This document discusses 5 ways to make use of Google Analytics data and insights. It begins with an overview of Google Analytics basics. It then outlines each of the 5 ways: 1) using 404 errors to find and fix broken links, 2) analyzing search terms, 3) setting up goals and events to track key user actions, 4) tracking referral sources and campaigns, and 5) customizing reports and automating delivery. The document provides examples and code snippets for implementing each tactic.

1. 5 Ways to Make Use of
Your Google Analytics
Charlie Morris
@cdmo

2. About Me
Nutshell:
- MSIS from UNC
- NC State since ‘05
- Joined NCSU Libraries 2 months ago
- Interests and areas of expertise: "
Google Analytics, Drupal, WordPress, users
and content, jQuery, burritos, CSS (recent
Sass + Compass convert), PHP + MySQL

3. Agenda
• GA Basics
• Why this presentation
5 Ways:
1. 404s
2. Search
3. Goals (and Events)
4. Campaigns
5. Reporting

4. Google Analytics basics
User visits ga.js sends the Google
your site user’s browser Analytics
and the GA information off processes
snippet is to GA servers the data
triggered and it sets and makes
(along with cookies on the reports
ga.js) available
user’s browser
(This occurs in a fraction of a second) (This takes hours)

5. Limitations
• Won’t track if JS is turned off
• “Unique” Visitors
• Cookie deletion
• NoScript and other add-ons
• Trend data, not exact

6. Google Analytics is easy.

7. Step 1
Step 2

8. Step 1
Step 2

9. Do you collect web
traffic data?
Yes
No
<20%
Do you use it
regularly to inform
website decisions?

10. So, how can you use it?

11. So, how can you use it?

12. So, how can you use it?

13. So, how can you use it?

14. So, how can you use it?

15. So, how can you use it?
“Data Puke”

16. Analysis Paralysis

17. Options
• Analysis Paralysis
• Don’t Bother/Ignore

18. Google Analytics is easy.*

19. Google Analytics is easy.*
*Unless you actually want to make use of it.

20. Options
• Analysis Paralysis
• Don’t Bother
• How about: "
Implement a few helpful options and"
customize reporting

21. 5 Ways

22. 1. 404s
Source: http://kilianmuster.com/404

23. Required:
A 404 error page see"
http://www.alistapart.com/articles/
perfect404/

24. Default GATC
_gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-######-#']);!
_gaq.push(['_trackPageview']);!
_gaq The global object for asynchronous tracking.
push Executes the given command array.
_trackPageview Main logic of GATC. Takes one
optional parameter, if it isn’t
specified then GA will use current
address.

25. Code
Modify the _trackPageview function:
try{!
_gaq.push(['_trackPageview', '/
404.php?page=' +
document.location.pathname +
document.location.search + '&from=' +
document.referrer]);!
} catch(err) {}!
Source: bit.ly/edui404

26. Pull Report
/404.php?page=/deansmessage.htm&from=http://cnr.ncsu.edu/fer/direct/
brown.php
Page = deansmessage.htm
From = http://cnr.ncsu.edu/fer/direct/brown.php

27. Generate a report
1. See Top Content
2. Filter by “404”
3. Set 500 per page"
4. Set Up Email
(more on this later)

28. Create Redirects
RewriteEngine On!
RewriteRule scholarships.htm$ http://cnr.ncsu.edu/future/scholarships_financial_aid.php [R=301,NC]!
RewriteRule alumni.htm$ http://cnr.ncsu.edu/alumni_friends/ [R=301,NC]!
RewriteRule calendar$ http://cnr.ncsu.edu/news/calendar.php [R=301,NC]!
RewriteRule visitorinfocnr.htm$ http://cnr.ncsu.edu/future/visit.php [R=301,NC]!
RewriteRule development/index.html$ http://cnr.ncsu.edu/alumni_friends/ [R=301,NC]!
RewriteRule development/give.html$ http://cnr.ncsu.edu/alumni_friends/support/ [R=301,NC]!
RewriteRule development/update.html$ http://cnr.ncsu.edu/alumni_friends/update_your_info.php
[R=301,NC]!
RewriteRule distance.htm$ http://cnr.ncsu.edu/future/grad/distance_education.php [R=301,NC]!
RewriteRule calendar/$ http://cnr.ncsu.edu/news/calendar.php [R=301,NC]!
RewriteRule bsprogrm/prtm/sportmgt.htm$ http://cnr.ncsu.edu/prtm [R=301,NC]!
RewriteRule directions.htm$ http://cnr.ncsu.edu/about/directions.php [R=301,NC]!

29. 2. Search
Source: http://rosenfeldmedia.com/books/searchanalytics/

30. Track Site Search Terms
<input type="text" size="31" name="q”>!
<input type="submit" value="Search" name="sa">!

31. Example: Extension Forestry

32. What can search analysis tell
you?
• What terms to include in campaigns*
• What to feature on the homepage
• How to structure information
• What synonyms to use in the search itself
• Where users are getting lost
Helps make your site and its content more
relevant and useful

33. Other low-hanging fruit
• Daily number of visitors
• Top visited pages
• Average length of visits
• Bounce rate

34. 3. Goals
Source: Sam Smith, http://bit.ly/eduiRaptor

35. “Defining your website goals is
probably the single most important
step of your configuration process,
as it enables you to define success”
-Brian Clifton, author of
Advanced Web Metrics with Google Analytics

36. • Need to have actual
goals before you can Mission!
set “Goals”
Business Goal
Business Goal
Website
Website
Action
Website
Action
Action

37. An example
• You: an instructional technology training unit
– Mission: To raise the instructional technology
expertise of faculty
– Business Goal: Get more faculty to come to in-
person training sessions
– Website Action: Registration for workshops

38. An example
• You: an instructional technology training unit
– Mission: To raise the instructional technology
expertise of faculty
– Business Goal: Get more faculty to come to in-
person training sessions
– Website Action: Registration for workshops
GA ‘Goal’

39. What is a Google Analytics
“Goal”?
• a pageview* that gets
tallied as a conversion

40. Website Action Goal: Registration for workshops
Training and
development home
page
All workshops listing
page
Workshop
information page
Registration page
Thank you page

41. Implementing Goals
(no code work needed)

42. Example: PRTM Online
Contact Form

43. This is all well and good, but
my goal isn’t something that
Google Analytics can track."
Like playing a video or an"
external site link.

