Advanced Web Metrics with Google Analytics

This book is intended for use by customers using Google Classic Analytics and does not cover the newer Google Universal Analytics or related Google Tag Manager.

Google Analytics is the free tool used by millions of web site owners to assess the effectiveness of their efforts. Its revised interface and new features will offer even more ways to increase the value of your web site, and this book will teach you how to use each one to best advantage. Featuring new content based on reader and client requests, the book helps you implement new methods and concepts, track social and mobile visitors, use the new multichannel funnel reporting features, understand which filters to use, and much more.

• Gets you up and running with all the new tools in the revamped Google Analytics, and includes content requested by readers and users especially for new GA users

• Covers social media analytics features, advanced segmentation displays, multi-dashboard configurations, and using Top 20 reports

• Provides a detailed best-practices implementation guide covering advanced topics, such as how to set up GA to track dynamic web pages, banners, outgoing links, and contact forms

• Includes case studies and demonstrates how to optimize pay-per-click accounts, integrate AdSense, work with new reports and reporting tools, use ad version testing, and more

Make your web site a more effective business tool with the detailed information and advice about Google Analytics in Advanced Web Metrics with Google Analytics, 3nd Edition.

Auteur

Brian Clifton, PhD, is an internationally recognized web analytics expert who specializes in performance optimization using Google Analytics for a variety of high-profile brands. He formerly led the Google Web Analytics team for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, and he initiated and helped launch the online learning center for the Google Analytics Individual Qualification (GAIQ). Brian regularly speaks at industry trade shows, maintains the popular blog Measuring Success (www.advanced-web-metrics.com/blog/), and wrote the previous two editions of this book, which are used by students and professionals worldwide.

Contenu
Foreword xix

Introduction xxi

Part I Measuring Success 1

Chapter 1 Why Understanding Your Web Traffic is Important to Your Business 3

Website MeasurementWhy Do This? 4

Information Web Analytics Can Provide 7

Where to Start 9

Decisions Web Analytics Can Help You Make 12

The ROI of Web Analytics 13

How Much Should I Invest in This? 13

How Web Analytics Helps You Understand Your Web Traffic 16

Where Web Analytics Fits In 16

How is Google Analytics Different? 18

Targeting Digital Marketers Rather Than IT Departments 19

Where to Get Help 19

Resources Provided by Google (Free) 19

Non-Google Resources (Free) 20

Official Google Analytics Certified Partners (Paid) 20

Summary 20

Chapter 2 Available Methodologies and Their Accuracy 23

Page Tags and Logfiles 24

Cookies in Web Analytics 26

Understanding Web Analytics Data Accuracy 27

Issues Affecting Visitor Data Accuracy for Logfiles 28

Issues Affecting Visitor Data from Page Tags 29

Issues Affecting Visitor Data When Using Cookies 33

Comparing Data from Different Vendors 35

Why PPC Vendor Numbers Do Not Match Web Analytics Reports 41

Data Misinterpretation: Lies, Damned Lies, and Statistics 44

Improving the Accuracy of Web Analytics Data 45

Privacy Considerations for the Web Analytics Industry 47

Types of Private Information 48

The EU Privacy Law 49

Summary 52

Chapter 3 Google Analytics Features, Benefits, and Limitations 53

Key Features and Capabilities of Google Analytics 54

Standard Features 54

Advanced Features 59

How Google Analytics Works 63

The Google Analytics Tracking Code 63

What is Not Tracked by Default 65

The Default Attribution Model 67

Google Analytics Limits 68

What Google Analytics Does Not Do 70

Service-Level Agreement 70

Indefinite Data Retention 70

Provide Professional Services 71

Data Reprocessing 71

Bid Management 72

Import Third-Party Data 72

Per-Visitor Tracking (against Google Policies) 72

What is Google Analytics Premium? 73

Comparing Google Analytics Premium versus Free 75

Google Analytics and Privacy 77

Common Privacy Questions 79

What is Urchin? 82

Differences between Google Analytics and Urchin 83

Urchin Advantages 84

Criteria for Choosing between Google Analytics and Urchin 85

Summary 86

Part II Using Google Analytics Reports 87

Chapter 4 Using the Google Analytics Interface 89

Discoverability and Initial Report Access 90

Navigating Your Way Around: Report Layout 92

Dimensions and Metrics 94

The Data Table 94

Date Range Selector 96

Aggregate Summary Metrics 97

Chart Options 98

Changing Table Views 101

Plotting Multiple Rows 105

Secondary Dimensions 105

Changing the Displayed Dimension 106

Table Sorting 106

Table Search 108

Table Filters (Advanced) 109

Chart Display and Annotation 110

Report Sections 112

Tabbed Views 112

Advanced Segments 112

Export 113

Email Reports 114

Add to Dashboard 115

Summary 116

Chapter 5 Reports Explained 117

The Home Overview 118

Real-Time Reporting 118

Intelligence Events 119

Flow Visualization 126

Dashboards 129

Top Standard Reports 132

Multi-Channel Funnels 132

Social Interactions 138

Visitors: Location 138 E-comme...