6. What is Google Analytics?
Google Analytics is a freemium web analytics service
offered by Google that tracks and reports website traffic.
Google launched the service in November 2005 after
acquiring Urchin. Google Analytics is now the most widely
used web analytics service on the Internet.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Analytics
Boring Slide
@BenmfHolland https://www.zionandzion.com/google-analytics-best-practice/
7. You know how many people come to your site and what they do
on it.
In English Please?
@BenmfHolland https://www.zionandzion.com/google-analytics-best-practice/
8. It makes Web Nerds go
@BenmfHolland https://www.zionandzion.com/google-analytics-best-practice/
9. How do I do it?
@BenmfHolland https://www.zionandzion.com/google-analytics-best-practice/
10. That’s Why I’m here
@BenmfHolland https://www.zionandzion.com/google-analytics-best-practice/
11. 1. Analytics Background
2. Analytics setup
1. Intro to Google Tag Manager
2. Setting up accounts
3. Linking other Google
properties
4. Creating Views
5. Creating Filters
3. Analytics Customization
1. Events
2. Goals
3. Custom Dimensions & Metrics
4. Channel & Content Groupings
5. Advanced Segments
4. Analytics Tracking
1. Annotations
2. Email Alerts
Presentation Overview
@BenmfHolland https://www.zionandzion.com/google-analytics-best-practice/
25. Place a container in the website’s code once, place tags on site
forever
Create Analytics events
Add JavaScript
Add tags for other platforms like AdWords
Why Use Google Tag Manager
@BenmfHolland https://www.zionandzion.com/google-analytics-best-practice/
26. Why is this great?
@BenmfHolland https://www.zionandzion.com/google-analytics-best-practice/
30. Google Analytics Accounts
@BenmfHolland
Multiple accounts are needed so one can control and manage
everything and the other can view but not edit/break
everything.
https://www.zionandzion.com/google-analytics-best-practice/
32. Google Analytics Accounts setup
@BenmfHolland
1. Go to Admin tab
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33. Google Analytics Accounts setup
@BenmfHolland
2. Select User Management under Account
https://www.zionandzion.com/google-analytics-best-practice/
34. Google Analytics Accounts setup
@BenmfHolland
3. Add a user with full permissions
4. Add a user with Read & Analyze permissions
https://www.zionandzion.com/google-analytics-best-practice/
44. Linking Properties to Google Analytics
https://www.google.com/analytics/web/
@BenmfHolland https://www.zionandzion.com/google-analytics-best-practice/
45. By linking Google Search Console (Formally Webmaster Tools)
and Google AdWords to Google Analytics you can have all of
your data in one spot.
Why Link Properties
@BenmfHolland https://www.zionandzion.com/google-analytics-best-practice/
47. Link Google Search Console To Google Analytics
@BenmfHolland
1. Go to Admin tab
https://www.zionandzion.com/google-analytics-best-practice/
48. Link Google Search Console To Google Analytics
@BenmfHolland
2. Select Property Settings under the Property Column
https://www.zionandzion.com/google-analytics-best-practice/
49. Link Google Search Console To Google Analytics
@BenmfHolland
3. Click “Adjust Webmaster Tools” at the bottom
https://www.zionandzion.com/google-analytics-best-practice/
50. Link Google Search Console To Google Analytics
@BenmfHolland
4. Click “Edit”
https://www.zionandzion.com/google-analytics-best-practice/
51. Link Google Search Console To Google Analytics
@BenmfHolland
5. Select the correct account and hit “Save”
https://www.zionandzion.com/google-analytics-best-practice/
52. Link Google AdWords To Google Analytics
@BenmfHolland
1. Go to Admin tab
https://www.zionandzion.com/google-analytics-best-practice/
53. Link Google Search Console To Google Analytics
@BenmfHolland
2. Select “AdWords Linking” under the Property Column
https://www.zionandzion.com/google-analytics-best-practice/
54. Link Google Search Console To Google Analytics
@BenmfHolland
3. Check the box next to the account you would like to
connect and hit continue then save.
https://www.zionandzion.com/google-analytics-best-practice/
56. Views are needed so your data can be Filtered/Cleaned for the
purpose you need.
Creating Views
@BenmfHolland https://www.zionandzion.com/google-analytics-best-practice/
58. Four must have Google Analytics Views:
Master
Testing
Sandbox
Unfiltered
Creating Views
@BenmfHolland https://www.zionandzion.com/google-analytics-best-practice/
63. Ensures all the data in Analytics is accurate and formatted
uniformly.
