The document discusses best practices for using metrics to evaluate and grow a website or digital project. It provides an overview of key metrics tools like Google Analytics, Facebook Insights, and Tweetreach and the types of data they can provide about traffic, audience demographics, engagement, and content performance. It also offers tips on how to analyze metrics to make decisions about content strategy, social media marketing, and site improvements.

1. Show
me
the
numbers:
basic
metrics
Susan
Mernit
Oakland
Local
at
Learning
LAB
2013
Renaissance
Journalism
Center,
SF
University
January
11,
2013

2. 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
2 All
rights
reserved.
Houseoflocal.org

3. 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?
3 All
rights
reserved.
Houseoflocal.org

4. 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
4 All
rights
reserved.
Houseoflocal.org

5. Core
measurement
tools
Google Analytics
Facebook & Facebook
Insights
Twitter & Tweetreach
All
rights
reserved.
Houseoflocal.org
5

6. • Google
Analy)cs
dashboard
measures
site
data
including
• Traffic
• Audience
• Content
• Geography
knightdigitalmediacenter.org
6

7. 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
7 All
rights
reserved.
Houseoflocal.org

8. 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)
All
rights
reserved.
Houseoflocal.org
8

9. 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)
All
rights
reserved.
Houseoflocal.org
9

10. LocaMon:
Checking
geographic
focus
The
LocaMon
tab
(under
Audience
Demographics)
shows
where
your
audience
is
from—
essen)al
for
sales/
funders
10 All
rights
reserved.
Houseoflocal.org

11. Understanding
Mobile
Under Audience, Google Analytics will tell you what percentage of
your audience Is via mobile—and which platforms
11 All
rights
reserved.
Houseoflocal.org

12. GA:
Checking
content
&
interest
vs.
referrals
IMPACT:
Improve
understanding
of
top
content
and
referral
sources
12 All
rights
reserved.
Houseoflocal.org

13. Other
core
metrics
tools
Facebook Insights Twitter
Likes Followers
Comments Retweets
Tweet reach
Facebook Insights
Measures tweet
Measures Facebook
impact
page data
13

14. 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
14 All
rights
reserved.
Houseoflocal.org

15. Use
the
FB
demographics
data!
Who’s
talking
shows
demographics—key
for
adverMsers—and
for
targeMng
content
15 All
rights
reserved.
Houseoflocal.org

16. 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
All
rights
reserved.
Houseoflocal.org
16

17. Tweetreach
is
a
criMcal
Twider
metrics
tool
17

18. • Shows
most
retweeted
• Shows
top
retweeters
• Shows
top
tweets
and
how
far
each
reach
18 All
rights
reserved.
Houseoflocal.org

19. Oakland
Local:
Tweetreach
How
many
people
are
you
reaching
via
TwiNer—and
who
are
they?
Tweetreach
gives
you
data
19 All
rights
reserved.
Houseoflocal.org

20. Tweetreach
report
First
screen
All
rights
reserved.
Houseoflocal.org
20

21. Tweetreach
data
dive—who’s
ContribuMng
to
your
stream?
All
rights
reserved.
Houseoflocal.org
21

22. Workflow
and
process
best
pracMces
Source: http://fobango.com
knightdigitalmediacenter.org
22

23. 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
23 All
rights
reserved.
Houseoflocal.org

24. 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
All
rights
reserved.
Houseoflocal.org
24

25. 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
All
rights
reserved.
Houseoflocal.org
25

26. Want
to
learn
more?
Videos
on
the
Official
Google
AnalyMcs
YouTube
Channel
are
a
quality
resource.
26 All
rights
reserved.
Houseoflocal.org

27. Putting knowledge
To work—
Things
to
Ask
&
Try
27 All
rights
reserved.
Houseoflocal.org
Source: http://blog.podio.com

28. 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
All
rights
reserved.
Houseoflocal.org
28

29. 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
All
rights
reserved.
Houseoflocal.org
29

30. 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
All
rights
reserved.
Houseoflocal.org
30

31. 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
All
rights
reserved.
Houseoflocal.org
31