Google Analytics Mega-Post: 23 Google Analytics Tips and Tweaks

Ann Smarty

15 years ago

You may have noticed that I love SEO tools, and one of my most favorite ones is Google Analytics because it allows for a huge number of setting and configurations.

Last year I did a large post over-viewing most useful Google Analytics tips and today I am presenting them as well as adding a number of more important hacks to compile one mega-post on Google Analytics tips and tricks:

Useful Filters

1. Track full referring URLs

2. Exclude internal traffic: Analytics Settings => Edit => “+Add Filter”

3. Track Universal Search traffic

Step 1 :
Create filter for organic traffic
New filter ->
Filter name `Organic`
Filter Type -> Custom Filter
Checked : include
Filter Field: Campaign Medium
Filter Pattern `organic`

Step 2:
Create filter for All Universal Search traffic
New Filter: ‘Universal Search Items
Filter Type: Custom Filter
Checked: Advanced
Field A -> Extract A -> Referral -> (.*)oi=([a-zA-Z_]+)&(.*)
Field B -> Extract B -> Referral -> (?|&)q=([^&]*)
Output To -> Constructor -> User Defined -> $B2 : $A2

4. Track keyword rankings in Google:

Coding Hacks

5. Track 404 page

Application: quickly spot when your visitors do not get what they want

Code:

pageTracker._trackPageview("/404.html?page=" + document.location.pathname + document.location.search + "&from=" + document.referrer);

6. Track your links (link level)

Application: See how useful your links are

Code:

<a href=”http://www.example.com” onClick=”javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview(’/outgoing/example.com’);”>

7. Track your Flash banner ads:

Application: Set up your own tracking for (affiliate programs) banner ads on your site, optimize their performance and track again.

Code:

on(release) {
getURL(”javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview
(’/bannerads/advertisername/bannername’);”);
getURL(”http://www.advertisersite.com”);
}

8. Track your downloads: PDF, AVI, or WMV (link level)

Application: Watch who likes your free downloads and learn how to place them more effectively;

Code:

<a href=”http://www.example.com/files/map.pdf” onClick=”javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview(’/downloads/map’); “>

9. Track mailto: links (link level):

<a href=”mailto:[email address]“onClick=”javascript:urchinTracker(’/mailto/jerry’);”>[email address]</a>

10. Classify your site personas

Application: Track visitors that landed on a particular page or performed any sort of action on the site.

Code:

<script type=”text/javascript”>pageTracker._setVar(’Marketing/PR’);</script>

Advanced Segmentation:

11. A detailed guide on creating custom reports;

12. Analyze the impact of your site sitelinks;

13. Segment out your brand search keywords (be sure to study that guide for more advanced segmentation tips)

Google Analytics FireFox Hacks:

14. Check Google Analytics for the current day (not for the last 30 days): use this browser bookmarklet

15. View each page social media metrics: Social media metrics adds social media statistics (Digg, StumbleUpon, Sphinn, Reddit, Mixx, Delicious) and Yahoo SiteExplorer backlinks to the page statistics in Google Analytics

16. View keyword trends: this Greasemonkey script shows you the keywords that have received 20% higher / lower traffic over the last week.

17. Export to Google Docs from Google Analytics: save (and share) Google Analytics reports in Google docs.

18. Add notes to your Google Analytics reports: the notes are searchable and can be saved as an XML/CSV file.

WordPress plugins:

19. “Ultimate Google Analytics” plugin also allows for lots of other handy features (easy Google Analytics installation, simple configuration screen, all types of links tracking, etc.).

20. Google Analytics for WordPress offers tracking AdSense clicks, image search keywords, etc.

Useful Filters

Coding Hacks

Advanced Segmentation:

Google Analytics FireFox Hacks:

WordPress plugins:

Further Reading: