Google Analytics Updates and Improvements - October 18th, 2007

Google have this week announced a number of additions to their free Analytics application, as well as a long awaited update to the software version Google bought years ago, Urchin 5 Software.

The updates to the free online Google Analytics will include the ability to monitor data from internal site searches, a feature many have been suggesting for a while. It will work with many Google-based and non Google-based search products, and will provide valuable information about user navigation and search patterns. This information can then be used to improve usability of the site and provide new insight into keyword research.

Another update being rolled out soon is that of Event Tracking. It has been a problem on many a ‘Web 2.0′ site, where actions such as filling in a form are triggered by the user without changing page, that user actions and conversions are difficult (if not sometimes impossible) to track successfully. Google Analytics will allow you to set up a particular action as an event to be tracked which can include applications such as Ajax and Flash.

For those of you who remember the original Urchin tracking software from which Google Analytics originated, you may be pleased to hear a long-awaited update is being rolled out by the team at Google. Having recently been criticized for seemingly abandoning the desktop version, they have announced the limited beta release of the new Urchin Software. It will include all the expected features and some extra improvements and support. However, it’s important to note it is only available on a 90-day free trial, after which you will have to pay to continue using Analytics from your desktop.

Rik
SEO Programmer

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Analytics are useful, but MPM is essential - August 9th, 2007

The advent of Google analytics has put website measurement in every website owner and marketing managers reach.

Nobody can deny the valuable data that analytics provides companies and publishers in online measurement. If you remember the days when web logs actually meant tens of megabytes of raw data a month to trawl through just to get a fix on how many ‘hits’ your site got, then the analytics revolution truly is a gift.

We have visual interfaces and reasonably simple access to data. Comparative data is available easily, and if you have the time to drill through the data (and you know how of course) you can get a reasonable view of performance.

The key here though is the time factor. Yes, in most analytical packages you can automate reports for data sets and charts etc. But thats all you get - data. There is so much data available and so many ways of interpreting it, most feel lost.

Thats where MPM comes in. The key to using any data is to convert it into information and to interpret it. Marketing Performance Measurement (MPM) is essential in the strategy and decision making process of your business.

Understanding the implications of your data on website usability, customer journey and experience.

Are your landing pages working?
Which search terms are converting best and why?
Which paid search positions provide the best ROI?

Remember that the best converting terms may not give you the best ROI. Often the difference is Cost between position one and three or four is enough to eat into ROI. Which areas of your site generate most quality leads?

What are the most regular user journeys and how can you capitalise on that by changing calls to action and conversion pages?

At Just Search we offer clients, not only analytics systems, but if appropriate; real time performance interfaces and monthly MPM reports that rather than trawling through data, enables a top level view of performance with key observations and recommendations.

We partner with leading analytical suppliers to ensure clients have access to data as quickly and in depth as they need it, and to provide us with the key data required to make those all important observations and recommendations. Essential to online marketing success is real information and an understanding of how to improve the performance of both website and marketing activity.

For more information on Just Search Analytics and MPM see our Just Search Analytics section

Tony Meehan
Head of Paid Search, Just Search

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