Unofficial Google Analytics Blog

Google Analytics Report Enhancer

2008-06-26T14:30:00Z

A few weeks ago, Shawn wrote an article on true time on site and how you can calculate it. You may also know that for a while, Google Analytics actually calculated time on site using this method before reverting back to the calculation method used now.Several weeks ago I came out with an article on a GreaseMonkey script I'd written which added several segments to the usual segment drop down.

I'm about to tie all of these together.

Introducing, the Google Analytics Report Enhancer!

UPDATES:
1. The script should now work for Firefox 3. Just re-download the script and you should be all set. Thanks for pointing this out, Alex!
2. Showing 100 profiles now works for filters and users. This matches the functionality of John's script. Thanks again, Alex!
3. Fixed several issues with column sorting. Thanks, Shawn!

]]> Clicking on the above image will reveal the new Goal Conversion tab, now with raw number of conversions for each goal as well as goal revenue. If seeing that image has convinced you that you need this script right now, you can get it right here. If for some reason you do not already have GreaseMonkey installed on your firefox browser, you should get that first right here.

Now next to Avg. Time on Site you have True Time on Site.

I've also modified the entrance sources and entrance keywords report to include a column for approximate visits. If you've ever looked as these reports, they are rather difficult to interpret. This column helps give them some additional context. Depending on the amount of interest this generates, I may modify some of the help texts to clarify what the columns of this report actually represent.

These columns are also sortable, though only within the displayed rows. If you play around with this a while, you'll get a feel for how it works.

This script also includes the latest version of the modified segment drop-down, complete with the following segments:

A. Source/Medium
B. Referral Path
C. Transaction
D. Affiliation
E. Ad Group
F. Search Term
G. Site Search Category
H. Second Page
I. Exit Page
J. Browser and OS
K. Browser Version
L. Operating System Version

I'd also like to mention John at Lunemetrics' script that automatically shows all profiles in the Analytics Settings interface. All credit for the idea goes to him, but I've included a version of the script that eliminates the redirects.

This script may conflict with previous versions of other scripts such as the add segment script in my earlier post, so you'll want to disable those. If you'd rather use John's script to automatically show all profiles, you'll have to edit my script in the GreaseMonkey interface and remove this line:

get100();

I'm looking to develop this script further, so if you have any suggestions for improvement, additional columns you might like to see added to a report, general Google Analytics Interface enhancements that this script has made you think, "Hey, I wonder if that's possible?" please leave a comment. You can report any bugs with the script here as well, even something as simple as, "That ought to be formatted differently," or "Seems a bit slow under such and such a conditions." I want this script to be as handy as possible.

Yahoo Smart Start - A Handy Guide For Yahoo Advertisers

2008-06-24T15:34:15Z

If you have ever wanted to pull your hair out over Yahoo's Search Marketing interface--I definitely have--than you know that the interface is not nearly as user-friendly as Google's. For those of you looking for a quick, go-to guide, I have just the one for you: Yahoo Smart Start.

Although Yahoo's blog claims that Yahoo Smart Start is a guide for beginners, I would say that the guide is definitely geared more to those who have some experience with pay-per-click advertising but are not experts. However, the guide would be extremely helpful to show to clients who were curious about the yahoo interface and wanted to understand what they were really getting into with advertising on Yahoo.

The book walks you through the ten helpful chapters below.

Building a Foundation with Strong Keywords
Organizing Ad Groups for Success
Writing Effective Ads
Making Sure Your Ads are High Quality
Matching Your Keywords to Your Customer's Searches
Determining Effective Bids
Targeting Your Ads Geographically
Advertising on Content Sites
Tracking Your Results

Each chapter begins with an opening question from Sharon Goodsense, a character PPC advertiser, such as, "I'm lost on the match type thing. I see there are two options, but I don't understand why I would ever want to use the Standard match type, when the Advanced match type shows my ad for more searches on my keywords. Shouldn't I just always use that option (Yahoo Smart Start 41)?"

]]> Questions like this are ones that I definitely asked myself when I began advertising on Yahoo, so I think the book reaches out well to its target audience and addresses common concerns of new and experienced advertisers in an easy and understandable way.

There is also a handy bulleted list of what that chapter covers making answers to your questions very easy to find. The best part about the guide is that advertisers like myself can use it as a quick reference, say if you forget where to add excluded keywords or where to set daily budgets. There is even a troubleshooting guide at the end that provides a great, quick reference especially since many of Yahoo's features are hidden multiple clicks away in the interface and are easy to forget how to navigate to.

