How to configure google analytics to optimize your college's marketing initiatives
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Transcript of How to configure google analytics to optimize your college's marketing initiatives
Higher Education Marketing Webinar
How to Configure Google Analytics to Optimize your College's Marketing
Initiatives
Webinar Objectives
• Configure Google Analytics• Analyze Visitor Traffic• Implement Continuous Improvement Process
www.higher-education-marketing.com
Webinar Agenda
1. create student/audience profiles
2. sub-domain and cross domain tracking
3. Track specific audiences and traffic segments with multiple profiles
4. define website marketing goals
5. enable site search and Google AdWords integration
6. Google Analytics Resources
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Using Personas to understand student/audience profiles
• Personas represent user types within a targeted demographic
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persona_(marketing)
• Your website’s interaction with these user types can be broken up into stages, called life cycles
The Life Cycle of a “Prospect”
Attract
Engage
ConvertRetain
Reactivation
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Student Persona Life CycleAttract
• Reach prospects: student initiated, word of mouth, social media, institution solicited.
Engage
• Peruse offering and apply.
Convert
• Proceed through admission process and get enrolled in a course or program.
Retain
• Active student and alumni program.Reactivate
• Continued learning activities.
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Defining a Persona
• Target Market (geo, semantic, age, etc.)• Objectives you want to attain with that group?• Goals you want that group of visitors to
accomplish on the website
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Persona: Harvard MBA Executive EducationItems DescriptionsTarget Market “Educating Leaders Who Make a Difference in the World”
GEO Target The World
Employment Status Senior Executive
Website Goal Request a Brochure
Objective Student Registrations
Semantic MarketKeywords Global Monthly Searches
mba 11100000
leadership mba 6600
executive mba 368000
executive mba programs 18100
mba programs 301000
harvard mba (branded) 49500
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Mapping of outcomes & metrics for “Attract” Stage
Lifecycle stage Description, attributes Visitor Intent / Business Goal Measurement characteristics KPIs
Attract Reach prospects: student initiated, word of mouth, social media, institution solicited.
Showcase learning opportunities/marketing campaigns
● Campaigns performance data
● New vs. Returning visitors
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Marketing Tactics used to engage with Persona• Facebook• LinkedIn• AdWords• Email Newsletter• Newspapers
Mapping of outcomes & metrics for “Convert” Stage
Lifecycle stage Description, attributes Visitor Intent / Business Goal Measurement characteristics KPIs
Convert Proceed through admission process and get enrolled in a course or program.
Qualified enrollments. ● Request a Brochure● Apply Now
www.higher-education-marketing.com
Google Analytics Configuration
• How does Google Analytics Work?• Cross domain & sub domain tracking• Modifying the Google Analytics Tracking code
www.higher-education-marketing.com
How does Google Analytics Work?
• Google Analytics is hosted by Google (SaaS)• It uses JavaScript code and First Party Cookies
to collect the web data• All data collected by GA is anonymous• GA does not report on personally identifiable
information• GA does not share any data with a 3rd party
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1st party vs. 3rd party cookies• A cookie is a small text file that the website you
visit stores in your web browser• 1st party cookies are issued by the website
(domain) you are visiting• 3rd party cookies are stored by another website
(domain)• 1st party cookies are widely accepted• 3rd party cookies are often blocked by users and
browsers
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Google Analytics uses these 5 Cookies
Sample Google Analytics Cookie:53195706.354747012.1232214650.1264371284.1264481927.214
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Why Cross Domain Tracking?
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Why Subdomain Tracking?
