google analytics iq lesson 4: in-depth analysis

Google Analytics IQ Lessons

4. In-depth Analysis

1Based on Google’s Conversion University

http://www.google.com/support/conversionuniversity/bin/request.py?hl=en&contact_type=indexSplash&rd=1



http://www.hablardigital.com/

4.1. Custom reporting

• This is create reports that show the info you want organized in the way you want to see it (table form).• Dimensions are the rows of the table and metrics are

the columns in the table.• You can have several tabs• You can add up to 5 dimensions for each: one top

level dimension, and up to four sub dimensions. The sub-dimensions allow a user to drill down for details.

• Some combinations of metrics and dimensions aren’t allowed (appear greyed out)






4.2. Advanced segmentation• With Advanced Segments, you can quickly isolate and analyze subsets of

your traffic.

• Differences between filtered profiles and advanced segments: • AS can be applied to historical data• AS is available across all of your accounts and profles. But, a fltered profle is

only useful for a specifc web property. • You can compare up to four AS side by side in your reports. In contrast,

fltered profles can only be viewed one at a time. • It is much easier to create an AS than a fltered profle.

• If you want to permanently affect the data that a profle shows, you should use a fltered profle.

• And if you want to restrict user access to only a subset of data, the best way to do this is to set up a fltered profle.






4.2. Advanced segmentation

• Once you’ve applied one or more advanced segments, you can see the data for the segments throughout all of your reports.

• You can also change your date range and see the segments applied to historical data.

• The segments remain applied until you deselect them or you logof or view reports on another account or profle.






4.2. Advanced segmentation

• To modify a segment click on ‘Manage your advanced segments’.• The list shows predefned default and custom

segments.• If you want to build on an existing segment

without changing the original segment, you can click copy.

• To change an existing segment, click edit. You can only change Custom Segments.






4.3. Motion Charts• These allow you to visualize your data in 5 dimensions.

• You select metrics to be represented on the X and Y axis and by the size and color of the dots. And you can see how the data changes over time.

• A Motion Chart can help you identfy paterns and relatonships in your data.

• Access Motion Charts by clicking Visualize. The Visualize button is available in most reports that show tables.






4.3. Motion Charts

• Each dot will be a data point from the report. So, for example, if you click Visualize on a Keyword report, each dot will be a keyword.

• You can mouse over each dot to see its label and by clicking it, you can make the label stay visible. • In this chart, the X axis is Pages per Visit and the Y axis is Visits. This scale can be linear or logarithmic.• The color of each dot represents the Average Value.• The size of the dots represents the bounce rate.• You can view the data over tme by either dragging the slider or by pressing the Play button. By

selecting Trails and dragging the slider, you can plot the history of one or more data points over time.• In this Motion Chart, you can see right away that one keyword is much more valuable.






4.4. Internal Site Search• Visitors frequently use search boxes as a form of navigaton. By looking at

searches, you can identify:• missing or hidden content on your site• improve search results for key phrases• get ideas for new keywords to use in marketing campaigns.

• To set up SS Tracking, you’ll need to confgure your Profle settings:1) On the Analytics Settings page, click 'Edit' next to the profle for which you want to track

searches.2) Look for the Main Website Profle Information section and click Edit.3) In the Site Search section, select the 'Do Track Site Search' radio button. 4) In the 'Query Parameter' feld, enter the letter, word or words that designate an internal

query parameter (for example, if you search on Google.com, you will see your search query preceded by 'q=’). • In large sites, some sections may use diferent query parameters. You may provide up to 5, separating

each with commas. 5) Next, select whether or not you want GA to strip out the query parameter from your URL.

Stripping out the query parameter has the same efect as excluding URL Query Parameters in your Main Website Profle Settings• If, in your Site Search settings, you choose to strip the query parameters, you don't have to also

exclude them from your main settings.






4.4. Internal Site Search• If you use ‘Categories’ on your site (the ability to use drop-down

menus to narrow a search) you can include them in your search analytics:

1) Select the 'Yes' radio button under 'Do you use categories for site search?'

2) Enter your 'Category Parameter' in the feld provided. Enter only the letters that designate an internal query category.

3) Decide if you want to strip out the category parameters that you just provided. This has the same efect as excluding URL Query Parameters in your Main Website Profle Settings so if you choose to strip the category parameters here, you don't have to exclude them again from your main settings.

4) Click 'Save Changes' to fnish. 9Based on Google’s Conversion University





4.4. Internal Site Search• The SS Overview summarizes the search activity on your site. SS Reports:• SS Usage compares performance of visitors who use site search vs. those who

don’t.• Search Terms shows which kw visitors searched.• Search Refinement: view the kw visitors used to refne their original searches.

• If many searched on a common refnement, modify the results page to present info related to the refnement.

• Search Navigaton: see where visitors who searched go afer viewing the results page.

• Start Pages shows how many searches were initiated on each page of your site. • Use it to fnd out what visitors are searching for from your landing pages so you can improve the

page content (E.g.: if many visitors search "shipping options" from your shopping cart page, you may want to display it directly).

• Destnaton Pages: tells you where visitors ended up afer an internal search• SS Categories helps you determine which categories your visitors selected when

performing a search on your site. • This info helps you understand how visitors use your search engine, which products and categories

are popular, and how successfully visitors fnd what they are looking for.