I also liked the way that the book not only walks you through the process of setting up an account, but it also provides examples of what to do when organizing an account and more importantly examples of what not to do, such as the type of ads that won't pass Yahoo's review system.

So go print out the manual, whether you are a new or experienced advertiser, keep it on your desk, and it will most likely answer your question without having to make a phone call to Yahoo. If you know the answers already, you will at least pick up a few helpful advertising tips, and in the land of PPC advertising, a few helpful tips could end up making you more money.

Test Drive The First Google Analytics Training Module For FREE!

2008-06-19T17:07:24Z

ROI Revolution is making "Module #1: Introduction To Google Analytics" from the Google Analytics Training Course available completely for free!

"Module #1: Introduction To Google Analytics" is 65 minutes long and chock-full of really great information, such as:

General Web Analytics Strategies

Introduction to Web Analytics

Case Study: Carolina Rustica

Introduction to the Google Analytics Interface

Interface Features

The Dashboard

Date Range Manipulation

Sharing Data

Why Are We Offering The First Training Module for FREE?

For several reasons....

1.) All of our Google Analytics Training Courses come with Online Course Recordings, and this is a great way to show people exactly how convenient the course format is. It's hard to picture if you haven't experienced it for yourself!

2.) We think our Google Analytics Training Course is chock full of great, practical information and we decided the best way to convince you was to just let you see for yourself how valuable the information in this course is.

Sign up today in order to get "Module #1: Introduction To Google Analytics".

Once you have a chance to watch "Module #1: Introduction To Google Analytics" please let us know what you think!

AdWords Editor Updates - Pay Attention!

2008-06-13T01:36:36Z

Do you pay enough attention to the AdWords Editor Updates? If your answer is no, I recommend that you start. There is usually some really good stuff, that unless you take the time to read the Editor release notes, you probably would not know about.

Each new version of AdWords Editor is accompanied by release notes, which I highly recommend reading. I will save you some time by highlighting the best, most beneficial updates from the latest version(AdWords Editor 6.0.)

Append Keywords : This tool allows you to add a word/phrase to the beginning or end of any text within the account. I have found this VERY useful in creating local campaigns. Simply take a general campaign and append the city name to all keywords (then tweak the ad text of course.) It is also useful for adding offers to headlines, or changing display URLs.

Get Recent Changes: There is a new option to include minimum bid changes. Before you had to re-download the entire account to get this data. This is very useful in accounts that have keywords that often go inactive. Also when you download this, the changes are highlighted so it is easy to spot the keywords that have recently gone inactive.

Duplicate Keywords: Finding duplicate keywords is now easier! You can now quickly select all the duplicates that meet certain criteria. For example, you can choose to select all the duplicates with the lowest CTR, then delete them. This tool was always handy, but you had to delete the duplicates manually in order to keep keywords with the highest CTR.

Drum roll please!

]]> Conversion Optimizer is now compatible with AdWords Editor! This was the feature I was most excited about. Previously, you could not use AdWords Editor with any campaigns that had Conversion Optimizer enabled. You had to cut Conversion Optimizer off.

Many PPC specialists use Editor for a few tasks that they are familiar with, but rarely learn how to use new features and tools. Often times, when you are familiar with the AdWords interface it seems easiest to just avoid Editor altogether. I beg to differ. Taking the time to learn the features and tools of Editor, will definitely help you manage your accounts more efficiently. I am SURE that the time you invest in learning AdWords Editor will pay off in the end.

It is very easy to start viewing new versions of AdWords Editor as just another necessary software update. Quite the contrary! The AdWords Editor team does a fantastic job at listening to feedback and adding updates and features that can help you manage your campaigns more efficiently (saving you valuable time.)

If you are wondering if Editor can do what you need it to do, I often refer to the AdWords Editor Help Center for a quick reference. There is also an Adwords Editor Forum where you can listen in on discussions and search for topics you need help with.

Win A Chance To Beef Up Your Website Through The Website Workout Contest!

2008-06-05T04:06:17Z

Is your current website a couch potato and not exactly pulling its weight? Do you secretly wish there was some way to whip it into shape?

Well, you are in luck!

