Trendspotting: Using Google
Analytics to Track and React to
Website Visitor Patterns
Chris Brown
Bob Molnar
Assistant Director
IU Communications
chrmbrow@iu.edu
Web Production Manager
IU Communications
rmolnar@iu.edu
@bobmolnar
Hashtag: #iumetrics
Web Analytics
A Definition
“measurement,
collection, analysis and
reporting of internet
data for purposes of
understanding and
optimizing web usage”
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Analytics at IU
Weblogs
Page Counters
Analog
Google Analytics
Urchin
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Analytics at IU
Weblogs
• Raw server logs of all
“hits”
• Difficult to read and
interpret
• Difficult to cultivate
pageviews
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Analytics at IU
Page Counters
• First attempt at any
organized way to
count visitors
• In-page analytics
• Easily manipulated
and reported only
how many “visitors”
a page had (often
incorrectly)
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Analytics at IU
Analog
• IU’s first enterprise-wide
analytics solution
• Extracted from server
logs, but organized
• Limited in scope: Cannot
show visits, how website
visitors went through the
site, how they left the site,
how much time they spent
on the site, etc.
• Available for all webserve
accounts:
http://www-reports.iu.edu/
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Analytics at IU
Google
Analytics
• Sophisticated client-side,
Javascript-based analytics
solution
• Free to use, but requires a
Google account
• Data is processed on
Google servers
• Aggregate data reporting
• No way to re-process data
once it is collected
• Cannot track users who
use browsers without
Javascript enabled/nonJavascript browsers
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Analytics at IU
Urchin
• Also a Google product
• Server-side solution
• Data is processed on
locally owned servers
• Aggregate & individual
data reporting
• Allows for reprocessing of old data
• In evaluation phase at
IU
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Web Analytics
The Process
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Web Analytics
Measure
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Web Analytics
How Google Analytics Works
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Web Analytics
How Google Analytics Works
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Web Analytics
Blind Spots
•
•
•
•
JavaScript Disabled
Cookies Blocked
Cookies Removed
Private Browsing
•
•
•
•
Multiple Devices
Multiple Browsers
VPN Connections
iFrame Content
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Web Analytics
Profile Filters
• Limits and modifies
traffic data within a
profile.
• Only contains data
starting from the date
created.
• Can be applied to
multiple profiles, but
each must be viewed
separately.
• Never apply to RAW
DATA profile.
• Limit profile data to
certain account users.
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Web Analytics
Profile Filters
• Predefined Filters
• Exclude traffic from
the domains
• Exclude traffic from
the IP addresses
• Exclude traffic to the
subdirectories
• Custom Filters
• Exclude/Include
Pattern
• Search & Replace
• Uppercase / Lowercase
• Advanced
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Web Analytics
Goals & Funnels
• A goal is a website
page that serves as
conversion for your
site – i.e. completion
of call to action.
• Form confirmation
• Downloads
• Purchase
• A funnel represents the
path that you expect
visitors to take on their
way to converting to
the goal.
• Conversion rate
• Visitor goal
abandonment
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• Bottlenecks
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Web Analytics
Campaign Links
• Use for online and
offline campaigns
•
•
•
•
Direct Mail
E-mail
Banner Ads
Search
• URL Builder Tool
• Provides UTM
parameters for
performance tracking
•
•
•
•
•
Campaign Source
Campaign Medium
Campaign Term
Campaign Content
Campaign Name
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Web Analytics
Analyze
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Web Analytics
Understanding Your Audience
Where are your audiences
originating from?
• Internal vs. External
• Geographies
• Traffic Sources
How can web analytics help
you better understand your
audience(s)?
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•
•
•
Direct
Organic Search
Pay-Per-Click (PPC)
Pay-Per-Impressions
(PPI)
• Off- and Online
Campaigns
• Social Media
• External Sites
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Web Analytics
Understanding Your Audience
How can web analytics help
you better understand your
audience(s)?
How do your
audiences access the
site?
• Browser
• Operating System
• Network
• Mobile
• Which devices?
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Web Analytics
Understanding Your Audience
How can web analytics help
you better understand your
audience(s)?
How do your
audiences behave on
the site?
• New vs. Returning
• Visit Frequency
• Visit Recency
• Visit Duration
• Page Depth
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Web Analytics
Understanding Your Content
How can web analytics help
you better understand your
site’s content?
