Page Views measures the number of times pages are viewed.

62. NETBOOSTER NORDIC // COPENHAGEN // AARHUS // STOCKHOLM // HELSINKI // OSLO #SMX | @SimoAhava …or does it?

63. NETBOOSTER NORDIC // COPENHAGEN // AARHUS // STOCKHOLM // HELSINKI // OSLO #SMX | @SimoAhava Visible Hidden

64. NETBOOSTER NORDIC // COPENHAGEN // AARHUS // STOCKHOLM // HELSINKI // OSLO #SMX | @SimoAhava Visible: document['hidden'] = false Hidden: document['hidden'] = true Visible Hidden

65. NETBOOSTER NORDIC // COPENHAGEN // AARHUS // STOCKHOLM // HELSINKI // OSLO #SMX | @SimoAhava Visible: document['hidden'] = false Hidden: document['hidden'] = true document.addEventListener('visibilitychange', function() { dataLayer.push({ 'event' : 'visibilityChange’ }); }); Visible Hidden

66. NETBOOSTER NORDIC // COPENHAGEN // AARHUS // STOCKHOLM // HELSINKI // OSLO #SMX | @SimoAhava Upon Page Load Visible Hidden

67. NETBOOSTER NORDIC // COPENHAGEN // AARHUS // STOCKHOLM // HELSINKI // OSLO #SMX | @SimoAhava Upon Page Load If Page IS Visible, send Page View Visible Hidden

68. NETBOOSTER NORDIC // COPENHAGEN // AARHUS // STOCKHOLM // HELSINKI // OSLO #SMX | @SimoAhava Upon Page Load If Page IS Visible, send Page View If Page IS NOT Visible, do not send Page View Visible Hidden

69. NETBOOSTER NORDIC // COPENHAGEN // AARHUS // STOCKHOLM // HELSINKI // OSLO #SMX | @SimoAhava Upon Page Load If Page IS Visible, send Page View If Page IS NOT Visible, do not send Page View If Visibility changes to Visible, send Page View Visible Hidden

71. NETBOOSTER NORDIC // COPENHAGEN // AARHUS // STOCKHOLM // HELSINKI // OSLO #SMX | @SimoAhava http://goo.gl/SdAjo5

72. NETBOOSTER NORDIC // COPENHAGEN // AARHUS // STOCKHOLM // HELSINKI // OSLO #SMX | @SimoAhava We just made a metric more meaningful.

73. NETBOOSTER NORDIC // COPENHAGEN // AARHUS // STOCKHOLM // HELSINKI // OSLO #SMX | @SimoAhava THE TAKEAWAY

74. NETBOOSTER NORDIC // COPENHAGEN // AARHUS // STOCKHOLM // HELSINKI // OSLO #SMX | @SimoAhava Takeaway 1/5 Be critical: Sessions is the product of an algorithm, and it doesn’t (necessarily) represent your business life cycle.

75. NETBOOSTER NORDIC // COPENHAGEN // AARHUS // STOCKHOLM // HELSINKI // OSLO #SMX | @SimoAhava Takeaway 2/5 Be critical: Even non-sessionized data like Pageviews might be flawed.

76. NETBOOSTER NORDIC // COPENHAGEN // AARHUS // STOCKHOLM // HELSINKI // OSLO #SMX | @SimoAhava Takeaway 3/5 Be critical: Fixing data collection so that it measures your business objectives more accurately requires work.

77. NETBOOSTER NORDIC // COPENHAGEN // AARHUS // STOCKHOLM // HELSINKI // OSLO #SMX | @SimoAhava Takeaway 4/5 Be critical: HTML5 is ripe with APIs that might, or might not, help you tweak the data stream.

78. NETBOOSTER NORDIC // COPENHAGEN // AARHUS // STOCKHOLM // HELSINKI // OSLO #SMX | @SimoAhava Takeaway 5/5 BE CRITICAL! Data quality is directly proportional to how well you understand the data collection.

79. NETBOOSTER NORDIC // COPENHAGEN // AARHUS // STOCKHOLM // HELSINKI // OSLO THANK YOU Twitter: @SimoAhava Google+: +SimoAhava www.simoahava.com [ See you tomorrow at 11:15am! ] #SMX | @SimoAhava

Be Critical: Going Beyond The Defaults With GA And GTM (SMX Munich 2015)

Simo Ahava

Be Critical: Going Beyond The Defaults With GA And GTM (SMX Munich 2015)