• Trending: view site search trending patterns over time. 10

Based on Google’s Conversion University





4.5. Event Tracking and Virtual Pageviews

• Many websites use technologies such as Flash and Ajax to interact with visitors. These don’t generate pageviews so the basic web analytics doesn’t capture them. • Examples: Ajax-based activities, fle downloads,

video embedding, videogames, Flash, and clicks on links that take the visitor to another site.

• You can track these with Virtual Pageviews or Event Tracking.







• Virtual Pageviews can be created to represent practically any kind of activity or interaction you want.

• It’s “virtual” because you’re telling Google Analytics to register a pageview even though no new page has actually been loaded.

• You’ll see these virtual pageviews alongside ordinary pageviews in the Top Content and Content Drilldown reports.

• Simply call _trackPageview() and provide any name you want as the argument.

• Provide a “filename” argument that identfies the event e.g.: _gaq.push([‘trackPageview’,’/events/playvideo’])







• It’s a good idea to adopt a clear naming convention for your virtual pageviews. You might, for example, group virtual pageviews into categories by giving them a virtual subdirectory.

• Also, since virtual pageviews appear along with standard pageviews in reports, you may wish to create a duplicate profile where you flter out the virtual pageviews.






4.5. Event Tracking and Virtual Pageviews• The other way to track non-pageview interactions is to use Event Tracking.

Advantages:• You won’t generate an extra pageview.• Easy to organize into categories, actions, and provide labels and even values for each event

you track.

• All of your events show up in the Event Tracking reports within the Content secton.

• Just call the _trackEvent() method each time you want to register an event. The full specifcation for the _trackEvent() method is:• _trackEvent(category, action, optional_label, optional_value)• Flash example: the _trackEvent will be called each time a visitor releases the Play button:






4.5. Event Tracking and Virtual Pageviews• Let’s look at each of the arguments to _trackEvent. The

strings that you provide for the frst 3 arguments, Category, Action, and Label, govern how the events will be organized in your reports.






4.5. Event Tracking and Virtual Pageviews• Category is a name that you supply as a means to group objects --

which are usually user interface elements that you want to track.• If you have games and videos on your site, you’d probably want to have a

“Games” category and “Videos” category.

• Acton is the name you want to give to the type of interaction you’re tracking. • So, for example, for Videos, you’d probably want to track how many times

your visitors pressed Play.

• The Label argument is optional. A Label allows you to provide additional information for for the event you are tracking. • For example, the name of the movie that was played or name of the fle

downloaded.

• Value is the fourth, and optional, argument to _trackEvent(). • Unlike the other arguments which are all strings, Value is an integer. You

can use it to assign a numeric value to a tracked page object. • To call _trackEvent() without a value, simply omit the argument.






4.5. Event Tracking and Virtual Pageviews• Total Events is simply the total number of times an event

occurs (number of times _trackEvent was called).

• Unique Events, each event is only counted 1 per visit.

• Remember these best practces:• Determine in advance all of the kinds of events you’ll

want to track.

• Try to create a hierarchy of Categories, Actions, and Labels that will grow with your needs. Work with your report users to make sure that the hierarchy makes sense.

• Use a clear and consistent naming conventon• A maximum of 500 events per visit will be tracked. So,

avoid tracking highly repetitive events.






4.5. Event Tracking and Virtual Pageviews• Advantages of Event Tracking over Virtual Pageviews:

• Using trackEvent() allows you to analyze event based interactons in much greater detail than is possible using virtual pageviews.• For example, instead of just seeing how many times a movie was played on your

site, you can analyze how people use your video player, and see how diferent events correlate with site usage and ecommerce metrics.

• Also, by tracking events separately from pageviews, you won’t infate your pageview count.






4.6. Additional Customizations• In Google Analytics, a visit—or session—is defned by 30 minutes of

inactivity, or when a user quits the browser. • You can change the 30 minute default by calling

setSessionCookieTimeout and specify a new timeout value in milliseconds:






4.6. Additional Customizations• By default, a conversion can be attributed to a campaign that is up to 6

months old, but you can change this: call _setCampaignCookieTimeout() and specify your new campaign length in milliseconds.






4.6. Additional Customizations• GA attributes conversions to the most recently referred

campaign. • To attribute conversion to the first campaign, tag all

campaign links with utm_nooverride=1. • Note that the utm_nooverride setting can be used in conjunction with autotagging.

• GA automatically tracks referrals from over 30 search engines. But, if you want to add a search engine, you can do it by calling _addOrganic() in your GA Tracking Code:

1) Perform a search in the search engine and look at the URL of the search results page.

2) In the URL, look for the keyword you searched -- it should be preceded by a letter and an equal sign. This letter is the query variable for the search engine.

3) Add a call to _addOrganic in your GA Tracking Code. The frst argument is the name of the search engine. The second argument is the query variable.






4.6. Additional Customizations• You may wish to treat traffic that results from certain search

keywords as Direct. • Simply add a call to _addIgnoredOrganic() in your GA

Tracking Code. Specify the keyword as the argument.






4.6. Additional Customizations• You can also treat referrals from certain sites as Direct traffic

instead of as referrals.• For each site that you want to exclude as a referral and treat

as Direct, add a call to _addIgnoredRef() in your GATC:






google analytics iq lesson 4: in-depth analysis

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