44. Enter Events and
“virtual” Pageviews.
(a related, but
important tangent)

45. 4 (a). Events and “Virtual”
Pageviews
-Brian Cray http://bit.ly/eduiCray

46. Use cases
• Actions within the page
– Site exits to external link
– Activating a tab
– Playing a video
– Multiple links to same address
• “onclick” attribute

47. Events code
_gaq.push([’_trackEvent’, ‘category’,
‘action’, ‘opt_label’, ‘opt_value’)]);!
_trackEvent Track visitor behavior
category General event category.
action Event action.
opt_label Optional descriptor
opt_value Optional value

48. Events example
_gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'Footer',
'External Link', 'Flickr'])!
_trackEvent Track visitor behavior
category General event category.
action Event action.
opt_label Optional descriptor
opt_value Optional value

49. Naming Scheme for Footer
Category Action Opt_Label
Footer Internal Link Contact Us
Footer Internal Link Copyright
Footer Internal Link Disability Services
Footer Internal Link Privacy
Footer Internal Link Staff Only
Footer Internal Link D.H. Hill Library
Footer Subsite Entrance Hunt Library
Footer Subsite Entrance Design Library
Footer Subsite Entrance Natural Resources
Library
Footer Subsite Entrance Textiles Library
Footer Subsite Entrance Veterinary Medicine
Library
Footer Subsite Entrance Giving

50. <a class="flickr" !
onclick="_gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'Footer',
'External Link’, ‘Flickr']);” title="flickr”
href="http://flickr.com/photos/ncsu_scrc/">!
!
<img width="24" height="24" alt="flickr" src
="/website/images/flickr.png">!
!
</a>!
!

51. Example: NCSU Libraries
Footer

52. Virtual Pageviews
• Like an event, but tabulated as a
page view

53. link1
link2

54. Example: Virtual PageView for
Site Exit
<li>Submit your application using the NC State
University Graduate School !
<a !
!onclick="_gaq.push([!
! !'_trackPageview', 'academic/how_to_apply/!
! !start-application/link4’]);" !
!target="new"
!href=http://www.ncsu.edu/grad/applygrad.htm” !
>!
Apply Yourself</a> web site.</li>!

55. Example: Virtual PageView for Site
Exit
• Link1: MGIST applicants first link
• Link2: MGIST applicants second link
• Link4: GIS Certificate

56. What is a Google Analytics
“Goal”?
• Any interaction a user makes
with the site that gets tallied as
a conversion

57. Caution
• Limited to 500 total events or pageviews
per visit (user session)
– avoid scripting a video to send an event for
every second played and other highly repetitive
event triggers
– avoid excessive mouse movement tracking
– avoid time-lapse mechanisms that generate
high event counts

58. 4. Campaigns
Source: http://on-msn.com/eduiTattoo

59. Campaigns
The One True Way:
“Make something great. Tell
people about it. Do it again.”
-Derek Powazek
http://bit.ly/eduiSEO

60. Ways to tell people about stuff
Electronic Space
Meat Space
• Email / Email Newsletter
• Brochures
• Twitter
• Posters
• Podcasts
• Facebook
• Mailings
• Web page
• Television
• Blog post
• Radio
• Videos
• Billboards
• Search results
• Skywriting
• Sandwich Board
• AdWords*
• Scrolling marquee on Time
• Flash banner
Square
* whole nother story
• Tattoo on professional boxer

61. Google Analytics URL Builder
• Build in GA-specific variables into a URL
solely for tracking purposes
– Campaign Source*
– Campaign Medium*
– Campaign Term (for AdWords)
– Campaign Content
– Campaign Name*
* required
Source: bit.ly/eduiURL

62. http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/page?"
utm_source=newsletterFall11&"
utm_medium=email&"
utm_campaign=AmazingAlumni
http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/page?"
utm_source=joeSmithBoxer&"
utm_medium=tattoo&"
utm_campaign=department
http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/page?"
utm_source=tweet484&"
utm_medium=twitter&"
utm_campaign=communications

63. Shorten it
"
bit.ly/page or go.ncsu.edu/page

65. 5. Reporting
squirrel: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sompops/166288241/
ninja: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jeyhun85/4684666416/

66. Options for Export
!
Format: PDF, XML, CSV, CSV for
Excel, TSV
and schedule: Daily, Weekly, Monthly,
Quarterly
Data Export API:!
http://bit.ly/eduiexport

67. Customize
• Build reports that answer
specific questions
• Automate delivery
• Cut out stuff that doesn’t
matter
• Leave no room for
interpretation

68. Recap
• Google Analytics basics
5 Ways to use
1. 404s
2. Search
3. Goals (and Events)
4. Campaigns
5. Reporting

69. Much more:
• Programmatic approach for implementation:
– CMS solutions
– jQuery
• Profiles and Filtering
– Blocking IPs
• Custom Reports
• Advanced Segments
– Custom Visitor Segments
• A/B Testing
– Website Optimizer
• trackSocial and a plethora of other functions

70. questions? comments?

71. 8/10
“Eight out of ten
implementations of web
analytics solutions are
incorrectly set up”
-Bill Hunt, CEO, Global Strategies
International