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 @ NetBooster

Head of Analytics, Nordics

Google Developer Expert 2014-2016

Twitter: @SimoAhava

Google+: +SimoAhava

#SMX | @SimoAhava

www.simoahava.com

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

The Rant

AGENDAOVERVIEW

#01

The Workaround

The Takeaway

#02

#03

#SMX | @SimoAhava

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

THE RANT

#SMX | @SimoAhava


#SMX | @SimoAhava

Google Analytics is a tool

designed to work for

9,163,750*

different businesses

* Author’s estimate, not an official figure


#SMX | @SimoAhava

It is thus conceivable

Google does not know

what your business KPIs

are


#SMX | @SimoAhava

2,578,000

DEAR BOSS,

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

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


#SMX | @SimoAhava

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.


#SMX | @SimoAhava

Reporting on a single metric or snapshot of a funnel

is like telling only the punchline of a joke.


#SMX | @SimoAhava

Raw (hit) data

1 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 0

0 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 0 1

0 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 1

0 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 1


#SMX | @SimoAhava

Schema

Raw (hit) data

1 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 0

0 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 0 1

0 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 1

0 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 0

0 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 0 1

0 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 1

0 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.


#SMX | @SimoAhava




Sessionization schema


#SMX | @SimoAhava




Event tracking schema


#SMX | @SimoAhava




Transactional schema


#SMX | @SimoAhava

This has two major implications on how we process,

analyze, and report on the data.


#SMX | @SimoAhava

All sessionized

data is

arbitrary


#SMX | @SimoAhava


#SMX | @SimoAhava

Fictional


#SMX | @SimoAhava

Fictional

Fictional


#SMX | @SimoAhava

Fictional

Fictional

Fictional


#SMX | @SimoAhava

Fictional

Fictional

Fictional

Fictional


#SMX | @SimoAhava

How can an arbitrary,

fictional metric ever be

a good KPI?*

* Rhetorical question, it can’t


#SMX | @SimoAhava

Data quality is

something you

work towards


#SMX | @SimoAhava

Stay away from

aggregate metrics.


#SMX | @SimoAhava

Stay away from

aggregate metrics.

Segment, customize,

combine, visualize.


#SMX | @SimoAhava

Aggregate

Segmented

User-centric

Cohorts

Predictive21.20%

Our website’s eCommerce

Conversion Rate for January

was…


#SMX | @SimoAhava

Aggregate

Segmented

User-centric

Cohorts

Predictive12.57%

Visitors who landed on our site

through our January Facebook

campaign had an eCommerce

Conversion Rate of…


#SMX | @SimoAhava

Aggregate

Segmented

User-centric

Cohorts

Predictive19.20%

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 Facebook

vs.

Old customers via Facebook

vs.

Overall eCommerce Conversion Rate


#SMX | @SimoAhava

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.


#SMX | @SimoAhava

Sometimes it means

we need to tweak the

data collection

mechanism.


#SMX | @SimoAhava

Take Bounce Rate,

for example.


#SMX | @SimoAhava


#SMX | @SimoAhava

Remember, Bounce Rate

is a heavily sessionized

metric that is not inherently

good or bad.


#SMX | @SimoAhava


#SMX | @SimoAhava

After X seconds on the

page, send a pulse to GA

which negates the bounce.


#SMX | @SimoAhava

Google Tag Manager

1. Create new Timer

Trigger

2. Set Interval to X ms

3. Set Limit to 1

4. Fire Event Tag with

this Trigger


#SMX | @SimoAhava


#SMX | @SimoAhava

However, you’re playing

into the hands of the

schema overlords.


#SMX | @SimoAhava

Instead of trying to get

Bounce Rate lower by

tweaking a metric, how

about improving internal

linking?


#SMX | @SimoAhava

…or measuring calls-to-

action?


#SMX | @SimoAhava

…or combining dwell time

with scroll depth?


#SMX | @SimoAhava

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


#SMX | @SimoAhava


#SMX | @SimoAhava

Adapted for Google Tag

Manager:

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


#SMX | @SimoAhava

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


#SMX | @SimoAhava

OK, this is better for

understanding intent (and

content)…


#SMX | @SimoAhava

Reader

Scanner

Scanner

Reader

Reader

Intent Content

53 % read

89 % read

60 % read

21 % read

85 % read


#SMX | @SimoAhava

Bounce Rate became more

meaningful for users and

content.


#SMX | @SimoAhava

Come to my session tomorrow at 11:15am!

If this strikes true,


#SMX | @SimoAhava

…But let’s take a more

focused example.


#SMX | @SimoAhava

Page Views measures the

number of times pages are

viewed.


#SMX | @SimoAhava

…or does it?


#SMX | @SimoAhava

Visible Hidden


#SMX | @SimoAhava

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

Visible Hidden


#SMX | @SimoAhava

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

document.addEventListener('visibilitychange', function() {

dataLayer.push({'event' : 'visibilityChange’

});});

Visible Hidden


#SMX | @SimoAhava

Upon Page Load

Visible Hidden


#SMX | @SimoAhava

Upon Page Load

If Page IS Visible, send Page View

Visible Hidden


#SMX | @SimoAhava

Upon Page Load


If Page IS NOT Visible, do not send Page View

Visible Hidden


#SMX | @SimoAhava

Upon Page Load


If Page IS NOT Visible, do not send Page View

If Visibility changes to Visible, send Page View

Visible Hidden


#SMX | @SimoAhava


#SMX | @SimoAhava

http://goo.gl/SdAjo5


#SMX | @SimoAhava

We just made a metric

more meaningful.


#SMX | @SimoAhava

THE TAKEAWAY


#SMX | @SimoAhava

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 5/5

BE CRITICAL!

Data quality is directly proportional to how

well you understand the data collection.


THANK YOU

Twitter: @SimoAhava

Google+: +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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