At the SMX Advanced conference in Seattle, Google announced the Website Workout contest to help businesses pump up their websites.

Any U.S. business can enter to have a webpage optimized for free by Google's team of consultants to boost sales, sign-ups or leads.

Interested businesses can enter the contest by visiting the Website Workout contest site, http://www.google.com/websiteoptimizer/workout.

In the coming weeks, Google will select four of the businesses that enter. Using Google Website Optimizer, Google's free website-testing tool, the consultants will then work with the winners to test which combination of text, images, graphics and other content drives the most business.

Of course you don't have to enter the contest to get started with Google Website Optimizer - ROI Revolution offers a free 6-Episode Video Course Guide to Google Website Optimizer!

New and Improved: Google AdWords Conversion Tracking by Type

2008-06-04T16:40:19Z

Are you sure that the conversions you see tracked in the Google AdWords Campaign Summary page are really the conversions you're hoping for? How do you know what types of conversions your AdWords campaigns are generating if you have the AdWords Conversion Tracking script on many of your site's success pages?

It's best practice to send a searcher to a landing page that has one clearly defined action that you would like them to take, say filling out a Contact Us form. But what happens when that Contact Us page links to another page on your site with a completely different desired action, say a newsletter sign up? If the searcher clicks on an ad that takes them to the Contact Us landing page but somehow moves over to the newsletter page and signs up there, you've still got a conversion reported for your Contact Us campaign. The problem is that it's the wrong type!

Now, when you look in your Contact Us campaign, you think you're only generating leads for people raising their hands to be contacted, but you've actually got people who are just interested in reading your newsletter lumped in there as well. It can be very misleading.

Google AdWords has created a way to track your conversions by type.

]]> As it always has, AdWords will generate the conversion tracking script for you after you fill in a handful of settings (text format, background color, security level, etc.), but now you can give the particular conversion type a name. This provides you with much more detail on how your AdWords campaigns are performing.

If you look in the Campaign Summary section of your account, you will still see conversions reported just as you always have.

Click Here to Enlarge Image

They will be grouped by campaign, and not by action. However, it is very easy to see conversion performance by action; you don't even have to run a report! Simply click on the Conversion Tracking link under the Campaign Management tab. You will see all of the conversion types you've created and how many times your AdWords account has achieved those specific actions for you in the date range you've selected.

Click Here to Enlarge Image

By clicking on the action name, you will be able to see which campaigns and ad groups generated the specific results you're looking for. Now you can have a much clearer picture of what types of conversions you're paying for and can manage your accounts accordingly.

For more information on Google's Conversion Tracking feature, you can visit the Google AdWords Help Center.

Time on Page and Time on Site - How Confident Are You?

2008-05-29T08:04:59Z

Ah, Average Time on Page and Average Time on Site - what strange metrics. They sound so simple, but as I hope to point out in this article, both must be treated with caution. Due to the way Time on Page/Site are measured, there is a certain amount of error that goes along with them. Fortunately, there's a way to measure this error.

In the interest of getting to the point, I've provided two versions of this article. The first version is the short version. No proof, just the final answer. For those of you who demand proof (as I hope you do) - I've also provided the long version, with diagrams and Algebra and everything. Feel free to choose the version that suits you!

SHORT VERSION

Time on Page is more credible when a page has a lower Exit Rate, and Time on Site is more reliable when a source/medium/etc. has a lower Bounce Rate.

Confidence in Time on Page
Applies only to a page or group of pages

100% - Exit Rate

Example: The Exit % for my home page, /index.htm, is 30%, so confidence in Time on Page is 70%.

In other words, the Time on Page only applies to 70% of my home page views, and I know absolutely nothing about the other 30% - other than they all resulted in exits.

True Time on Site
Applies to any source, medium, campaign, keyword, ad, or user defined value

Average Time on Site / (1 - Bounce Rate)

Example: My AdWords traffic has a Bounce Rate of 40%, and Google Analytics has my Avg. Time on Site for AdWords as 00:01:00 (1 minute)

So:

True Time on Site is 1/(1-.40) = 1/.6 = 1.67 = 1m 40s

My True Time on Site is 1m 40s, which represents 60% of my AdWords traffic.

Also, the Time on Site is unknown for 40% of my AdWords traffic.

END OF SHORT VERSION

I don't expect anyone to take my word for any of this, and I love to talk about these kinds of things, so I've provided a longer version for those that might be interested in how I came to the above conclusions.

