Everything You Didn t Know About Google Analytics

Everything You Didn’t Know

About Google Analytics

Hidden

Quirks

Misleading

Metrics

Tips &

Tricks

Hidden Quirks:

WTF is a Session?

H i t t Pageview Hit5 Pageview USERl (9 SESSION 1 Hit2 Event Hit3 Pageview © SESSION 2 Hit6 Hit 7 Pageview Pageview Hit4 Transaction HitB Event

/category /product /checkout

Google

Session

/category /product /checkout

Google

Session

(Source = Google)

Session

Google Analytics Home Reporting Custom1z atio11 Admin

-Ad'min:istration

di stilled. net / http://www.distilled.net

PROPERTY

http://www.distilled.net

Ei) Property Settings

; ; ; Us er M anagem en1 .js Tracking Info Tracking Code Elata Collection User-ID Session Settings

Organic Search Sources

Referral Excl1Jsion List

Search Term Exclusion List

1

©

These settings only vork with the analytics.js version of the tracking

ga.js, customize these settings to maich your previous configl1ration

Referral Exclusion List .,

Exclude these domains from your referral traffic. Users arriving at your site vi,

+ ADD REFERRAL EXCLU&ON

Domain Name

/category /product /checkout

Google

Session

(Source = Google)

Session

ZIii Google Ana[ytics Home Reporting Customization Admin Administration distilled.net/ http://www.distilled.net PROPERTY http:IJwww.distilled.net

BJ

Property S etti r1gs ; ; : User Management . js Tracking Info Tracking Code IJata Collection User-ID Session SettiRgs Organic Search Sources Referral Exclusion list Search Term Exclusion List

Session Settings

TimeoUJt H andiin g 1

S,essi on ti m eout

MINIMUM: 1 minute, MAXIMUM: 4 hours

Hours Minutes 0 .... 30 ..,. Campaign timeout MAXIMUM: 24 monttis Months Days 6 .... 0 ....

-

Cancel Hours 0 .... Minutes 0 ....

/category /product /checkout Google Google Session (Source = Google) Session (Source = Google)

/category /product /checkout Google Paypal Session (Source = Google) Session (Source = Paypal)

Administration

d isU I led.net / http://www.d isti ed. ne

PROPERTY

http://www.distill ed. ne,t

Eil

Property Settings

W User Management • js Tracking rnfo Tracking Code Data Collection User-ID Session Settings

Organic Search Sources

Refe;rra Exdusi.011 List Search Term Exclusio11 List

I

These settings only work with the analyt.ics.js version of the tracking oode. If you're using the gajs

©

version, configure these settit1gs in your code. If you're transitioning to analytics.js from ga.js, customize these settings to match your previous configuration for data continuity.

Referral Exclusion L. st ?

Exclu.de these domains from your referral traffic. Users arriving at your site via any of these domains will not be count,ed as referral traffic in your reports .

+ ADD REFERRAL EXa.USION 0.. Search

Domain Name

distil I ed .net remove

Hidden Quirks:

Attribution

/category /product Google Session (Source = Google) Session (Source = Google) Direct 2-week holiday

Direct

Other Channels

Other

Ill Ill

....

.,

•

•••

•••

Dashboards Shortcuts Intelligence Events Real-Time Audience

-t..

Acquisition (i3 !3ehavior � Conversions � Goals � Ecommerce � Multi-Channel Funnels � Attrioution Model Comparison T ...

Hidden Quirks:

Data Integrity

A couple of years ago, I decided to

make a website

Acquisition S01:1rce I Medium 7 Sessions " 4,,399 % o f Total: 100_D0% (4,399) 1. (direct)/ (n.one) 1,226, (27.B7'!r.)

2, flo ating-share-buttons.com / referra I 735 (16.7Hr,)

3. google / organic 303 (6.89'l;)

4. guardlink_org / referral 215, {4.89'") 5.. trafflc2cash .xy.z / referral 191 {4.34'!r.)

6, adf.ly I referral 189 (4.304')

7, get-free-social-traffLc_com l referral 145 (3.304',) 8. s i mple-share-bmtons_com / referra I 133 (3.02.'\\.) 9. get-your-social-button.s.info / referral 11001 {2.27'!r.) rn. www. event-tracki ng_com I referral

l

76, (1.7l<Jr.)

Two easy ways to ruin GA data

● Measurement Protocol

● Using their tracking ID on some random pages on your

site

Ways this can be used against you:

● Competitors sabotaging your data

● Falsified data in pitches etc.

