google analytics: advanced features & settings

Google Analytics:Actionable Insights & Custom Reports

Advanced Features & Settings

By Kate Hamilton-Miller

Search Smart Marketing• Mission

▫ Deliver superior client service and results by effectively integrating strategy, project management, client service and technology.

• Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

• Paid Search Advertising

• Local Search Optimization

• Social Media Marketing

• Review Monitoring & Management

• Mobile Advertising & SEO

• Video Optimization

• Display/Banner Planning & Placement

Kate Hamilton-Miller• Graphic Designer

• Started Digital Marketing, 2004

• Joined Search Smart in 2008

• Certifications▫ Google▫ Bing▫ Social Media

• Memberships▫ SEMPO▫ National Association of Professional

Women (NAPW)▫ Women Centric

Google Analytics: The Basics

What Is Analytics?

•Definition▫Analytics is the discovery and

communication of meaningful patterns in data

▫Web analytics is the measurement, collection, analysis and reporting of internet data for purposes of understanding and optimizing web usage

Source: Wikipedia

Types of Analytics• Onsite

▫Visitors▫# of Pages Viewed▫Time on Site▫Popular Content▫Common Exit Pages▫Actions Completed

• Offsite▫Potential customer pool (search opportunity)▫Share of Voice (visibility)▫Commentary (reviews, social engagement)

Google Analytics 101

•Terminology

•Proper Set-up

•Top 5 Reports

•Turning Findings into Actions

Analytics Lingo

•Tracking Code▫JavaScript placed on each page of your site

•Tracking URL▫Web Address of the page on your site you

want to direct visitors to + relevant marketing info

•Campaign▫Marketing initiative; Email Blast; Paid

Search Ads

Google Analytics Setup

•Free account▫www.google.com/analytics

•Link to AdWords▫Adwords.Google.com

•Webmaster Tools Integration▫www.google.com/webmasters/tools

•Define Goals and Conversion Funnels

USE THE SAME LOGIN

ACROSS ALL

GOOGLE PRODUCT

S

Analytics Tracking – Tag Everything!

• What ▫Pay-Per-Click (CPC)▫Email▫Social Buttons, Posts▫Display

• How▫AdWords Auto-Tagging

▫Tracking URL Generator SEARCH: Google Analytics Tracking URL Builder http://support.google.com/analytics/answer/1033867?hl=e

n

AdWords Auto-Tagging•Login to AdWords•My Account > Preferences•Edit, Check Destination URL Auto-

Tagging•Save Changes

AdWords Auto-Tagging

Reviewing Your Data – Report #1

Report #1 – Audience Overview• Derive Meaning

▫Compare Month1 vs. Month2

▫Have visits increased? Decreased? Remained flat?

▫Major shifts in bounce rate or new visitors?

• Take Action▫Are you aware of any recent changes in:

Marketing activities PR coverage Offline events

▫Move onto Traffic Sources to determine cause of increase or decrease in visits

Report #2 – Traffic Sources• What sites are delivering visitors to your website?

• Traffic Source Types▫Direct to Site▫Organic Search▫Paid Search▫Referral

• Filter by Traffic Source type for consolidated data

• Referral sources include Social Media, PR & Blogs

Reviewing Your Data – Report #2

Reviewing Your Data – Report #3

Report #3 – Popular Site Content• Derive Meaning

▫What pages of your site are visitors drawn to?▫What pages do people visit, then immediately

leave your site?

• Take Action▫Popular Content

Create more content of a similar nature Send relevant paid search traffic here

▫High Bounce Rate Revise the text on the page Misleading keywords? Try a new layout

Reviewing Your Data – Report #4

Report #4 – Visitor Information• Derive Meaning

▫Where are most of your visitors located?▫Do they fall within your area of service?

• Take Action▫Increase advertising or sales activity in low

volume/high response areas

▫Review paid search targeting settings if traffic is coming from outside of your service area

▫Remove any geographic references to areas you do not serve that are mentioned on the website

Report #5 – Goal Conversions

•Online Purchase▫ecommerce

transaction

•Micro-Conversion▫Visits to Contact Us

•Contact Actions▫Form Submission▫Newsletter Sign-up

•Downloads▫White Paper▫Brochure

•Site Engagement▫Pages per visits▫Time on site

•Social Engagement▫Blog comment

Reviewing Your Data – Report #5

Reviewing Your Data – Report #5

Report #5 – Goal Conversions

•Derive Meaning▫What action(s) do you want people to take?▫Define GA Goal for that page URL

•Take Action▫Are your marketing efforts generating the

desired action(s)?

▫Which efforts are performing best?

▫Do under-performing campaigns have a clear call to action?

Key Takeaways• Proper Setup Ensures Maximum Data Collection

• Don’t Get Lost in the Details > Focus on Actionable Information

• Recommended Reports▫Audience Overview▫Traffic Sources▫Popular Site Content▫Visitor Information – Geographic Location▫Goals/Conversion Performance

Google Analytics: Advanced Insights

Measuring Marketing Initiatives

• Traffic Sources>Sources>Campaigns

Advanced Segments

Advanced Segments

Is Mobile Important?

Mobile & Tablet Traffic Growth

• Audience>Mobile>Overview

194% increase in Mobile Traffic

Mobile Device Specifics

• Audience>Mobile>Devices

Goal Conversion Funnels

•Conversions>Goals>Funnel Visualization

Creating A Conversion Funnel

Click Admin Button

Select Website Profile

Creating A Conversion Funnel

Select One to Begin Funnel

Creating A Conversion Funnel

Reverse Goal Path

Creating A Conversion Funnel•Log into Analytics & click admin button•Select your profile (www.website.com)•Goals tab•Click Create A Goal button

▫Or select a goal you wish to edit•Enter Goal Description•Add URL of conversion page under Goal

Details•Turn Funnel button on•Enter each step of the conversion process

you wish to track•Note whether a step is required

Top Conversion Paths

• Conversions>Multi-Channel Funnels>Top Conversion Paths

Assisted Conversions

• Conversions>Multi-Channel Funnels>Assisted Conversions

Value of Your Social Media Activity•Traffic Sources>Social>Overview

Social Trackbacks: Who’s Linking to You?

•Traffic Sources>Social>Trackbacks

Audience>Visitors Flow

Visitor Movement Through Your Site

Primary Navigation Path Details

Real-Time Events & Widgets

•Overview of real-time activity on site

•Traffic Sources

•Location of Visitor

•Content Visited

•Events & Conversions Currently in Beta

Real-Time Report: Overview

Real-Time: Visitor Location Data

Real-Time: Traffic Source Data

Real-Time: Site Content Viewed

Key Takeaways• Conversion funnels help identify drop-off points in

your sign-up/checkout process

• Mobile & Tablet site visits are on the rise – make sure your content is mobile friendly

• Understand how your different marketing efforts are working together with multi-channel funnels

• Real Time Analytics – Fun to watch, but avoid knee jerk decisions based on small data sets

• Presentation available online at http://www.slideshare.net/SearchSmartMarketing

Thank You!

Kate Hamilton-Millerkhamilton@isearchsmart.com@KateHMillerQuestions or Suggest A Topic: Use #SSMGA

Search Smart Marketingwww.isearchsmart.com

@iSearchSmartFacebook.com/SearchSmartMarketing