This document outlines best practices for implementing Google Analytics for web content management (WCM). It includes a brief history of Google Analytics, details about initial setup and tracking integrations, and focuses on advanced integration techniques such as event tracking and site search optimization. Key recommendations emphasize the importance of creating a tracking plan before development and ensuring that tracking codes are deployed effectively across relevant pages.

1. Google Analytics
Best Practices for WCM
30/08/2012 – Joris Bekaert
1.

2. Table of contents
1. “Google Analytics” a short history
2. How does it work?
3. Initial setup & deployment
4. Advanced integration
5. Points of attention for implementation
2.

3. Google Analytics a short history
• April 2005: Urchin acquired by Google
• November 2005: First Rollout Google Analytics
• August 2006: Second Rollout
• April 2011: New version of interface
• March 2012: End of sales standalone Urchin
• June 2012: Mobile Google Analytics App
3.

4. How does it work?
4.

5. Initial setup: Creating GA Account
http://www.google.com/analytics
5.

6. Initial setup: Creating GA Account
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7. Initial setup: Getting GATC
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8. Initial setup: User interface
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9. The GATC explained
Google Analytics Tracking Code (GATC)
• Asynchronous code
• Downloads ga.js
• Sets first party cookies
• Gathers and transfers basic analytics data set
9.

10. Deploying The GATC
• Before </head> or before </body>
• Needs to be added to 90% of the pages to get
usefull reports (troubleshooting tools available
e.g. Observepoint)
• Use a content management system to deploy
(flexibility)
10.

11. Advanced integration
1. Tracking File Downloads
2. Event tracking
3. Tracking Search Results
4. Tracking error pages and broken links
5. Rollup reports
11.

12. Tracking File Downloads
• Virtual PageViews
<a href=“mydoc.pdf”
onclick=“_gaq.push(‘_trackPageview’,’/downloads
/mydoc.pdf’);”>Download a pdf<a>
• Event Tracking
12.

13. Event Tracking
• Track in-page actions
• Flash movie player
• Exit links
• Ajax page elements (onClick, onSubmit, onReset, ...)
• File Downloads
• Event Tracking needs to be added in the HTML in a
consistent way (CMS)
• _trackEvent function
13.

14. Event Tracking
<a href=“#” onClick=“_gaq.push([‘_trackEvent’,
‘Category’, ‘Action’, ‘Label’]);”>Label Link</a>
Parameter Condition Description
category Required The name you supply to the objects you
want to track
action Required A string that is uniquely paired with each
category and commonly used to define
the type of user action for the web object
optional_label Optional A string to provide addtional dimensions
to the event data.
optional_value Optional An integer that you can use to provide
numerical data about the user event
(time, amount)
optional_nonInteraction Optional The nonInteraction event is set to define
wether an event is treated as a non-
interaction.
14.

15. Event Tracking (examples)
gaq.push([‘_trackEvent’, ‘Video’, ‘Play’, ‘Alone in New York’]);”
gaq.push([‘_trackEvent’, ‘Video’, ‘Pause’, ‘Alone in New York’,
‘30’]);”
15.

16. Event Tracking (examples)
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17. Event Tracking (examples)
17.

18. Event Tracking (examples)
• Tracking Mailto
<a href=“mailto:info@amplexor.com”
onClick=“_gaq.push([‘_trackEvent’,’Exit Points’,’Click
- Email’, ‘info@amplexor.com’]);”>
info@amplexor.com</a>
• Tracking embedded Video From Youtube
-> attach events to Youtube Javascript API
18.

19. Site Search
• Is the site search working?
19.

20. • Tracking Zero results?
• Additional _trackPageview
• Additional _trackEvent
20.

21. Error Pages & Broken Links
• Add GATC to Error page templates
• Add additional _trackPageview code
<script type="text/javascript">
var _gaq = _gaq || [];
_gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-33974358-1']);
_gaq.push(['_trackPageview‘, ‘/error 404/’ + document.location.pathname +
document.location.search’]);
(function() {
var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true;
ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-
analytics.com/ga.js';
var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s);
})();
</script> 21.

22. Rollup Reports
• Technique usefull for big companies with semi-
autonomous country offices
<script type="text/javascript">
var _gaq = _gaq || [];
_gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-33974358-1']);
_gaq.push(['_trackPageview']);
_gaq.push([‘t2._setAccount', 'UA-22334567-1']);
_gaq.push([‘t2._trackPageview']);
(function() {
var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true;
ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-
analytics.com/ga.js';
var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s);
})();
</script> 22.

23. Points of attention for implementation
• Implementing Google Analytics needs extra
development
• Check Google Analytics features of the WCMS
• Create a tracking plan before the development
starts
• It can save work if the web agency can create the
tracking plan
23.

24. Further reading
http://www.advanced-web-metrics.com/
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