Getting the most from your Google Analytics. Session 4 Extending Google Analytics the role of programming technologies and 3rd-party tools

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1 Session 4 Extending Google Analytics the role of programming technologies and 3rd-party tools

2 Google Analytics information collection A default amount of data is collected for every page visited in a Google Analytics enabled web site by any ordinary user of the site Google Analytics is enabled by inserting tracking code at the start of every page of the site This tracking code identifies a Google Analytics account and loads JavaScript code from Google servers The loaded JavaScript code contains lots of functions that implement the data collection by assembling information and sending it to Google servers where it is stored and used in reports Google Analytics will not work for non-ordinary users who disable JavaScript, disable cookies, or opt out using other browser add-ons or settings

3 Obtaining the tracking code to be inserted in every page Sign in to your Google Analytics account Select Admin in the top menu bar Select the desired property from the Account and Property columns Select Tracking Info and Tracking Code

4 An example of tracking code for a web site <script type="text/javascript"> var _gaq = _gaq []; _gaq.push(['_setaccount', 'UA ']); _gaq.push(['_trackpageview']); (function () { var ga = document.createelement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = (' == document.location.protocol? ' : ' + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getelementsbytagname('script')[0]; s.parentnode.insertbefore(ga, s); })(); </script> Classic ga.js

5 An example of tracking code for a web site <script> (function (i, s, o, g, r, a, m) { i ['GoogleAnalyticsObject'] = r; i [r] = i [r] function () {(i [r].q = i [r].q []).push (arguments)}, i [r].l = 1 * new Date (); a = s.createelement (o), m = s.getelementsbytagname (o)[0]; a.async = 1; a.src = g; m.parentnode.insertbefore (a, m) }) (window, document, 'script', '// 'ga'); ga ('create', 'UA ', 'auto'); ga ('send', 'pageview'); </script> Universal analytics.js

6 The Google Analytics platform Google Analytics user Web site users

7 What information is assembled and sent to Google Server system information Local system information, including network related details Information stored in cookies No Personal personal information about about the the user user

8 Sending data to Google using the _utm.gif technique This is a simple web request for a one pixel gif file on Google servers, made by JavaScript code running in the web site page on the user's browsing device whenever any type of hit is recorded The requested web address contains a long series of query parameters, the query string, that together provide all of the assembled information to be sent back and stored on Google servers

9 Google Analytics cookies Cookies act as local data collectors on the user's device as the user interacts with a web page They store information from page to page during a session and retain some of that information between sessions, typically: determining a session start or end identifying unique users recording traffic sources and navigation storing custom variables Classic Analytics uses five cookies, Universal Analytics uses one

10 Collecting extra data for reports There are occasions when it is desirable to monitor, measure, or analyse something specific to a particular web site something that cannot be seen using the default amount of collected data On such occasions simple JavaScript programming in a web page can be added to call some of the functions that are loaded from Google at the start of each web page of the site often referred to as the Google Analytics data collection API These functions will register additional hits in Google Analytics reports to correspond with particular user interactions on a web page

11 Different types of hits that can be recorded A page view, which may be real or virtual An event that represents a specific user interaction occurrence A custom variable value is set A particular social media activity occurs A timing value is recorded } Universal Analytics only All of above are now also referred to as tracking beacons in Google Analytics

12 Tracking a page view using _trackpageview Classic ga.js JavaScript methods are normally pushed into an array _gaq that serves as a queue from which each item is executed in turn after all code has been fully loaded into the page The most basic tracking of a web page view is enabled using a call to the _trackpageview method with an optional page URL parameter: _gaq.push (['_trackpageview']); _gaq.push (['_trackpageview', /home/startpage ]); Classic ga.js

13 Tracking a page view using send The Universal Analytics tracking code creates a JavaScript global object named ga in the web page that is used to invoke other Google Analytics JavaScript methods One of the most common of these methods for recording hits is send It is used to track a page view, with optional override of the page URL: ga ('send', 'pageview'); ga ('send', 'pageview', /home/startpage ); Universal analytics.js

