Google Analytics versus Urchin Analytics

February 20, 2008

In recent months Google and Urchin have split ways. With the new GA.js tracking code out now people may not realize that they have the option to keep working with Urchin and its tracking features. Now google isn’t for everyone just like Urchin is not for everyone. So what are the differences?

Urchin Analytics Tracking Software - Urchin.js

Is hosted locally on your web servers
Code looks like this…

<script src=”http://www.google-analytics.com/urchin.js” type=”text/javascript”>

</script>

<script type=”text/javascript”>

_uacct = “UA-XXXXXXX-X”;

urchinTracker();

</script>

Costs: $2995.00 (license fee + 3 months free trial) + implementation/setup/development

Google Analytics Tracking Software - GA.js

PureWebAnalytics can help you with Google Analytics software

Is hosted on Google’s servers
Code looks like this

<script type=”text/javascript”>

var gaJsHost = ((”https:” == document.location.protocol) ? “https://ssl.” : “http://www.”);

document.write(unescape(”%3Cscript src=’” + gaJsHost + “google-analytics.com/ga.js’

type=’text/javascript’%3E%3C/script%3E”));

</script>

<script type=”text/javascript”>

var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker(”UA-XXXXXXX-X”);

pageTracker._initData();

pageTracker._trackPageview();

</script>

Costs: FREE + implementation/setup/development

Whether you choose to stay with Urchin and continue to develop your business off of this analytics platform or you choose to make the switch to Google Analytics each comes with its own pros and cons.

Luc Arnold

Posted by Lucas | Filed Under General, Google Analytics, Urchin Analytics, Web Analytics | Leave a Comment

Exporting your Keyword List in Google Analytics

February 16, 2008

Google Analytics allows you to do so much when it comes to your business online. Another useful feature in Google Analytics is the ability to export your keyword list to your deskop (or laptop if you are like me) to do some optimization based off of keyword analysis. To do this follow these steps…

Log into your Google Analytics Account
Click on “View Reports”
On the “Traffic Sources Overview” window click “View Report”
On this page, under the Keyword List click the “View Full Report” link
This brings up a list of all the keywords collected by Google Analytics on your website that uses have used to find a page on your website
Under the title “Keywords” at the top, click the “export” button and you can select to export keywords in a PDF, CSV, TSV or XML document and save it to your desktop.

By exporting keyword lists that customers and potiential customers use to find your website you can use this to ensure that your keyword list building efforts become more effective over time and your website’s ROI improves as well.

Luc Arnold

Posted by Lucas | Filed Under General, Google Analytics, Keywords, SEO / SEM, Tips, Tricks and Tools, Web Analytics | 3 Comments

Using Beta Graph Mode in Google Analytics

February 15, 2008

They just keep adding more and more functionality and features to Google Analytics. One of the new ones is Beta Graph Mode. It’s in a Beta version currently and has the following functions inside it.

One Metric
Two Metrics
Compare to Site

How do I use this feature?

Login to your Google Analytics Account
Click on “View Reports” and this will take you to the “Dashboard’
In the “Dashboard” find the Site Traffic section (should be at the top of your page)
Click on the “Drop Down” Button under the Date Range Query Feature to set and use either the one metric, two metrics or compare to site feature
If you hover over the Date Markers you can the data for that particular day

I hope you’ve found this article useful in understanding your web-based business or web-based business channel that uses Google Analytics to track results online.

Luc Arnold

Posted by Lucas | Filed Under General, Google Analytics, Web Analytics | 1 Comment

The 7 Minute Google Analytics Setup Guide

February 14, 2008

I decided to write a quick installation guide for those people looking to add Google Analytics Tracking to their website. This is a reference that will help to get you started with Google Analytics. Many people and companies are using Google Analytics to track everything from purchases to customer’s behaviours when they visit the website.

What does this cover?

Installing the GATC
Testing the GATC
Reporting using your GATC

Installing your Google Analytics Tracking Code (GATC)

<script src=”http://www.google-analytics.com/urchin.js” type=”text/javascript”>

</script>

<script type=”text/javascript”>

_uacct = “UA-XXXXXXX-X”;

urchinTracker();

</script>

This tracking code is provided by logging into your Google Analytics Account. Simply do the following to get your own analytics tracking code:

Log into your GA account
You will look on the Analytics settings page (Hint: it’s the page you are brought to when you first sign in)
Go to the website profile of the site you want to install Google Analytics tracking on (if this is your first time logging into Google Analytics you’ll need to setup a profile for the site you want Google analytics running on)
Under “Settings” click the “Edit” link beside the website you want to install the tracking code on and this will bring you to a page called “Profile Settings”
On the “Profile Settings” page click on the “Check Status” link at the top right hand side of the page which will bring you to the tracking code page
Copy and Paste the Google Analytics tracking code from this page and install it just before the </body> tag on your webpage and click the “Finish” button at the bottom of the Google Analytics Tracking Code page

See Original Posting

Testing your Google Analytics Tracking Code (GATC)

This is an excerpt from an article i wrote a while about tools to test your Google Analytics installation…

“SiteScan isn’t the only tool around to test your Google Analytics install but it does work. If you’ve recently installed Goolge Analytics or you installed it ages ago this web application will tell you if your tracking code is installed correctly, if you’re Query String Parameters are good and checking SSL versions of the Google Analytics of the Tracking Code are installed correctly on secure pages. A report is also provided for your own information but it is well worth the time checking it out…”

See Original Posting

Reporting using your Google Analytics Tracking Code (GATC)

Log into your Google Analytics account
Click on “View Reports”
This will bring you to the dashboard where you can see things like “Goals Overview”, “Site Usage”, “Traffic Sources Overview” and a few others

Whether you are new to Google Analytics or you’ve used it since it was a Beta version one thing is for certain, you can do plenty of things with Google Analytics to either help you understand your customers, view their interest in your website, how they shop and the current pitfalls of your website. I hope you’ve enjoyed this 7 minute install guide to Google Analytics and feel free to post your questions.

Luc Arnold

Posted by Lucas | Filed Under General, Google Analytics, Tips, Tricks and Tools, Web Analytics | 1 Comment

Using Google Analytics for Keyword Research

February 10, 2008

Google Analytics is a pretty robust tool that allows you to do a lot of things from setting goals to understanding how customers view and experience your website. Understanding how people find and experience your website gives you customer insights as to how they find you and in this case search you out online and your business.

Wouldn’t it be great if you knew which keywords your customers were using to find you? Well now you can using Google Analytics!!!!

Finding the keywords that Google Analytics records is as easy as 1 2 3!

Log into your Google Analytics Account
Go to the “View Reports” link
This will bring you to the Google Analytics Dashboard where you will scroll down to click on “View Report” under the Traffic Sources Overview
Lastly, click on the “Full Report” link under the Keywords header on the right hand side of the screen and you’ll have a list of keywords that people have used to find your website.

If you use PPC advertising you can further break down the list into “Paid” and “Unpaid” keywords which is a very useful feature for those of you using paid search to advertise your business.

The main reason why keywords are so important, especially to your online business is that this is one way in which customers are targeting the web pages on your website and having a keyword list of used keywords gives you a starting place when you decide to research and write your own custom list of keywords that produce results for your business!

Luc

Posted by Lucas | Filed Under General, Google Analytics, Keywords, Tips, Tricks and Tools, Web Analytics, Web Intelligence | Leave a Comment

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