Creating Filters
@BenmfHolland https://www.zionandzion.com/google-analytics-best-practice/
64. Most Important Filters
Lowercase hostname
Lowercase page path
Lowercase campaign source
Lowercase campaign medium
Remove trailing index
Prepend hostname
Exclude company IP
White list host domain
Creating Filters
@BenmfHolland https://www.zionandzion.com/google-analytics-best-practice/
68. Lowercase Filters
@BenmfHolland
4. Select “Create new Filter”
5. Name it
6. Select “Custom”
7. Select Lowercase
8. Choose item from dropdown
9. Press “Save”
https://www.zionandzion.com/google-analytics-best-practice/
69. Remove Trailing Index Filter
@BenmfHolland
4. Select “Create new Filter”
5. Name it
6. Select “Custom”
7. Select “Search and Replace”
8. Choose “Request URI”
9. Put “index.html” in “Search String”
10. Leave “Replace String” blank
11. Press “Save”
https://www.zionandzion.com/google-analytics-best-practice/
70. Prepend Hostname Filter
@BenmfHolland
4. Select “Create new Filter”
5. Name it
6. Select “Custom”
7. Select “Advanced”
8. Field A select “Hostname”
9. Place (.*) in the textbox next to it
10. Field B select “Request URI”
11. Place (.*) in the textbox next to it
12. Output select “Request URI”
13. Place (.*) in the textbox next to it
14. Check Yes on Field A Required and
Override Output Field
15. Press “Save”
https://www.zionandzion.com/google-analytics-best-practice/
71. Exclude Company IP Filter
@BenmfHolland
4. Select “Create new Filter”
5. Name it
6. Select “Predefined”
7. Select “Exclude”, “traffic from the
IP addresses” & “that are equal to”
8. Input your companies IP address
9. Press “Save”
https://www.zionandzion.com/google-analytics-best-practice/
72. White List Host Domain Filter
@BenmfHolland
4. Select “Create new Filter”
5. Name it
6. Select “Custom”
7. Select “Include
8. Select “Hostname” and Filter Field
9. Input .*.example.com$ as Filter
Pattern
10. Press “Save”
https://www.zionandzion.com/google-analytics-best-practice/
73. Going Full Circle - Filters & Views
@BenmfHolland
Master View
Lowercase hostname
Lowercase page path
Lowercase campaign
source
Lowercase campaign
medium
Remove trailing index
Prepend hostname
Exclude company IP
White list host domain
https://www.zionandzion.com/google-analytics-best-practice/
Testing
Lowercase hostname
Lowercase page path
Lowercase campaign
source
Lowercase campaign
medium
Remove trailing index
Prepend hostname
Include company IP
White list host domain
Sandbox
Lowercase hostname
Lowercase page path
Lowercase campaign
source
Lowercase campaign
medium
Remove trailing index
Prepend hostname
Exclude company IP
White list host domain
Unfiltered
74. Turn on Site Search Tracking
@BenmfHolland https://www.zionandzion.com/google-analytics-best-practice/
75. You will be able to see what people are searching for on your
site.
Turn On Site Search Tracking
@BenmfHolland https://www.zionandzion.com/google-analytics-best-practice/
76. Turn On Site Search Tracking
@BenmfHolland https://www.zionandzion.com/google-analytics-best-practice/
77. Turn On Site Search Tracking
@BenmfHolland
1. Go to Admin tab
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78. Turn On Site Search Tracking
@BenmfHolland
2. Select “View Settings”
https://www.zionandzion.com/google-analytics-best-practice/
79. Turn On Site Search Tracking
@BenmfHolland
3. Turn on “Site search Tracking”
4. Define query parameter
https://www.zionandzion.com/google-analytics-best-practice/
83. Setting Up Events
@BenmfHolland
Events can track:
Contact form submissions
Clicking on social media buttons
Clicking on an outbound link
When someone plays a video
File downloads
Form errors
Tracking clicks on embedded maps
https://www.zionandzion.com/google-analytics-best-practice/
https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/1033068?hl=en
84. Setting Up Events
@BenmfHolland
Use Google Tag Manager
https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/6164470?hl=en
https://www.zionandzion.com/google-analytics-best-practice/
87. Setting Up Goals
@BenmfHolland
Goals help monetize a websites by allowing you to define a
value of an action
https://www.zionandzion.com/google-analytics-best-practice/
93. Creating Custom Dimensions & Metrics
@BenmfHolland
Bring in other data to Analytics from other sources.
Use the Facebook API to define user demographics
Use the Weather API to bring in weather data to see if it affects
traffic
https://www.zionandzion.com/google-analytics-best-practice/
99. Custom Channel Groupings
@BenmfHolland
Allow you to create more traffic channels to better interpret data
Site you advertise on
Microsites you have created
Sites you have gotten links from
News sites
https://www.zionandzion.com/google-analytics-best-practice/
100. Creating Custom Channel Groupings
@BenmfHolland
1. Go to Admin tab
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105. Content Groupings
@BenmfHolland
Allow you to segment out the content on your site
Blog
Landing pages
Recipes
https://www.zionandzion.com/google-analytics-best-practice/
111. Creating Advanced Segments
@BenmfHolland
Allows you to slice and dice your data into pieces for better
analysis.
Filters are permanent, Advanced Segments are temporary.
https://www.zionandzion.com/google-analytics-best-practice/
120. Google Analytics Annotations
@BenmfHolland
Provide insights that are not in the data.
Media hits
Guest blogging
Speaking at the AMA
Website redesign
Note anything that may affect traffic
https://www.zionandzion.com/google-analytics-best-practice/
127. Google Analytics Custom Alerts
@BenmfHolland
Send you an email when something predefined occurs
Analytics has flat lined
Organic search declines 50% in a week
Page speed increase 50% in a day
Traffic spike
Social media increase 50% in a day
https://www.zionandzion.com/google-analytics-best-practice/
128. Google Analytics Custom Alerts
@BenmfHolland https://www.zionandzion.com/google-analytics-best-practice/
129. Google Analytics Custom Alerts
@BenmfHolland
1. Go to Admin tab
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130. Google Analytics Custom Alerts
@BenmfHolland
2. Select “Custom Alerts” in View
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131. Google Analytics Custom Alerts
@BenmfHolland
3. Select “+ New Alert”
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132. Google Analytics Custom Alerts
@BenmfHolland
4. Create alert and save
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