Be Critical: Going Beyond The Defaults With GA And GTM (SMX Munich 2015)

NETBOOSTER NORDIC // COPENHAGEN // AARHUS // STOCKHOLM // HELSINKI // OSLONETBOOSTER NORDIC // COPENHAGEN // AARHUS // STOCKHOLM // HELSINKI // OSLO

BE CRITICALGOING BEYOND THE DEFAULTS WITH GA AND GTM

SMX Munich, 17th March 2015

NETBOOSTER NORDIC // COPENHAGEN // AARHUS // STOCKHOLM // HELSINKI // OSLONETBOOSTER NORDIC // COPENHAGEN // AARHUS // STOCKHOLM // HELSINKI // OSLO

SIMO AHAVA @ NetBoosterHead of Analytics, Nordics

Google Developer Expert 2014-2016

Twitter: @SimoAhavaGoogle+: +SimoAhava

#SMX | @SimoAhava

www.simoahava.com

NETBOOSTER NORDIC // COPENHAGEN // AARHUS // STOCKHOLM // HELSINKI // OSLO 3

The Rant

AGENDAOVERVIEW

#01

The Workaround

The Takeaway

#02

#03

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NETBOOSTER NORDIC // COPENHAGEN // AARHUS // STOCKHOLM // HELSINKI // OSLO

THE RANT

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#SMX | @SimoAhava

Google Analytics is a tool designed to work

for 9,163,750*

different businesses * Author’s estimate, not an official figure


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It is thus conceivable Google does not know what your business

KPIs are


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2,578,000DEAR BOSS,

Last month, the number of Sessions on our site was…

…which is an uplift of +2.78% compared to the previous month.


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21.20%DEAR BOSS,

Last month, the Conversion Rate for eCommerce on our site was…

…which is an uplift of +5% compared to the previous month.


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Reporting on a single metric or snapshot of a funnel is like telling only the punchline of a

joke.


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Raw (hit) data

1 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 00 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 0 10 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 10 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 1


#SMX | @SimoAhava

Schema

Raw (hit) data

1 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 00 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 0 10 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 10 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 1


#SMX | @SimoAhava

Schema

Raw (hit) data

Sessionized data

1 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 00 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 0 10 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 10 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 1

1 0 1 1 0

0 0 1 1 1

1 0 0 0 1

0 1 1 1 1

1 1 0 0 1

0 1 1 0 0

1 1 1 1 0 1 0 1 0 1


#SMX | @SimoAhava

All metrics and dimensions used by a data collection / processing / reporting platform subscribe to the schemas of said platform.


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Sessionization schema


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Event tracking schema


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Transactional schema


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This has two major implications on how we process, analyze, and report on the data.


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All sessionized data is arbitrary

1


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Fictional


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Fictional

Fictional


#SMX | @SimoAhava

Fictional

Fictional

Fictional


#SMX | @SimoAhava

Fictional

Fictional

Fictional

Fictional


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How can an arbitrary, fictional metric ever be a

good KPI?*

* Rhetorical question, it can’t


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Data quality is something you work towards

2


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Stay away from aggregate metrics.


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Stay away from aggregate metrics.

Segment, customize, combine, visualize.


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Aggregate

Segmented

User-centric

Cohorts

Predictive 21.20%

Our website’s eCommerce Conversion Rate for

January was…


#SMX | @SimoAhava

Aggregate

Segmented

User-centric

Cohorts

Predictive 12.57%

Visitors who landed on our site through our January

Facebook campaign had an eCommerce Conversion

Rate of…


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Aggregate

Segmented

User-centric

Cohorts

Predictive 19.20%

Visitors with no previous transactions who landed

on our site through our January Facebook campaign

had an eCommerce Conversion Rate of…


#SMX | @SimoAhava

Aggregate

Segmented

User-centric

Cohorts

Predictive

New customers via Facebookvs.

Old customers via Facebookvs.

Overall eCommerce Conversion Rate


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Aggregate

Segmented

User-centric

Cohorts

Predictive

This data, combined with information from our sales engine and CRM, gives us the following optimization

opportunities…


THE WORKAROUND

#SMX | @SimoAhava


#SMX | @SimoAhava

We need to collect data in a

meaningful way.


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Sometimes it means we need to tweak the data collection

mechanism.


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Take Bounce Rate, for example.


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#SMX | @SimoAhava

Remember, Bounce Rate is a heavily

sessionized metric that is not inherently

good or bad.


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#SMX | @SimoAhava

After X seconds on the page, send a pulse to

GA which negates the bounce.


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Google Tag Manager

1.Create new Timer Trigger

2.Set Interval to X ms3.Set Limit to 14.Fire Event Tag with

this Trigger


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#SMX | @SimoAhava

However, you’re playing into the hands of the schema overlords.


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Instead of trying to get Bounce Rate lower by

tweaking a metric, how about improving

internal linking?


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…or measuring calls-to-action?


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…or combining dwell time with scroll depth?


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http://cutroni.com/blog/2014/02/12/advanced-content-tracking-with-universal-analytics/


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#SMX | @SimoAhava

Adapted for Google Tag Manager:

https://github.com/sahava/content/


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1 Universal Analytics Tag 1 Custom Event Trigger 9 Data Layer Variables


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OK, this is better for understanding intent

(and content)…


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Reader

Scanner

Scanner

Reader

Reader

Intent Content

53 % read

89 % read

60 % read

21 % read

85 % read


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Bounce Rate became more meaningful for users and content.


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Come to my session tomorrow at 11:15am!

If this strikes true,


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…But let’s take a more focused example.


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Page Views measures the number of times pages are viewed.


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…or does it?


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Visible Hidden


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Visible: document['hidden'] = falseHidden: document['hidden'] = true

Visible Hidden


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Visible: document['hidden'] = falseHidden: document['hidden'] = true document.addEventListener('visibilitychange', function() { dataLayer.push({ 'event' : 'visibilityChange’ });});

Visible Hidden


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Upon Page Load

Visible Hidden


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Upon Page Load If Page IS Visible, send Page View

Visible Hidden


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Upon Page Load If Page IS Visible, send Page View If Page IS NOT Visible, do not send Page View

Visible Hidden


#SMX | @SimoAhava

Upon Page Load If Page IS Visible, send Page View If Page IS NOT Visible, do not send Page View If Visibility changes to Visible, send Page View

Visible Hidden


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http://goo.gl/SdAjo5


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We just made a metric more meaningful.


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THE TAKEAWAY


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Takeaway 1/5

Be critical: Sessions is the product of an algorithm, and it doesn’t (necessarily) represent your business life cycle.


#SMX | @SimoAhava

Takeaway 2/5

Be critical: Even non-sessionized data like Pageviews might be flawed.


#SMX | @SimoAhava

Takeaway 3/5

Be critical: Fixing data collection so that it measures your business objectives more accurately requires work.


#SMX | @SimoAhava

Takeaway 4/5

Be critical: HTML5 is ripe with APIs that might, or might not, help you tweak the data stream.


#SMX | @SimoAhava

Takeaway 5/5BE CRITICAL!

Data quality is directly proportional to how well you understand the data

collection.


THANK YOUTwitter: @SimoAhavaGoogle+: +SimoAhava

www.simoahava.com

[ See you tomorrow at 11:15am! ]

#SMX | @SimoAhava

Be Critical: Going Beyond The Defaults With GA And GTM (SMX Munich 2015)

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