How are your pages
performing?
• Pageviews
• Unique Pageviews
• Time on Page
• Bounce Rate
• Exits
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Web Analytics
Understanding Your Content
How can web analytics help
you better understand your
site’s content?
How are your pages
performing?
• Page Popularity
• Content Drilldown
• Landing Pages
• Exit Pages
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Web Analytics
Understanding Your Content
How can web analytics help
you better understand your
site’s content?
What are audiences
searching for?
• Search Volume
• Search Exits
• Search Refinements
• Time After Search
• Search Depth
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Web Analytics
Advanced Segments
• Used to isolate and
analyze specific kinds
of traffic.
• Non-destructive and
can be applied on
historical data.
• Allows viewing and
comparison of
multiple advanced
segments side by side
in reports.
• Not available for
absolute unique
visitors, goal and
funnel reports. Use
filters for these areas.
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Web Analytics
Under the Hood:
Goals & Funnels
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Goals & Funnels
What is a Goal (a.k.a. “Goal
Conversion” or
“Conversions”)?
Any specific, measurable
action performed by a site
user that you determine is
more valuable than a
standard pageview. You
can define the desired
path to the Goal and track
that path using Funnel
Reports.
You can have up to 20
goals across 5 goal tabs
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Web Analytics
Examples of Goals
• Downloading a
specific PDF
• Visiting a specific
sub-site (e.g., Current
Projects, Alumni
Giving, etc.)
• Engagement goals
(e.g., commenting on
a blog post, sharing a
site asset via social
media, etc.)
• Purchasing an item
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Web Analytics
The Importance of Goals
• Single most important measurement
• Helps to define website success: completion of a Goal
• Also measures how close visitors who did not complete
the Goal came to completion
• “Negative Goals” – tracking how people get to error
pages, etc.
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Web Analytics
Funnel Reports
• Funnel - the path a visitor takes to complete a Goal
• Funnel Reports
• Trace the visitor path to a Goal
• Not ideal for every Goal (e.g., Pages/Visit)
• Use for Goals that have a clear linear path
• Expect to lose visitors at each step in the path (thus, the
term “Funnel”)
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Web Analytics
Types of Funnels
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Adapted from Clifton, B. Advanced web metrics with Google Analytics.
Web Analytics
Cylinder Shape
This shape represents 100% Goal completion.
It is unrealistic, if not unattainable.
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Adapted from Clifton, B. Advanced web metrics with Google Analytics.
Web Analytics
Traditional Funnel
The most common shape. Represents a sharp
decrease in visitors with each step in the
Funnel.
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Adapted from Clifton, B. Advanced web metrics with Google Analytics.
Web Analytics
The “Bulge” Shape
The “bulge” represents an ill-designed path,
where there is a sharp increase in visitors in
the middle of the path.
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Adapted from Clifton, B. Advanced web metrics with Google Analytics.
Web Analytics
The “Birdbath” Funnel
A shape depicting a large number of visitors
leaving early in the process. Represents poor
conversion and significant barriers to
The shape of the Funnel can tell us a lot.
progress.
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Adapted from Clifton, B. Advanced web metrics with Google Analytics.
Web Analytics
The “Flowerpot” Funnel
This is the ideal shape. Represents a welloptimized path, with a gradual decrease in
visitors with each step in the Funnel.
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Adapted from Clifton, B. Advanced web metrics with Google Analytics.
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Web Analytics
The Multi-Channel Funnel Report
• New feature in the latest version of
Google Analytics
• Shows the path to a Goal from multiple channels (e.g.,
social media, banner ads, email blasts) for up to 30 days
prior to Goal achievement
• For more information:
• http://bit.ly/ga-mcf
• http://bit.ly/ga-mcf-vid
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Web Analytics
Under the Hood:
Campaigns
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Web Analytics
Campaigns
What is a campaign?
• Campaign Reporting
is a way to track a
marketing campaign’s
results under a single
category.
• Link Tagging is a
process by which you
can customize URLs to
track website visits that
comprise a campaign.