]]> LONG VERSION

First things first - how is Time on Page measured in Google Analytics? I've created the following diagram to try and explain it:

Here's what happens in the above two-page visit. The visitor comes to Page 1 and the timestamp is registered. If the visitor then goes to Page 2, another timestamp is registered. Google can then take the difference of those two timestamps and come up with a Time on Page for Page 1.

Looking at Page 2 however, there is no timestamp for the next page, so Google Analytics is not able to calculate a time on page for Page 2.

What does this mean?

It means that if the page is an exit page for a specific visit, Time on Page is not calculated.

This makes sense, but it also means that you only have time data for (1 - Exit Rate) percent of pageviews.

So if the Exit Rate for a page is 40%, then the Time on Page metric only applies to 60% of pageviews.

Conclusion: The lower a page's Exit Rate, the more confident you can be in the Time on Page metric for that page.

How about Time on Site?

Time on Site is a little different, because instead of pageviews, it relies on visits. Since every single visit has an exit, you can't use Exit Rate when looking at your confidence level.

Time on Site is calculated by taking the timestamp of the final page of the visit (the Exit Page), and subtracting the timestamp of the first page.

So if I enter the site at 2pm and I start to view my last page at 2:10pm, Google Analytics will record my Time on Site as 10 minutes. Keep in mind that this time ignores the amount of time spent on the last page of my visit.

Which brings us to point #1:
Time on Site does not include time spent on the final page of a visit.

There is one special case which causes an additional problem. For a single-page visit (a bounce), the entrance page is also the exit page. This means that the Time on Site will be zero:

Which brings us to point #2:
Time on Site factors in a 0 for every bounce, even though Time on Site for bounces is unknown!

This means that confidence in Avg. Time on Site is related to Bounce Rate.

Not being the kind of person who is content with that conclusion, I brought some Algebra into the discussion. For those of you who hate Algebra, the conclusion is that

True Time on Site = Average Time on Site / (1 - Bounce Rate)

*Note that Bounce Rate here refers to the decimal value (i.e 40% = 0.40)

So for AdWords, if my Avg. Time on Site is 1m, and the Bounce Rate from Google Analytics is 40%, then

True Time on Site = 1/(1-0.4) = 1/0.6 = 1.67m = 1m 40s

Therefore, for AdWords Traffic, I know that non-bouncers spent an average of 1m 40s on the site. For the 40% of the traffic that bounced, I have absolutely no idea.

As my bounce rate gets lower, the Avg. Time on Site becomes much closer to the actual time spent on the site by all of my visitors.

Here's my entire thought process using Algebra:

In the below set of equations,

x is the number of visits that were bounces

y is the amount of time spent on the site by people who didn't bounce

B is the Bounce Rate

V is the number of Visits

A is the Avg. Time on Site found in Google Analytics

T is the Total Time on Site for all Visits

Well, there it is. Take your Time on Page and Time on Site with a grain of salt. Time on Page is more reliable with a lower Exit Rate, and Time on Site is more reliable with a lower Bounce Rate.

Author Eric Peterson coming to Cary, NC for Web Analytics Wednesday

2008-05-16T18:44:16Z

Wednesday, May 21st, 2008 at 6:00pm EST, Eric Peterson, the Chief Executive Officer & Principal Consultant at Web Analytics Demystified, Inc. will be presenting at SAS.

Eric is the author of Web Analytics Demystified, Web Site Measurement Hacks and The Big Book of Key Performance Indicators. He is a long-time member of the web analytics community and a frequent speaker who is often cited in articles about web analytics.

Eric will be here for our own Web Analytics Wednesday. He will be giving a presentation on The Future of Web Analytics and taking questions from the audience followed by food and drinks.

SAS Institute, Inc. has graciously agreed to sponsor this event! It will be located in the SAS Atrium Located in Building R on SAS Campus and beer, wine and light hors d'oeuvres will also be provided by SAS.

The host of this event is none other than Richard Foley, the World Wide Product Manager at SAS, and Former President Web Analytics Association.

Join us. Register today if you live in the Research Triangle Park, NC area.

Directions:
Getting to Bldg R
Go through the main gate located near Umstead Hotel, take the 3rd right (just follow the signs).
Go over a bump and take the next Right into the main parking lot. (You are there)
Enter the tall white building and welcome to the SAS Campus Bldg R
(If you experience problems finding the building call Richard Foley at 919-624-7163)

Orlando Vacation PLUS Google Analytics Training?

