The top 10 tips for Google Analytics as outlined by Nick Guebhard, cheap ambulance Search Operations Manager from Surefire Search
1. Track website events
Track on-page events using either:
- Event tracking
- Virtual pageviews
Examples of events you can track:
- Links to 3rd party providers.
- Email links
- Brochure downloads
- Form interactions
- “Print this page” clicks
- “email this page” clicks
- “bookmark this page” clicks
- Facebook “Likes”
2. Setup Goals and Funnels
3. Consider e-commerce tracking
Why?
Connect actual revenue to different traffic sources and marketing activities.
4. Tag non-adwords marketing campaigns
Example of campaign tagging at the end of URL:
http://www.mywebsite.co.nz/destinations?utm_source=autumn%2Bnewsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Autumn%2Bin%2BNew%2BZealand
5. Annotate important events
Uses:
- Explain peaks/troughs
- Mark campaign start and end dates
- Mark site changes
- Mark changes to GA tracking code
- Mark important events
6. Setup dashboards
Find the reports that you use on a regular basis and add them to your dashboard
The new GA interface dashboards are better:
- Build your own widgets
- Filter data
7. Monitor bounce rates
Bounce rates may be the first indication that:
- A marketing activity is not working for you.
- Your content can be improved
8. Setup custom reports
9. Embrance advanced segments
Common tourism examples:
- Visitor country (setup for each main country)
- Traffic source (add segments for different marketing activities)
- Site section visitors (e.g. accommodation, cialis ed activities, tours)
10. Be/Find an Analytics Ninja
- Visit GA regularly
- Investigate your data – drill-down, segment, slice and dice
- Do the free GAIQ online course (Google Analytics Individual Qualification)
- Act on your data!