Matt McGee says, “Google has rolled out a new feature called Calculated Metrics that extends the power of Google Analytics by letting users create new metrics/reports that are based on the existing set of traditional metrics. For example, with calculated metrics, an e-commerce company could create a Revenue Per User metric by combining the traditional Revenue and Users data from Google Analytics. A Currency Conversion metric can be created by using the Revenue metric and doing some simple math — i.e., multiplying it by the current conversion rate for the target country. There’s been... [...]

Jason Parks says, “Social media are communications channels that many of us think about in whimsical ways. But these channels are also something marketing experts take dead seriously, for the opportunities they present to post content that is sharable, interesting — and potentially crucial for marketing a business. All of that is great to know, of course, as long as you’re not a content writer. The reason is those times in every content writer’s career when coming up with the constant stream of interesting topics social media requires doesn’t happen so easily.... [...]

Parry Malm says, “What is the deal with referral spam? Aside from it being mega annoying, pointless, and stupid? If you use Google Analytics, you definitely know what I’m talking about. It’s those almost-real-but-actually-fake-spamming-links that show up on your analytics and screw up your KPIs. It annoyed me. So I figured out how to get it off my dashboard, and here’s how. At my company we keep a close eye on our Google Analytics web stats, probably like you. Yesterday, we popped into our real-time stats and noticed a bunch of sessions from around the world. Hey wow, that’s pretty... [...]

Ian Lurie says, “In spite of all the advice, the strategic discussions and the conference talks, we Internet marketers are still algorithmic thinkers. That’s obvious when you think of SEO. Even when we talk about content, we’re algorithmic thinkers. Ask yourself: How many times has a client asked you, “How much content do we need?” How often do you still hear “How unique does this page need to be?” That’s 100% algorithmic thinking: Produce a certain amount of content, move up a certain number of spaces. But you and I know it’s complete bullshit“. Distance from Perfect MOZ... [...]

Carlos Escalera says, “The spam in Google Analytics (GA) is becoming a serious issue. Due to a deluge of referral spam from social buttons, adult sites, and many, many other sources, people are starting to become overwhelmed by all the filters they are setting up to manage the useless data they are receiving. The good news is, there is no need to panic. In this post, I’m going to focus on the most common mistakes people make when fighting spam in GA, and explain an efficient way to prevent it. But first, let’s make sure we understand how spam works. A couple of months ago, Jared... [...]

Pratik Dholakiya says, “Actionable metrics are like oxygen for your decision-making. The decisions you make obviously have a direct impact on your business. Google Analytics has been the staple stats feeder for a gazillion marketers and business owners over the years. But does it actually give you all the data you need? In fact, do you even realize the different types and sources of data that are available to you and whether you have uses and applications for all of them? Let’s take a closer look. Real-Time Web Analytics Google Analytics already provides you with real-time analytics built... [...]

Russ Jones says, “Given this blog’s readership, chances are good you will spend some time this week looking at backlinks in one of the growing number of link data tools. We know backlinks continue to be one of, if not the most important parts of Google’s ranking algorithm. We tend to take these link data sets at face value, though, in part because they are all we have. But when your rankings are on the line, is there a better way to get at which data set is the best? How should we go about assessing these different link indexes like Moz, Majestic, Ahrefs and SEMrush for quality?... [...]

Amanda King says, “I’ve been in and out of Google Analytics (GA) for the past five or so years agency-side. I’ve seen three different code libraries, dozens of new different features and reports roll out, IP addresses stop being reported, and keywords not-so-subtly phased out of the free platform. Analytics has been a focus of mine for the past year or so—mainly, making sure clients get their data right. Right now, our new focus is closed loop tracking, but that’s a topic for another day. If you’re using Google Analytics, and only Google Analytics for the majority... [...]

Kristi Hines says, “If you don’t know what Google Analytics is, haven’t installed it on your website, or have installed it but never look at your data, then this post is for you. While it’s hard for many to believe, there are still websites that are not using Google Analytics (or any analytics, for that matter) to measure their traffic. In this post, we’re going to look at Google Analytics from the absolute beginner’s point of view. Why you need it, how to get it, how to use it, and workarounds to common problems. Why every website owner needs Google Analytics Do... [...]

Kristi Hines says, “If you don’t know what Google Analytics is, haven’t installed it on your website, or have installed it but never look at your data, then this post is for you. While it’s hard for many to believe, there are still websites that are not using Google Analytics (or any analytics, for that matter) to measure their traffic. In this post, we’re going to look at Google Analytics from the absolute beginner’s point of view. Why you need it, how to get it, how to use it, and workarounds to common problems. Why every website owner needs Google Analytics Do... [...]