Show
me
the
numbers:
basic
metrics
Susan
Mernit
Oakland
Local
at
Learning
LAB
2013
Renaissance
Journalism
Center,
SF
University
January
11,
2013
What
we’re
discussing
• How
can
I
look
at
core
metrics
and
use
them
to
grow
what
I
do?
• What
are
the
basic
tools
and
8ps
to
work
with?
• How
do
I
make
decisions
based
on
metrics
data?
• What
are
best
prac8ces
to
follow
working
with
metrics
in
an
ongoing
way?
• What
are
some
good
8me
management
prac8ces
around
metrics
repor8ng
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QuesMons
Answered
How
can
I
look
at
What
are
the
basic
How
do
I
make
core
metrics
and
use
tools
and
8ps
to
decisions
based
on
them
to
grow
what
I
work
with?
metrics
data?
do?
What
are
best
What
are
some
good
prac8ces
to
follow
Mme
management
working
with
pracMces
around
metrics
in
an
metrics
reporMng?
ongoing
way?
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GeQng
started
with
metrics
• Web
analy)cs
is
the
measurement,
collecMon,
analysis
and
reporMng
of
internet
data
for
purposes
of
understanding
and
opMmizing
web
usage
Metrics are CORE for any small site operator
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Core
measurement
tools
Google Analytics
Facebook & Facebook
Insights
Twitter & Tweetreach
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5
• Google
Analy)cs
dashboard
measures
site
data
including
• Traffic
• Audience
• Content
• Geography
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EssenMal
GA
metrics
to
evaluate
– Time
spent
– Pages
viewed
– Returning
vs.
new
visitors
– Referral
source
– LocaMon
– Unique
visitors
– Page
views
– PlaYorms
But
it’s
a
matrix:
Metrics
are
most
meaningful
in
relaMonship
to
one
another
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Watching
the
GA
connecMons
to
drive
site
growth
• Google
AnalyMcs
factors:
– Referral
traffic:
Where
are
the
most
engaged
users
coming
from?
(referral
traffic/Mme
spent
metrics)
– Content
behaviors:
What
is
average
)me
spent
per
story?
How
do
content
stats
per
story
(NOT
averages)
relate?
– Content:
What
keywords
drive
traffic
for
my
site?
– What
are
top
entrance
pages
(correlate
with
search
engine
traffic)
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Decisions
based
on
Google
AnalyMcs
• Type
of
content
(topics,
trending
issues,
cost)
• Geographic
focus
(review
of
locaMon
&
mission)
• Social
media
markeMng
outreach:
Focus
on
top
social
media
referral
sources
based
on
– Top
referrers
– Best
Mme
spent
metrics
from
specific
referrers
– Campaign
reviews
(newsleders)
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LocaMon:
Checking
geographic
focus
The
LocaMon
tab
(under
Audience
Demographics)
shows
where
your
audience
is
from—
essen)al
for
sales/
funders
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Understanding
Mobile
Under Audience, Google Analytics will tell you what percentage of
your audience Is via mobile—and which platforms
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GA:
Checking
content
&
interest
vs.
referrals
IMPACT:
Improve
understanding
of
top
content
and
referral
sources
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Facebook
Insights-‐Admins
can
access
Insights
is
the
equivalent
Of
Google
Analy)cs
for
Business—not
personal-‐Facebook
pages—need
30+
followers
Data
is
exportable—correlate
with
Google
Analy)cs
in
your
analyses
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Use
the
FB
demographics
data!
Who’s
talking
shows
demographics—key
for
adverMsers—and
for
targeMng
content
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Facebook
provides
INSTANT
feedback
Content
&
Audience
Ads
&
social
marke)ng
• What’s
popular
(views)
• Tracking
response
on
social
• What’s
being
referred
(viral)
markeMng/promoMon
posts
• Who
is
your
audience
• Tracking
likes
&
reposts
(followers
&
demographics)
Apply
Facebook
data
to
recruit
new
adverMsers,
fine
tune
your
content,
define
audiences,
drive
traffic
to
website
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• Shows
most
retweeted
• Shows
top
retweeters
• Shows
top
tweets
and
how
far
each
reach
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Oakland
Local:
Tweetreach
How
many
people
are
you
reaching
via
TwiNer—and
who
are
they?
Tweetreach
gives
you
data
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Workflow
and
process
best
pracMces
Source: http://fobango.com
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Create
a
reporMng
dashboard
to
track
stats
over
Mme-‐
Excel
Spreadsheet tracking
key metrics month by
month, quarter by
quarter.
Build or download a
template to collect
data
Check data weekly
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Your
dashboard
should
track
Let’s
discuss:
how
does
this
work
• Google
Analy)cs
as
a
weekly/daily
report?
• Unique
visitors
• First
Mme
vs.
repeat
visitors
• Time
on
site
• Pages
per
visit
• Bounce
rate
• Top
10
Content
(by
page
views
or
by
unique
visitors)
• Number
of
comments
(conversion
goal)
• Number
of
member
blog
posts
(conversion
goal)
• New
members
(conversion
goal)
• Top
referring
sources
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Your
dashboard
should
track
Let’s
discuss:
how
does
this
work
as
a
weekly/daily
report?
• Facebook
Insights
• Followers
• Demographics
• LocaMon
• Likes/virality
• Tweetreach
• Top
Tweets
• Top
Tweeters
• Most
retweeted
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Want
to
learn
more?
Videos
on
the
Official
Google
AnalyMcs
YouTube
Channel
are
a
quality
resource.
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Putting knowledge
To work—
Things
to
Ask
&
Try
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Source: http://blog.podio.com
When
do
you
check
stats?
• Daily
or
weekly
• Monthly
– 30
minutes
or
less
– 90
minutes
– Review
all
stat
sources
– Look
at
basic
– Build
a
monthly
report
weekly
stats
– Compare
6
month
trend
• Top
content
data
• Google
AnalyMcs
• Top
referrers
• Facebook
Insights
• Tweetreach
• Time
spent/
bounce
metrics
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PuUng
info
to
work-‐-‐Start
with
basic
analysis
Planning
• What
is
your
site’s
greatest
strength
according
to
Google
AnalyMcs?
• Example:
High
number
of
returning
visits,
high
Mme
spent
on
pages
metrics
• Use
stats
to
portray
your
strengths-‐Create
a
1
pager
• What
is
a
problem
you
see
in
your
site
that
Google
AnalyMcs
shows
you?
– Example:
High
bounce
rate,
poor
referrals
from
social
media
despite
puQng
investment
there
– Use
stats
to
portray-‐-‐Create
a
1
pager
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Workflow:
Monthly
reporMng?
• What
does
a
monthly
report
about
your
site
look
like?
– Construct
a
monthly
report
across
all
data
sources
highlighMng
metrics
you
consider
meaningful/
important
– Make
some
inferences/asserMons
and
test
them
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Followup
• Should
we
have
a
peer
learning
circle?
More
trainings?
YOU
TELL
US
– If
yes,
contact
susan@oaklandlocal.com
– More
on
metrics
(including
the
basics):
hdp://slideshare.com/susanmernit
– More
individual
and
group
training
possible—
contact
susan@oaklandlocal.com
– See
this
preso
and
download
at
hNp://slideshare.com/susanmernit
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rights
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