14 Tracking a page visit

15 Using virtual page view hits to track file downloads File downloads from a web page are not automatically tracked by Google Analytics as they are not web pages with tracking code However an additional virtual page view can be recorded each time a download link is selected by including a call to _trackpageview (Classic ga.js) or send (Universal analytics.js) on the download link: <a href=" onclick="_gaq.push (['_trackpageview', '/download/file01']);"> myfile01 </a> <a href=" onclick="ga (send, pageview, '/download/file01');"> myfile01 </a>

16 Tracking all file downloads using entourage.js Avoid the tedium of adding JavaScript code to every file link by using another piece of JavaScript to do it for you! By loading the entourage.js JavaScript code at the start of the page, all document links will have necessary tracking code added automatically so that the downloads appear in the usual Behavior reports The entourage.js JavaScript code allows the user to specify what download file extensions should have tracking code added (so limiting the virtual page views to the desired set of downloads)

17 Tracking all file downloads using entourage.js

18 Event tracking using _trackevent Particular visitor interaction on a web page can be recorded and displayed as an event in the usual Behavior reports by invoking the _trackevent method as the event occurs on the page: _gaq.push (['_trackevent', 'category', 'action', 'label', value, noninteraction]) category (required) the name you supply for the group of objects you want to track action (required) a string that is commonly used to define the type of user interaction label (optional) an optional string to provide additional dimensions to the event data value (optional) an integer used to provide numerical data about the user event non-interaction (optional) set to true to indicate that the event hit will not be used in bounce-rate calculation Classic ga.js

19 Event tracking using send The send method can be used to track an event hit type and record any particular user interaction Parameters have exactly the same meaning as with the Classic ga.js _trackevent method: ga ('send', 'event', 'category', 'action', 'label', value, noninteraction) category (required) the name you supply for the group of objects you want to track action (required) a string that is commonly used to define the type of user interaction label (optional) an optional string to provide additional dimensions to the event data value (optional) an integer used to provide numerical data about the user event non-interaction (optional) set to true to indicate that the event hit will not be used in bounce-rate calculation Universal analytics.js

20 Event tracking example Using a simple form to poll a user's interest on a web page, track the values of any responses as events

21 Event tracking example <input type="radio" id="vv1" value="positive"> Yes <input type="radio" id="vv0" value="negative"> No <input type="submit" value="submit" onclick=" var vvote = document.getelementbyid ('vv1').checked? document.getelementbyid ('vv1').value : "> (document.getelementbyid ('vv0').checked? document.getelementbyid ('vv0').value : 0); var vvalue = (vvote == 'positive')? 1 : 0; if (vvote) { alert ('Thanks for the useful ' + vvote + ' feedback!'); _gaq.push (['_trackevent', 'User feedback', 'Submitted interest in page', vvote, vvalue, 0]); } category action value label Set variable vvote to either "positive" or "negative" depending on which option was selected, and 0 if none selected Set variable vvalue to 1 if vvote is "positive", otherwise set to 0 Classic ga.js

22 Event tracking example <input type="radio" id="vv1" value="positive"> Yes <input type="radio" id="vv0" value="negative"> No <input type="submit" value="submit" onclick=" var vvote = document.getelementbyid ('vv1').checked? document.getelementbyid ('vv1').value : (document.getelementbyid ('vv0').checked? document.getelementbyid ('vv0').value : 0); var vvalue = (vvote == 'positive')? 1 : 0; if (vvote) { alert ('Thanks for the useful ' + vvote + ' feedback!'); ga ('send', 'event', 'User feedback', 'Submitted interest in page', vvote, vvalue, 0); } "> Universal analytics.js