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The case for tracking visits across domains and subdomains
Click Path for Requesting a Brochure from Harvard Business School for their Executive Education
URLs Analytics Account #
http://www.harvard.edu/ Google Analytics UA-2923555-1
http://www.hbs.edu/ Unica NA
http://www.exed.hbs.edu/Pages/default.aspx Google Analytics UA-480726-1
http://www.exed.hbs.edu/admissions/Pages/default.aspx Google Analytics UA-480726-1
http://www.exed.hbs.edu/admissions/Pages/request.aspx Google Analytics UA-480726-1
http://www.exed.hbs.edu/Pages/request-thanks.aspx Google Analytics UA-480726-1
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Harvard.edu GA Code<script type="text/javascript">
var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-5847550-3']); _gaq.push(['_setDomainName', 'harvard.edu']); _gaq.push(['_setAllowLinker', true]); _gaq.push(['_setAllowHash', false]); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']);
(function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })();
</script>
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HBS.edu GA Code<script type="text/javascript">
var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-5847550-3']); _gaq.push(['_setDomainName', 'hbs.edu']); _gaq.push(['_setAllowLinker', true]); _gaq.push(['_setAllowHash', false]); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']);
(function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })();
</script>
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Pass 1st Party Cookie info using this Link or link by post method
• This method is only needed between links & forms for cross domain, not sub domains– <a href="http://www.harvard.edu"
onclick="gaq.push(`_link`,`http:``www.hbs.edu`]); return false;">Harvard Business School</a>
– <a href="http://www.hbs.edu" onclick="gaq.push(`_link`,`http:``www.harvard.edu`]); return false;">Harvard University</a>
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Google Analytics Profile Check List
• Setup Harvard.edu Catch All Profile– Setup Extract Host Name Filter
• Setup HBS.edu Profile– Setup Extract Host Name Filter– Setup Include Host Name Filter– Setup Exclude Phil IP– Setup Site Search– Setup Request Brochure Goal
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Harvard Business School Profile setup• Profile Name: Harvard Business School
– Domain: www.hbs.edu/ – Subdomain: www.exed.hbs.edu/
• Configuring Site Search / Query Parameter:• Profile Filters
– Extract Host Name– Include hostname– Exclude Internal IP Traffic
• Website Goals– Request a Brochure
• Form page: www.exed.hbs.edu/admissions/Pages/request.aspx • Thank you page: www.exed.hbs.edu/Pages/request-thanks.aspx
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Driving ROI using Google Analytics
• Facebook• Email Campaigns• AdWords• Newspapers
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Tag your Marketing with the URL Builder
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Process for Continuous Improvement
• Monitor Regularly your KPIs• Setup Automated Reports• Split A/B Testing• Prioritize your Efforts based on the most
valuable pages – use the $index value• Follow authorities on Google Analytics (see
resource list)
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Webinar Recap
1. effectively analyze visitor traffic 2. create student/audience profiles3. define website marketing goals4. sub-domain and cross domain tracking5. enable site search and Google AdWords integration6. Track specific audiences and traffic segments with
multiple profiles7. implement advanced configuration techniques8. implement a process for continuous improvement9. Google Analytics Resources
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Google Analytics Resources
• Google Conversion University • Google Analytics Blog• http://www.youtube.com/user/googleanalytics• http://www.kaushik.net/avinash/• Google URL Builder• Calculating the $ Index Value
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Contact Higher Education MarketingPhilippe [email protected]
Scott [email protected]
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SCREENSHOTS OF PROFILE CONFIGURATION
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Site Search / Finding the Query Parameter
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Exclude Internal Traffic with a Filter
Aim to have better data. Remove your internal traffic with an exclude filter
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Site Search Configuration
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How to Link Adwords and Google Analytics
• The user needs to have admin rights to the analytics account• Use the same Google Account to link both services• A Google Account is defined by an email address• Enable Destination URL Autotagging to track keyword and campaign
data from Adwords in Google Analytics
• Apply Cost Data to your Google Analytics Account Profiles to import Adwords cost information
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Include hbs.edu Host Name
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“Extract Host Name” Filter
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Advanced Filter: Extract Host Name why?
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Common Educational Website Goals
• Goals are projected business end-points for visitors: – Request a brochure– Book a campus tour– Request more information– Apply
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Calculating your Goal Values
What percentage of your leads become students?8%
What is the average tuition of your program?5000$
Formula:8% X $5,000 = $400
The goal value is to help monetize the true value of a completed website goal. It also enables the $ Index metric in the content reports.
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Setting up the Request a Brochure Goal
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