2008-05-15T17:46:12Z

How could your 2008 summer be the best summer EVER? Possibly by combining Google® Analytics Training and a family vacation? Yes, it can be done! This June, Tuesday, June 24th and Wednesday, June 25th to be exact, ROI Revolution is presenting Analytics Seminars for Success in Orlando, Florida!

We know how important it is to be able to use and implement Google Analytics, so we tried to think of a great location to work… but then we remembered that we like to have fun too, so we wanted a location to play… voilá, Orlando! I mean, if you can write off the flight to business (tax deduction), but still spend some time on vacation, why not, right?

And there you have it: June 24th is the Introduction and User Training Seminar and June 25th is the Advanced Technical Implementation Seminar, pick one or both depending on your needs, so that you can work during the week and then take an extra day or two off plus the weekend to relax on vacation!

--About the Training--
Analytics Seminars for Success will help you better leverage the insights found in your Analytics report by covering topics such as setup tips, best practices, and analysis techniques. Seminar leaders will use in-depth course materials, hands-on exercises and valuable tips from their years of managing Analytics accounts to teach you how to achieve your goals.

We can't wait to share our Google Analytics knowledge with you in person, so register today! Don't miss out on this great event designed to help you get the most out of your website's traffic!

--Location and Cost--
ORLANDO, June 24-25: The seminar will be right by the Renaissance Orlando Hotel Airport is located in Orlando, Florida, minutes away from the Orlando International Airport (MCO). If you will be staying overnight at the Renaissance, please call 1-800-228-9290 and ask for the “ROI Revolution, Inc. rate” for a discount.

Each day costs $249 or $498 if you register for both sessions. Each seminars will be a full day from 8am to 5pm EST. Register at least one week in advance to receive a $50 AdWords™ credit* per session (i.e. attend both days and get two $50 AdWords™ credits) that Google graciously offers to all Seminars for Success attendees!

Sign up quickly as registration will be limited due to space and the supplies that come packaged with the training seminar such as workbooks and tasty snacks during breaks. Space is restricted but we want YOU, so click over to register for the Seminars for Success!

You can register right away, because even if you have to cancel, we can offer you a full refund up to 8 days before the event. After that you can transfer your registration to someone else if necessary.

--Last Chance--
Just in case you hadn't already heard, the Analytics Seminars for Success will be in CHICAGO, June 2-3!

See the original blog post for Chicago here. There's still time to register if you can't wait until late June for your in person training or if you prefer the Chicago location!

*Promotional credit must be applied to an AdWords account within 30 days of attending a seminar and is valid only for Google AdWords customers with self-managed signup. Advertisers will be charged for advertising that exceeds the promotional credit. Advertisers will need to suspend their ads if they do not wish to receive additional charges beyond the free credit amount. Subject to ad approval, valid registration and acceptance of the Google AdWords Program standard terms and conditions. The promotional credit is non-transferable and may not be sold or bartered. Offer may be revoked at any time for any reason by Google Inc. One promotional credit per AdWords account. New advertisers with self-managed signup accounts are subject to an $5 activation fee that will be deducted from the promotional credit. Expires 30 days after Advertiser's registered seminar session. Void where restricted or prohibited by law.

Landing Page Magic: Top 3 Tips

2008-05-14T15:04:16Z

As many of you know, your landing page is the page that visitors see after clicking on one of your ads, such as a Google AdWords ad.

This page could be part of your website or a special page you created just for this purpose.

Your landing pages are a core ingredient that can make or break the success of your advertising.

Why? Because your advertising doesn't exist in a vacuum. On average visitors spend less than 10 seconds looking at a landing page to decide if they want to read more, or click that 'back' button and leave.

With the rallying cry "Landing Pages Forever!" behind us, we came up with 3 tips for stirring a little magic into your own landing pages.

1.) The Ad And Landing Page Should Match.

This may seem like common sense, but in reality you often don't see this. If your ad holds out the tantalizing promise of 10% Off, make sure that same promise is reflected in the landing page headline and content.

When a visitor is searching for something, they know they have a whole page full of search results just one click away. If your ad-to-landing-page-progression doesn't make sense to them they are just going to move on to the next result.