23 Event tracking report

24 Recording custom variables with _setcustomvar You can set up custom variables with values that are recorded and appear in reports to reveal particular things about users activity on pages of your site Relevant reports appear in the Audience main reports section The _setcustomvar method is used as follows: _gaq.push (['_setcustomvar', index, 'name', 'value', scope]) index the slot for the custom variable (required), this is a number whose value can range from 1-5, inclusive name the name for the custom variable (required), this is a string that identifies the variable and appears in reports value the value for the custom variable (required) scope the scope for the custom variable (optional), 1 = visitor-level, 2 = session-level, 3 = page-level (default) Classic ga.js

25 Recording custom variables with custom dimensions and set Universal analytics.js no longer supports setting custom variables although Universal reporting still displays historical custom variables information in the relevant Audience Custom report Universal allows the addition of custom dimensions up to 20 for each property managed through the property Admin Custom Definitions option Each new dimension is created with an appropriate name and assigned a numeric index which increments from 1 to 20 A value for the new dimension can be provided on any page using JavaScript with the set method, identifying the dimension with label 'dimension' and the relevant index as a suffix: ga ('set', 'dimensionx', 'value') Universal analytics.js

26 The Universal custom dimension management option Universal analytics.js

27 Custom variables example For a site with a registered user login facility, it may be desirable to record the userid of a user that has logged in, then review logins of users over time The value of a particular userid will be available to the code that is generating the web page as, say, variable $userid This can be recorded in Google Analytics data using _setcustomvar (Classic ga.js) or set (Universal analytics.js) using one of the following in the page: <script type="text/javascript"> _gaq.push (['_setcustomvar', 5, 'visitoruserid', $userid, 1]); </script> <script type="text/javascript"> ga ('set', 'dimension1', $userid); </script> index of custom variable seen in Custom Variables report in Audience main report section index of custom dimension with assumption that it has been created for the property seen in many reports

28 Custom variables example

29 Helpful third party extensions to Google Analytics In addition to entourage.js (automatically inserting JavaScript around links) there many other scripts, applications, configuration files and other software gadgets to enable easier management and richer functionality in your use of Google Analytics So sometimes a ready-made solution may be available to fulfill your requirements, removing the need for manual custom programming The largest single collection of these Google Analytics extensions can be found in the Google Analytics app gallery

30 App Gallery

31 Getting the most from your Google Analytics App gallery example mobile analytics Keep track of what's happening on your site when on the move

32 App gallery example infographics Use a service in the cloud to send you weekly reports using an infographic style

33 Using Google Analytics with other Google services Google allows Google Analytics reporting to be used with other Google services, most notably Google's Webmaster Tools and Adwords These extensions to the available reports in Google Analytics are enabled by connecting the different Google service accounts, and in so doing authorising access to further information about a web site

34 Google Webmaster Tools Google's Webmaster Tools provides an authorised owner of a web site access to information about how that web site has performed on Google's search engine primarily regarding what search words have caused the site to appear in search results and how often the site has been selected in results Connecting a Google Analytics property to the same site in Webmaster Tools activates a number of extra reports under the title Search Engine Optimization in the Acquisition reports section that provide tangible metrics on how well Google's search engine is bringing users to your web site To connect: add and verify the web site at in Google Analytics select Webmaster Tools Settings in the property Admin Property Settings and follow instructions

35 Example SEO report using Webmasters Tools data

36 Google Adwords Adwords is a Google service that involves privileged visibility in Google search results listings whenever particular paid for adwords are searched for by any search engine user Connecting a Google Analytics property to a corresponding Adwords account activates extra reports under title Adwords in the Acquisition reports section These provide metrics on how effectively the paid for search words are bringing users to your web site To connect: in Google Analytics select Adwords Linking in the property Admin create a new link group and follow instructions

37 Example of Adwords keyword report

38 Summary Google Analytics data collection The tracking code inserted in every page What information is assembled and sent to Google Google Analytics cookies and the _utm.gif data transfer technique Collecting extra data using JavaScript methods Google Analytics app gallery extensions for enhanced functionality Google webmaster tools connection for extra SEO reports Google adwords connection for viewing paid for keyword effectiveness