If you need to be sure, cross check

with logs

Hidden

Quirks

Misleading

Metrics

Tips &

Tricks

Misleading Metrics:

Time on Page

GA: “The average amount of time users spent viewing a

specified page or screen, or set of pages or screens.”

“Average Time on Page” =

(“Time on Page”) / (Pageviews - Exits)

Scenario Intuitive Time on Page Google Analytics Time on Page 0s: Pageview 10s: Social plugin

20s: Click through to next page

20s 20s 0s: Pageview 10s: Social plugin 20s: Leave site 20s 10s 0s: Pageview 20s: Leave site 20s 0s

“Average Time on Page”= (“Time on Page”) / (Pageviews - Exits)

“Average Time on Page”= (Total of 30s) / (3 Pageviews - 2 exits)

● Confusing prospective consultants in interviews

● Confusing conference attendees

● Seed for generating random numbers

Misleading Metrics:

Engagement Metrics

● Avg. Session Duration

● Avg. Time on Page

● Bounce Rate

● Pages/Session

● Exit Rate

● Social Interactions

● Scroll Depth

Hidden

Quirks

Misleading

Metrics

Tips &

Tricks

Tips & Tricks:

Transactions

Landing Page Sessions Revenue ,I,

1,424,389 £2,746,956.04 52,035

'II. of Total: ._,ofTotal: 100.00'lb 'II.of Total:

100 OO'lb (£2.746,956.04) 100 oo, (52.035) (1,424,389) 1. 2. /basket @ 28,583 (2.01'11,) _£168,123.61 (6.12') _2,700 (5.19') 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. /checkout @ 4,063 (029') £.29,491.12 (1.07'11,) 488 (0.94"1,) 8. 9. 10.

/category /checkout Google Session (Source = Google) /product Session (Source = Google)

/category /checkout Google Session (Source = Google) /product Session (Source = Paypal) Paypal

/category sub.domain.com/checkout Google Session (Source = Google) /product Session

Tips & Tricks:

Landing Page 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. (not set) 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Acquisition

Sessions ,I, 'I(, New Sessions 80,282

'!(,ofTotal 100.0°'-(80,282)

3,548 (4.42')

68.66% Avg for View 68.66'!(, (0.0°'-) 1.89% New Users 55,122 'lr. ofTotal: 100.0°'-(55,122) 67 (0.12'11,) Behavior Bounce Rate 29.74%

Avg for View 29.74'1r. (0.0°'-)

/category Event Google Session (Source = Google) /product Session (Source = Google)

/category Event Google Session (Source = Google) /product Session (Source = Google)

Analytics.js

Ga.js

Tips & Tricks:

Sequences

Id Feet

____

aj_

C11noel Preview Demographics

Technology

Behavior

Date of First Session Traffic Sources Enhanced Ecommerce Advanced Conditions Sequences Sequences

Segment your users and/ortnerr sessions according to sequential conditions. Filt.er Include .... Sessions .... Sequence start Any user interaction ....

S1i1EP1

?a.g,e .,.. exactly matches .... /checkout

is foUowed by ... STIEP 2 contains .... _/faq Add step + Add Filter

'

L - OR AND ,-1 - OR AND

Segment is visible in any View Change

Summary 0.03%, of users Users 141 Sessions 141 0.02% of sessions s.equences Pag.e: "/chedout· Page: cont a ins '/f:a q'

Discovered via Goog1le, ret1.1rned via email

m

-

Cancel Preview

Demographics

Tecilnology

Behavior

Date of First Session Traffic Sources Enhanced Ecommerce Advanced Co11ditions Sequences Sequences

Segment your users and/or their sessions according to sequential conditions.

Filt.er Include ,.. Users ,.. Sequenc,e start First user interaction ,..

STiEP1

S01.1rce I Medium contains ,.. _Google

is followed by ... ,.. STE.P2

Source I Medium contains ,.. email

Add Step

r

-

OR AND

r

-

OR ANID

�,gmerrt is visible in any View Change

Summary I 1.05% o f users Users 4,402 Sessions 24,804 3.03% of sessions Sequences

Source/ Medium: comains 'Goo,gle" Source / Medium: comains ·em B ii"

Tips & Tricks:

THE MOST POWERFUL

BUTTON IN GOOGLE

StepO

r-:-1

6.3K sessions, ffs

_,

1 • _6.JK Step, 1 3 .4K sessions, drop-offs ii /services/ ii JaboutJ

,,

Define a pag,e group X

Match Type:j equals .... j

Ex press ion:

Nlame (optional): I

Apply

I

Detailed Resources

● Sessions

● Self referrals

● Metrics

● Cross domain/subdomain tracking

● Log File Analysis

Thank You