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Web Analytics
Parameters for Link Tagging
• utm_campaign (required) – The name of the specific
marketing campaign (e.g., “2011_Comm_Mrktg_Conf”)
• utm_medium (required) – The marketing medium by
which a visitor came to visit the website (e.g., “email”,
“postcard”, “billboard”, “banner ad”, “twitter”,
“facebook”)
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Web Analytics
Parameters for Link Tagging
• utm_source (required) – A specific source for the
website visit (e.g., “vp_email_2011_10_19”, “tweet10192011”)
• utm_content (optional) – Used to differentiate ads
within a campaign
• utm_term (optional) – Used only for paid keywords
(e.g., Google AdWords)
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Web Analytics
Google’s URL Builder
http://bit.ly/ga-url-builder
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Web Analytics
Deconstructing the Resulting URL
http://admit.indiana.edu/discover?
utm_source=research_admit_email&
utm_medium=email&
utm_campaign=AdmitAcademicOptions
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Web Analytics
The Source
http://admit.indiana.edu/discover?
utm_source=research_admit_email&
utm_medium=email&
utm_campaign=AdmitAcademicOptions
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Web Analytics
The Medium
http://admit.indiana.edu/discover?
utm_source=research_admit_email&
utm_medium=email&
utm_campaign=AdmitAcademicOptions
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Web Analytics
The Campaign Name
http://admit.indiana.edu/discover?
utm_source=research_admit_email&
utm_medium=email&
utm_campaign=AdmitAcademicOptions
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Web Analytics
Shortening the URL
• Shorten the URL when sending it to visitors:
http://admit.indiana.edu/myoptions/admit
• Methods for shortening URLs
• Use bit.ly: http://bit.ly (requires free account activation for
customizing URLs)
• Use go.iu.edu (IU’s URL-shortening service, requires CAS
login):
http://go.iu.edu/
• Add custom, shortened URL to your website’s .htaccess file
(not for the faint of heart!)
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Web Analytics
Under the Hood:
Virtual Pageviews
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Web Analytics
Virtual Pageviews
What is a virtual pageview?
• A method for making
reading a report
“cleaner”
• Replaces longer
URLs in a report with
a readable format
• Similar to Events
(covered later)
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Web Analytics
Long URLs and Reporting
Some dynamically-generated URLs may contain a long
string of parameters used for connecting to databases:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=searchalias%3Daps&fieldkeywords=Being+lucky+Herman+Wells&x=0&y=0
Databases need those parameter values, but the associated
URLs are hard to read and decipher in Google Analytics
reports.
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Web Analytics
When should you use virtual
pageviews?
Google Analytics includes the ability to create Virtual
Pageviews to replace confusing URLs in reports.
You can also use Virtual Pageviews for items that are not
normally tracked as pageviews, but have similar actions
(e.g., opening a PDF file).
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Web Analytics
Reporting with Virtual Pageviews
In any pageview reports, only the folder path and parameter string (depicted in red
below) will appear:
http://www.iucat.iu.edu/uhtbin/cgisir
si/t45rMDnjOO/IUNIVLIB/17211593/9
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Web Analytics
Reporting with Virtual Pageviews
Virtual pagviews make reporting folder paths easier to read:
http://www.iucat.iu.edu/uhtbin/cgisir
si/t45rMDnjOO/IUNIVLIB/17211593/9
/books/Herman Wells - Being Lucky
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Web Analytics
Virtual Pageviews - Creating the URL
<a
href="http://www.iucat.iu.edu/uhtbin/cgisirsi/
t45rMDnjOO/I-UNIVLIB/17211593/9"
onclick="_gaq.push(['_trackPageview',
'/books/Herman Wells - Being
Lucky']);">Being Lucky by Herman B
Wells</a>
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Web Analytics
Under the Hood:
Events
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Web Analytics
Events
What is an event?
• An event is any action
a visitor is capable of
performing while
visiting a website.
• Practical definition for
Google Analytics: Any
in-page action that
does not cause a
pageview
• Help to reduce high
bounce rate on a page
that would otherwise
generate a single
pageview
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Web Analytics
Events
• Watching an
embedded video:
• Playing the video
• Stopping the video
Event examples
• Navigating an in-page
slideshow
• In-page gadgets
(AJAX)
• File downloads
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Web Analytics
Event Components
• category (required) – a value describing a group categorized
under a common name (e.g., “Homepage Slideshow”).
