Google Analytics Tips Collection

Putting aside all recent arguments and gossip as per privacy issues (yep, nothing is probably totally free and Google Analytics should be using its (your?) data in some way), I should confess, I love the tool and use it. I’ve been compiling the list of advanced Google Analytics tips that open up plenty of possibilities to track and evaluate. Today I am sharing the list and expect you to share yours too!

Image courtesy: analytics-ninja.com

• Track 404 page
  (more info here): I’ve been reporting on the importance of handling your 404 page properly. To make sure you take care of your non-existent pages, simply include a piece of code to your 404 page:
  
  
  
• Classify your site visitors,
  e.g. track the browsing and buying behavior of your “customers” (those who subscribed, made a purchase or downloaded your product):
  
  <script type=”text/javascript”>pageTracker._setVar(‘Marketing/PR’);</script>
  
  
  Google Analytics help pagegives the following examples of the option usage:
  
  1. Track visitors that landed on a particular page;
  2. Track visitors that clicked a particular link;
  3. Track visitors according to their form selection.
  
  
• Track your (outgoing) links: add a code to each link you want to track:
  
  <a href=”http://www.example.com” onClick=”javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview(‘/outgoing/example.com’);”>
  
  
• Track your banner ads with the same code as the above one. For Flash banners you should use this code:
  
  on(release) { getURL(“javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview (‘/bannerads/advertisername/bannername’);”); getURL(“http://www.advertisersite.com”); }
  
• Track your downloads (PDF, AVI, or WMV) with this code:
  
  <a href=”http://www.example.com/files/map.pdf” onClick=”javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview(‘/downloads/map’); “>
  
• Track mailto: links with this code:
  
<a href=”mailto:[email address]“onClick=”javascript:urchinTracker(‘/mailto/jerry’);”>[email address]</a>
  
• For Wordpress blogs:
  use “Ultimate Google Analytics” plugin that also allows for lots of other handy features (easy Google Analytics installation, simple configuration screen, all types of links tracking, etc.). Google Analytics for WordPress is also great for this and and for tracking AdSense clicks, image search keywords, etc. (More information on counting outbound clicks without the help of plugins.)
  
• Track full referring URLs – set up the advanced filter:
  
  
• Track e-commerce transactions by monitoring your receipt page. Find additional information on this in “Advanced Google Analytics“:
  
  
• Set up email alert on a regularly-scheduled basis – go: Analytics Settings => View Reports => Email=> Schedule:
  
  
• Exclude internal traffic: Analytics Settings => Edit => “+Add Filter”:
  
  
• Compare traffic / page views over different periods of times, e.g. compare how your two viral campaigns performed compared to each other:
  
  

Credit Article by Ann Smarty. Article repost from her writings The Huge Collection of Google Analytics Tips