Evaluate Content with Google Analytics (Oct 2009)

Evaluate Your Content with Google Analytics

Ben MacNeillUser Interface Designer, eXtension

October 22, 2009

Google Analytics

• Traffic analysis tool

• Free (Need a Google account. No public view unfortunately*.)

• Who (Visitors), What (Content),Where (Traffic)How (Bounces)

What's the most

popularcontent?

Whereare yourvisitorscoming from?

*82% from search

How areyour

readersfinding

your content?

How many visit your page and

leave? (and is

that good or bad?)

boiiiiiiing

boiiiiiiiiiiiingboiiiiiiiiiiiiing

boiiiiiiiing

boiiiiiiiing

boiiiing

boiiiing

boiiiiing

boing

bo–

What about my content?

• the Public site GA data is aggregated

• No way to look at a single category of content(until recently!)

Top-Level Categories in GA

• Available in content reports

• Top Content (Most Popular)

• Top Landing Pages (Arrivals)

• Top Exit Pages (Departures)

• Look at all content or limit to specific types (Articles, FAQs, Learning Lessons, Events)

What Does it Look Like?

How it works

• Actual url: http://www.extension.org/faq/824

• We pass an extra parameter to GA when the visit is recorded

• Extra parameter = Top-level categories

Using the 'Find Page' Filter

• Select a report: Content > Top Content

• Choose any CoP resource area tag

• No spaces. "beef_cattle" not "beef cattle"

• View all content: fire_ants

• View only FAQs: (faq).*(fire_ants)

• View only Articles: (pages).*(fire_ants)

Let's Go to the Browser

Analysis: Bounce rate

• the percentage of visitors to a page who leave without visiting any other page

Bounce rate: 41%

Bounce rate: 91%

Bounce rate: 41%

Under-performers?

• Don't unpublish a piece of content

• Destroys all the Google page rank built up for that page

• Generates a "Page not found" for all new visitors coming from search

• Damages the reputation of the site

• Breaks all links that point to your page

Content, check. What about my visitors?

Let's Go to the Browser

Set up a Category Segment

13

5

4

2

Advanced Segments

• A slice of all traffic

• Great for Visitor-based reports(Visits, geography, traffic sources)

• Page-level metrics will be skewed(Pageviews, Average Pageviews, Time on Site)Because the segment includes all pages the visitor viewed – not just your pages.

Get Reports by Email

Schedule Email Reports

• If you need access to eXtension GA, send me your gmail address or the email associated with your Google user ID.

• ben.macneill@extension.org

• thanks!

Getting Access to GA