2.) Focus On Getting Your Visitors To Do 1 Thing

While I'm surfing the internet, I often see landing pages that go to either extreme - they don't tell me to do anything, or they try to get me to do a million things. Both of these tactics are confusing and will water down the power of your landing page.

The key is to decide the one key action you want your visitors to take on this landing page, and then TELL them. Don't make them guess or hunt around!

Your visitors aren't stupid. Few people give 100% of their attention to reading your landing page. They're also busy worrying if they left the coffee pot on this morning or that big report the boss wants them to finish by the end of the week. Your landing page has to make use of the narrow slice of attention you get and be crystal clear about what they should do.

3.) Include A Prominent Subscription Form Or Checkout Option

This ties in to #2. Once you have decided exactly what you want your visitors to do on your landing page, don't make them click around on a massive treasure hunt to do it.

Make sure they can follow your instructions easily right on the landing page itself. Part of making something easy is making it prominent - don't make the form tiny, or bury it all the way at the bottom of a 10-mile-long landing page.

Now that you have these 3 tips under your belt, you may be ready for more advanced strategies for really getting your landing pages to significantly boost your revenue.

If so, you should check out the Google Website Optimizer Training Course ROI Revolution is holding on Thursday, May 22nd at 1:30pm EST.

This Google Website Optimizer Training Course is 100% guaranteed to knock your socks off and teach you how to access the hidden potential of your landing pages and website!

Google Website Optimizer allows you to essentially give your visitors the vote - the vote of what works and what doesn't. When you test your site components in the red-hot fire of visitor approval, only the best survives.

You are left with a website that has literally been stamped with your visitor's seal of approval, and converts better then you had ever dared to dream!

In fact, ROI Revolution used the Google Website Optimizer Tools to set up an experiment for a client's landing page. After intensive research in his field, his competition, and his ideal customer, we designed a Google Website Optimizer experiment where we tested 3 different headlines, 3 different images, and 4 different button text versions.

The best combination of the test variables resulted in an improvement of 221% over his original page.

Now the pay-per-click advertising he is bidding on to drive traffic to that landing page is 221% more effective than it was on the old landing page, and he doesn't have to spend a dime more on his pay-per-click advertising for that sustainable increase.

If you are ready to experience improvement like this on your OWN landing pages, join us for the Google Website Optimizer Training Course on Thursday, May 22nd at 1:30pm EST!

Using Website Optimizer with Google Analytics NEW!!

2008-05-12T18:16:07Z

You may remember that back in April of '07, I came up with a way to get your Google Website Optimizer multivariate experiment data to show up in Google Analytics. While useful, there were a few drawbacks that I'm sure some of you have noticed, and it wasn't the easiest thing to implement. After getting a lot of great feedback from users, I've come up with a new script that has many advantages over the old method:

Uses easier implementation
Works with both ga.js and urchin.js (make sure you use the right instructions below for Step 2)
Includes error-handling so that a JavaScript error no longer occurs if an experiment is not yet running or is paused, stopped, or completed
Features automatic page name tracking - no more changing the Google Analytics code on the page
No longer replaces regular page reporting

As a refresher, the whole point of this integration is to allow you to make the most of your experiments. While Google Website Optimizer by itself can give you a quick look at which combination is best at improving conversion, it tells you nothing about transactions, revenue, micro-conversions, navigation, segmentation by source, and bounce rate. If you integrate Google Analytics into your Google Website Optimizer experiments, you will get much richer data, and be able to get a true idea of how your test is doing.

Again, this integration is designed for multivariate experiments only - you do not need to use any special tools to be able to get A/B test data from Google Analytics.

The first thing to do is find out if you are using ga.js or urchin.js. Depending on which version of the Google Analytics code you are using, you'll want to use different instructions.

]]> Step 1: Upload the ga_gwo.js file to your server.

You can find this file here. Upload it to your server, and make a note of its location on your server, as you'll need it in the next step. That's it for Step 1!

Step 2: Paste the appropriate script onto your test page immediately after your existing Google Analytics code. There is one version of this for ga.js and another for urchin.js, so make sure you grab the right one!

If you are using ga.js, copy and paste the following code after your Google Analytics code:

You need to do three things to the script:

First, change the path to ga_gwo.js so that it points to the right location on your server.

Then, replace UA-XXXXXX-X with your Google Analytics account number.

Finally, change what's inside getcombo_ga to match your experiment. The numbers inside will match the number of sections and variations (including the original) that are in your experiment. So if you are running an experiment with 2 headlines, 3 images, and 4 paragraphs, again including the original, you would call getcombo_ga("2-3-4");

You can find a working example of a page that's using ga.js by viewing the source code of the page found here.

If you are using urchin.js, paste this code after your Google Analytics code instead:

You need to do two things to the script:

First, change the path to ga_gwo.js so that it points to the right location on your server.

Finally, change what's inside getcombo_urchin to match your experiment. The numbers inside will match the number of sections and variations (including the original) that are in your experiment. So if you are running an experiment with 2 headlines, 3 images, and 4 paragraphs, again including the original, you would call getcombo_urchin("2-3-4");

You can find a working example of a page that's using urchin.js by viewing the source code of the page found here.

That's it! Now you'll be tracking your combinations within Google Analytics!

Now, there are a few different ways you can go about seeing your data. I'd recommend excluding the test data from your main profile. You can do this by using a Custom Exclude Filter. Filter out any Request URIs that contain \?combo. You can simply create a duplicate profile that doesn't use this exclude filter.

Within your new profile, you would go to the Top Content report, where you can search for your test page by using the search bar on the bottom of the report. If you want to get more information about a specific combination, all you need to do is click on its name within the report.

Once you've clicked on a specific combination, you can then segment by a number of things. (As an aside, if you haven't seen Jeremy's cool GreaseMonkey script for segmenting, you should definitely check it out!) Once you've segmented, you'll have access to the Site Usage, Goal Conversion, Ecommerce, and (for AdWords) Clicks tabs. There you can find all kinds of information about Bounce Rate, alternative goals, and Ecommerce data. You can then use these more detailed metrics to get the full story concerning your Google Website Optimizer experiment!

So feel free to use this tool and please leave your feedback so that I can continue making improvements. Thanks for reading, and best of luck with your testing!

Segmenting by Source/Medium and other stories

2008-05-09T14:18:09Z

Have you ever gone to segment the content detail of a page by source/medium, only to find that you can segment by source or medium, but not both? Well those days of frustration are over, thanks to a GreaseMonkey script I wrote just the other day.

Not only that, but you will also be able to segment by transaction, adgroup, and referral path anytime a segmenting opportunity comes up. Now you can see exactly which transactions are attributed to each source, medium, source/medium, keyword, campaign, new or returning visitors, and more. I'm sure everyone can think of some good uses for this.

To expand your segmenting abilities, first download the latest greasemonkey firefox add-on. Then download my script right here. You should be able to just click and install it if you already have the GreaseMonkey firefox add-on installed.

A couple notes here about the script:

1. If you segment by one of the fields, then try and segment by another field, you may find that your options are once again limited. To fix this, segment by "none" first and then you should get the additional fields back. UPDATE: This issue has been resolved as of 06/06/08. Just re-download the script.
2. You can also segment by Product, Product SKU, and Product Category, but this may not work as well as anticipated. If that's the case, you can drill down into a product and segment by source/medium or whatever report you were looking at and see the data from the other direction.

If you've found this tool useful or if you have any suggestions for improvement, please leave a comment. Thanks!

UPDATE: I have a new script which adds a few additional fields to segment by, such as exit pages, page titles, browser and OS combined, and others. There are also some more obscure fields whose purpose is not obvious, so if you find one of them useful then let me know how you used it! Here's the script.

Note that if you have both scripts enabled at the same time, the second script in the list will override the first. Also, this second script makes your segment drop down rather long, so you may just want to stick with the first. I felt I should provide it, though, for completeness.

Analytics Seminars for Success is coming to Chicago June 2nd & 3rd!

2008-05-07T14:33:28Z

Be sure to take advantage of our LIVE in person Seminars for Success where we share our Google Analytics™ knowledge with you!

When we attend conferences the remark we hear most often is that finding the time for an analytics course is the most difficult part. We also hear that some people just "get it" better IN PERSON. Well, we're always trying to make analytics training more accessible, so in answer to these comments, we're thrilled to offer Analytics Seminars for Success for those of you who really WANT tracking on your website to get the actionable data you NEED for key business decisions.

Stop letting your schedule get in the way! You can get the training you need during this live event. In these two full day sessions we cover a broad range of topics for those who only need user training on the different reports to implementing regular expressions on the technical side. For a full detailed list of all that's included in each session check out the content for the Introduction and Advanced sessions.

