This document discusses 5 ways to make use of Google Analytics data and insights. It begins with an overview of Google Analytics basics. It then outlines each of the 5 ways: 1) using 404 errors to find and fix broken links, 2) analyzing search terms, 3) setting up goals and events to track key user actions, 4) tracking referral sources and campaigns, and 5) customizing reports and automating delivery. The document provides examples and code snippets for implementing each tactic.
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5 Ways to Make the Most of Google Analytics Data
1. 5 Ways to Make Use of
Your Google Analytics
Charlie Morris
@cdmo
2. About Me
Nutshell:
- MSIS from UNC
- NC State since ‘05
- Joined NCSU Libraries 2 months ago
- Interests and areas of expertise: "
Google Analytics, Drupal, WordPress, users
and content, jQuery, burritos, CSS (recent
Sass + Compass convert), PHP + MySQL
4. Google Analytics basics
User visits ga.js sends the Google
your site user’s browser Analytics
and the GA information off processes
snippet is to GA servers the data
triggered and it sets and makes
(along with cookies on the reports
ga.js) available
user’s browser
(This occurs in a fraction of a second) (This takes hours)
5. Limitations
• Won’t track if JS is turned off
• “Unique” Visitors
• Cookie deletion
• NoScript and other add-ons
• Trend data, not exact
23. Required:
A 404 error page see"
http://www.alistapart.com/articles/
perfect404/
24. Default GATC
_gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-######-#']);!
_gaq.push(['_trackPageview']);!
_gaq The global object for asynchronous tracking.
push Executes the given command array.
_trackPageview Main logic of GATC. Takes one
optional parameter, if it isn’t
specified then GA will use current
address.
32. What can search analysis tell
you?
• What terms to include in campaigns*
• What to feature on the homepage
• How to structure information
• What synonyms to use in the search itself
• Where users are getting lost
Helps make your site and its content more
relevant and useful
33. Other low-hanging fruit
• Daily number of visitors
• Top visited pages
• Average length of visits
• Bounce rate
34. 3. Goals
Source: Sam Smith, http://bit.ly/eduiRaptor
35. “Defining your website goals is
probably the single most important
step of your configuration process,
as it enables you to define success”
-Brian Clifton, author of
Advanced Web Metrics with Google Analytics
36. • Need to have actual
goals before you can Mission!
set “Goals”
Business Goal
Business Goal
Website
Website
Action
Website
Action
Action
37. An example
• You: an instructional technology training unit
– Mission: To raise the instructional technology
expertise of faculty
– Business Goal: Get more faculty to come to in-
person training sessions
– Website Action: Registration for workshops
38. An example
• You: an instructional technology training unit
– Mission: To raise the instructional technology
expertise of faculty
– Business Goal: Get more faculty to come to in-
person training sessions
– Website Action: Registration for workshops
GA ‘Goal’
39. What is a Google Analytics
“Goal”?
• a pageview* that gets
tallied as a conversion
40. Website Action Goal: Registration for workshops
Training and
development home
page
All workshops listing
page
Workshop
information page
Registration page
Thank you page
45. 4 (a). Events and “Virtual”
Pageviews
-Brian Cray http://bit.ly/eduiCray
46. Use cases
• Actions within the page
– Site exits to external link
– Activating a tab
– Playing a video
– Multiple links to same address
• “onclick” attribute
54. Example: Virtual PageView for
Site Exit
<li>Submit your application using the NC State
University Graduate School !
<a !
!onclick="_gaq.push([!
! !'_trackPageview', 'academic/how_to_apply/!
! !start-application/link4’]);" !
!target="new"
!href=http://www.ncsu.edu/grad/applygrad.htm” !
>!
Apply Yourself</a> web site.</li>!
55. Example: Virtual PageView for Site
Exit
• Link1: MGIST applicants first link
• Link2: MGIST applicants second link
• Link4: GIS Certificate
56. What is a Google Analytics
“Goal”?
• Any interaction a user makes
with the site that gets tallied as
a conversion
57. Caution
• Limited to 500 total events or pageviews
per visit (user session)
– avoid scripting a video to send an event for
every second played and other highly repetitive
event triggers
– avoid excessive mouse movement tracking
– avoid time-lapse mechanisms that generate
high event counts
59. Campaigns
The One True Way:
“Make something great. Tell
people about it. Do it again.”
-Derek Powazek
http://bit.ly/eduiSEO
60. Ways to tell people about stuff
Electronic Space
Meat Space
• Email / Email Newsletter
• Brochures
• Twitter
• Posters
• Podcasts
• Facebook
• Mailings
• Web page
• Television
• Blog post
• Radio
• Videos
• Billboards
• Search results
• Skywriting
• Sandwich Board
• AdWords*
• Scrolling marquee on Time
• Flash banner
Square
* whole nother story
• Tattoo on professional boxer
61. Google Analytics URL Builder
• Build in GA-specific variables into a URL
solely for tracking purposes
– Campaign Source*
– Campaign Medium*
– Campaign Term (for AdWords)
– Campaign Content
– Campaign Name*
* required
Source: bit.ly/eduiURL