Make Quality Content Count With Web Analytics

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Make Quality

Content Count with

Web Analytics

Rick Allen

@epublishmedia

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So what?

Exactly.

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[Web analytics] changed the game

for marketers and advertisers. But

with respect to content quality,

many practitioners are flip-flopping

with regard to which numbers

matter, and whether we can make

use of them.

“

Kristina Halvorson

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#eduiconf | @epublishmedia

What

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Quantitative

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Web

Analytics

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Broadly speaking - and thanks

largely to the ubiquity and ease of

access to Google Analytics (GA) -

businesses have become fixated

by traffic volumes, bounces,

sources, journeys and subsequent

destinations and the like and

aren't looking to learn more.

“

Clare O’Brien

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• 2,000 page views

• 70% returning visitors • 80% bounce rate

Numbers rarely speak

for themselves

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To find answers with

web analytics, start

with meaningful

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What analytics can't do…

• Provide a complete content measurement

solution

• Provide accurate data

• Adequately answer Why?

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What analytics can do…

• Comparative analysis: measure content trends • Quantitatively evaluate content quality

• Challenge and validate assumptions

• Demonstrate how content meets established

business goals and users’ needs

• Enable content owners to measure the success

of their own content

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Top-down analytics

Answer your questions

Goals

Insights

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Bottom-up analytics

Discovery

Search

Insights through discovery

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• Research and discovery • Messaging

• Content audits • Content analysis

• Content governance

Analytics can do more

than report progress—

it can inform process.

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Often numbers don’t speak as

loudly as they should because you

are missing one simple ingredient:

context.

“

Avinash Kaushik

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Without context, your

data is meaningless.

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Goals provide

context. Context

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Analytics Analysis Framework

1 Business objectives What is the purpose of your website?

2 Goals What actions do you want people to take on your website to meet your business objectives?

3 Key Performance

Indicators (KPIs)

What relevant web metrics can be used to measure the efficacy of your website goals over time?

4 Targets What are the benchmarks for your KPIs? How _{do you rate success?}

What visitor attributes will provide meaningful

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Analytics Analysis Framework

1 Business objective Improve communications and feedback _systems

2 Goals • Read news blog_{• Leave a comment}

• Time on page • Comment rate

4 Targets • 2+ minutes per page_{• 5% comment rate}

• Visits from social media sites

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Analytics Analysis Framework

1 User Task Find tuition and expenses

2 Goals • Successful site search_{• Click on "quick link"}

• Search queries rate

• Pageviews from “quick link”

4 Targets • 90% success rate for cost-related queries_{• 30% of traffic from quick links}

• Visits from external traffic

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[A ‘bottom-up’ approach] relies on

pattern analysis and failure

analysis to help you understand

your users’ intent in qualitative

ways that complement the

top-down approach.

“

Lou Rosenfeld

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• Data usually from small

numbers

• Most methods take a

snapshot in time

• Difficult to capture

some behavior

• Setting sometimes

artificial (e.g. lab tests)

The challenges of

qualitative research

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Web analytics enables

more comprehensive

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• Referring site traffic • Search engine traffic • Traffic by geographic

location

• Traffic by technology

How web analytics

can help

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Sample:

• Student-centered

• Empowering and valuable • Community-minded

• Pioneering and resourceful • Welcoming

Message architecture

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Web analytics can

validate assumptions

and help prioritize

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• Redundant • Outdated • Confusing • Missing or hard-to-find

Content audit

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Web analytics can

help identify and

evaluate the impact

of content problems.

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• Usefulness and relevance • Clarity and accuracy

• Influence and engagement • Completeness

• Voice and style

• Usability and findability

Content analysis

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How do I know

which part of our

audience is getting

our message?

Are they sharing

our ideas?

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What type of

content is most

effective at driving

inquiries?

Which channel

should we use to

communicate with

prospect students?

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Are people finding

our content

through search?

When they find

it, is it relevant

to them?

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Augment qualitative

analysis with web

analytics for deeper

content insights.

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• Measure business goals

and users’ needs

• Demonstrate success • Identify problems

Content

governance

and measurement

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Use web analytics

to maintain content

owners’ focus and

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Rewards

• Useful, purposeful content that meets business

objectives and users’ needs

• More comprehensive user research

• Validate assumptions and help prioritize brand

attributes

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Rewards

• Help identify and evaluate the impact of content

problems

• Augment qualitative analysis for deeper content

insights

• Maintain content focus and demonstrate

success

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