Don't pass up the opportunity to learn from the experts what you have to know about Google Analytics in one (maybe two) days!

--Location and Cost--

The seminar will be at the Westin O'Hare located in Rosemont, Illinois, minutes away from the O'Hare International Airport. The Westin provides complimentary shuttle service that departs the hotel approximately every 20 minutes. For the street address see http://www.roirevolution.com/analytics-seminar.

Each day costs $249 or $498 if you register for both sessions. The seminars will be a full day from 8am to 5pm EST on both June 2nd and 3rd. In order to keep the cost of the seminar as low as possible, lunch will not be provided, but morning and afternoon breaks will be offered.

Sign up quickly as registration will be limited due to space and the supplies that come packaged with the training seminar such as workbooks and tasty snacks during breaks. Space is restricted but we want YOU, so click over to register for the Seminars for Success! You can register right away, because even if you have to cancel, we can offer you a full refund up to 8 days before the event. After that you can transfer your registration to someone else if necessary.

Don't miss out! Register at least one week in advance to receive the $50 AdWords™ credit ($100 AdWords™ credit if you register for both sessions)* Google graciously offers to all Seminars for Success attendees!

http://www.roirevolution.com/promos/
analytics-seminar.htm#11

Google Analytics for Blogger in Private Beta

2008-05-02T14:14:21Z

On Wednesday, Google announced that there will be a new Google Analytics interface for Blogger.

Measure Map, which was acquired by Google in February of 2007, has already done quite a bit for Google Analytics, which had its interface completely revamped. It looks like now the team is applying some of its lessons from that experience over to the blogosphere.

Although Google Analytics is already available to everyone, as a blog writer it's nice to have easy access to metrics that are tailored to your specific needs. Google seems to be addressing these needs with a new Google Analytics integration designed specifically for Blogger users.

According to Jeff Veen, Measure Map will be available 'as an integrated feature of both Google Analytics and Blogger'. That sounds pretty exciting to those of us that are obsessed with our blog statistics. And if the integration is being designed by the same folks that brought us the new Google Analytics interface, that means it should be simple to navigate and extremely useful.

This new interface is now in private beta (which means you probably won't notice it yet), but it looks like Google has plans to migrate all existing Measure Map users over to the new Google Analytics system. That means it could be a few months or even a year before it's rolled out to everyone - there's really no way to know at this stage. Since it's in beta, there's a good chance there will be some kinks to iron out.

So if you use Blogger for your blog, be sure to stay on the lookout for this neat new feature!

Urchin 6: Official Release!

2008-04-16T17:30:46Z

It's officially here! Urchin 6 has been released for purchase today, April 16th, 2008!

Timeline: In October, Urchin 6 was released in limited beta and then in February, the Urchin 6 beta became available to the public and TODAY it's finally available for purchase!

Features: The interface is now similar to Google Analytics, and there is a greater focus on the usability aspect. Up to 1,000 profiles (domains), log sources, e-commerce, and campaign tracking are all included with this one time purchase.

Urchin 6 will include individual visitor-level tracking, report cross-segmentation and a full suite of geo-targeting reports! The campaign tracking features in Urchin 6 have also been re-engineered to be easier for somebody who is looking to track their SEO/SEM efforts.

Price: Urchin 6 is available for $2,995, and this price includes the full functionality of the software. That means you no longer need to worry about purchasing all those different types of modules. With Urchin 6, you can run e-commerce and campaign tracking functionality on multiple servers with no extra cost!

Upgrading: For owners of standard Urchin 5 licenses, Urchin Software is available for a discounted price. The amount paid for the Urchin 5 installation will be applied towards the cost of Urchin 6 Software. For example, if you purchased the base module of Urchin 5 for $895, then Urchin 6 Software would cost $2,100 ($2995 - $895).

Benefits: Those who might benefit from Urchin the most would be those who prefer to keep their data on machines they can control, those who would like to process historical data, those who need their data audited by third parties, and those who would like to track on an intranet.

ROI Revolution is an Urchin 6 reseller and so if you are ready for Urchin 6, go to www.roirevolution.com/urchin/urchin-six.htm to purchase or upgrade to Urchin 6 today!

Updates: If you would like to receive up to the minute information only about Urchin, sign up for the Urchin Update List!