• action (required) – a value describing what the user did to
trigger an event (e.g., “click”, “press play”, “stop”).
• optional_label – an optional value you can use to provide
additional text information (e.g., “Slide 1: State of the
University Address”, “Play Alumni Video”)
• optional_value – an optional numeric (integer only) value that
use can use to provide additional numeric information. Google
Analytics will sum all aggregate values.
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Web Analytics
Tagging an Event
<a href=“#”
onclick=“_gaq.push(['_trackEvent',
'CATEGORY', 'ACTION',
'OPTIONAL_LABEL',
OPTIONAL_VALUE)”>Link</a>
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Web Analytics
Example of a tagged Event
<a href=“#”
onclick=“_gaq.push(['_trackEvent',
'Homepage Slideshow', 'Click', '1 - IU
Energy Challenge winners',
1])”>Link</a>
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Web Analytics
Events vs. Virtual Pageviews
• Since Events do not generate pageviews, use them only
to track actions that would not count as a pageview
normally (e.g., interacting with a video, AJAX
application, slideshow, external links, etc.).
• Virtual Pagviews do count as pageviews. Use them to
track actions that you would consider a pageview under
most circumstances (e.g., downloading a PDF, Word
document, etc.)
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Web Analytics
Under the Hood:
New Features
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Web Analytics
Mobile Reports
• Access the reports using Audience » Mobile
• Overview – Simple report showing breakdown of mobile
vs. non-mobile visitors.
• Mobile Devices – Presents visitors broken down by
mobile device. You can also segment by service provider,
input selector (e.g., touchscreen, joystick, stylus),
operating system, and other dimensions. Also includes
visitor location segmenting (using the Map Overlay
feature).
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Web Analytics
Visitors Flow Report
• Access the report using Audience » Visitors Flow
• Uses nodes and connections to graphically represents the
paths visitors used to navigate your website.
• “A node represents: one metric of the dimension by which
you’re filtering the visualization (first column); or a single
page or collection of pages (for example, all pages in the
wearables directory).”
• “A connection represents the path from one node to
another, and the volume of traffic along that path.”
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Web Analytics
Real Time Data Reporting
• Access the reports using Home tab » Real Time (BETA)
• Overview - shows referrals (websites and keywords) of
visitors who are currently viewing your website.
• Locations - the geographic locations of current visitors.
• Traffic Sources – depicts mediums and sources of
current visitors. Good for monitoring campaigns.
• Content – reveals the pages with which current visitors
are interacting.
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Web Analytics
Social Engagement Reports
• Access the reports using Visitors » Social section
• Engagement – Compares how people who used social
media (SM) on your site performed vs. people who did
not use SM.
• Action – compares each SM channel and the action
performed
• Pages – Compares social interactions across pages in
your site
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Web Analytics
Act!
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Web Analytics
The Process
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Web Analytics
Measure – Best Practices
• Establish your site goals (macro and micro).
• Define the audience(s) and metrics associated to each
goal.
• Update your site privacy policy.
• Create a Google Account.
• Create a RAW DATA profile.
• Create filters for isolating and analyzing subgroup traffic.
• Map goal funnels.
• Utilize “UTM” parameters in hyperlinks for campaigns.
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Web Analytics
Analyze – Best Practices
• Establish a scheduled review period (monthly, quarterly,
semester, annually) for each goal.
• Review metrics defined for each goal.
• Raw Data
• Filters
• Advanced Segmentations
• Determine trends, performance bottlenecks, and new
growth opportunities.
• Identify actionable insights.
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Web Analytics
Act – Best Practices
• Make it a priority.
• Dedicate resources for action.
• Implement site changes to better align with goal
objectives reflective of analytics findings.
•
•
•
•
•
Content
SEO
Site/Page Usability
Process/Workflow
Design Elements
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Web Analytics
For More Information
Send us an Email:
metrics@iu.edu
Follow us on Twitter:
@iumetrics
Analytics Resources:
http://bit.ly/iumetrics
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Web Analytics
Special Thanks
Greg Polit
Nancy Clensy
Director, Informational &
Emerging Technologies
IU Communications
Assistant for Special Projects
Vice President for Public Affairs
and Government Relations
Tadas Paegle
New Media Developer
IU Communications
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Web Analytics
Thank You!
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