Custom Event Strategies for the Web Analytics Pioneer

New York | March 25–28

Custom Event Strategies for the Analytics Pioneer How to See the Insights Trees for the Data Forest

Josh Braaten Rasmussen College

Associate Director of Inbound Marketing

#SESNY

New York| March 25–28, 2013 | #SESNY @JLBraaten

Josh Braaten: ContentScientists.com/about

Not Everything is Tracked Right Out-of-the-Box

Enter, the Analytics Pioneer!

New York| March 25–28, 2013 | #SESNY

Without Analytics Planning and Custom Events

@JLBraaten

Some Things That Should Not Have Been Forgotten…

…Were Lost.

Kick Back and Get Ready…

@JLBraaten

…to See the Insights Trees for the Data Forest

Ready to Become an Analytics Pioneer?

Analytics Pioneer’s Guide to Custom Events:

• Always Start with KPI Planning

• Avoid Custom Event Mistakes

• Be Disciplined About Tagging Events

• Use Events With Other KPI to Tell the Story

@JLBraaten

Finding Your Path by Finding KPIs

@JLBraaten

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

@JLBraaten

Acquisition

• Who saw it?

Engagement

• What did they do?

Outcomes

• Did they take action?

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for Tuition

Acquisition KPIs:

• # and % of visitors interested in tuition

• % of visitors who use tuition estimator

• % of visitors who view tuition pages

@JLBraaten

Engagement KPIs:

• Price interest by program of study

• Price interest by geography

• Price interest by degree level

@JLBraaten

Outcome KPIs:

• CR% for tuition calculator users vs. rest of site

• CR% for tuition page viewers vs. rest of site

• Task completion rate for people looking for tuition

@JLBraaten

• Acquisition KPIs:

• Engagement KPIs:

• Outcome KPIs:

• Conversion rate for tuition calculator users vs. rest of site

• Conversion rate for tuition page viewers vs. rest of site

• Task completion rate for people looking for tuition info

@JLBraaten

• Outcome KPIs:

@JLBraaten

Almost everything we need isn’t tracked.

Slide Header Here

@JLBraaten

Two Trees Do Not a Forest Make

Events Mistakes to Avoid

@JLBraaten

Mistake #1: Not Stocking Up on the

Right Events

@JLBraaten

• Price interest by degree program

• Outcome KPIs:

@JLBraaten

• Outcome KPIs:

@JLBraaten

Custom events can track most of what we need.

Mistake #2: Veering From the Path

@JLBraaten

There’s No Replacing a Good Event With More Data

@JLBraaten

Mistake #3: Being Fooled by Look-Alike Metrics

@JLBraaten

These Metrics Can’t Do What Events Can Do

@JLBraaten

• Outcome KPIs:

@JLBraaten

When you need an event, you need an event.

Forging a Path by Tagging Events

@JLBraaten

Anatomy of a Google Analytics Event

@JLBraaten

_gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'Category', 'Action', 'Label', Value, interaction]);

Organize different types of custom events

Record unique user behaviors and acts

Associate dynamic or static values with events

Attribute optional integer values

Determine if your event affects bounces

GA event method

http://rasmussen.co/gaeventplanner

I Think It Works?

@JLBraaten

="_gaq.push(['_trackEvent', '"&B4&"', '"&B5&"', '"&B6&"'"&if(isblank(B7),"", ", '"&B7&"'")&if(isblank(B7),if(B8="Yes“ ,", , true", ""),if(B8="Yes",", true", ""))&"]);"

Events Can Trigger Goals, Too

@JLBraaten

Now We’re Cooking…

@JLBraaten

Tracking Click-Based Downloads

Category research-guides _gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'research-

guides', 'download', 'compare-

rasmussen']);

Action download

Label compare-rasmussen

Value -

Non-Int? -

Example:

Tracking Gated Downloads

Category research-guides _gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'research-

guides', 'download', 'business-careers']); Action download

Label business-careers

Value -

Non-Int? -

Tracking Affiliate Links

Category Outgoing Links _gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'Outgoing Links',

'Ads', 'Blog Sidebar']); Action Ads

Label Blog Sidebar

Value -

Non-Int? -

Tracking Form Errors

Category errors _gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'errors', 'email-

address', ‘valid email|ignition']); Action email-address

Label [rule][value]

Value -

Non-Int? -

Credit: Adam Singer http:rasmussen.co/tfbevents

Tracking Embedded Map Engagement

Category maps _gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'maps',

'directions', 'bloomington']); Action directions

Label bloomington

Value -

Non-Int? -

Tracking Video Activity

Category Video _gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'Video', 'Play',

'How Do You Become a Nurse']); Action Play

Label How Do You Become a Nurse

Value -

Non-Int? -

Credit: http:wistia.com/doc/google-analytics

Don’t Forget About Other Analytics Sources

Tracking Organic Keyword Rankings

Category rank-tracker _gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'rank-tracker',

'keyword', 'url', 4, true]); Action keyword

Label [page]

Value [rank]

Non-Int? True

Credit: AJ Kohn http://rasmussen.co/kohnevents

Tracking Conversion Rate Optimization Variations

Category vwo _gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'vwo', 'visit', 'hp-

007-a', , true]); Action visit

Label hp-007-a

Value -

Non-Int? true

Variation A Variation B

_gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'vwo', 'visit', 'hp-007-b', , true]);

Tracking Article Engagement

Category reading _gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'reading', 'article-

load', 'url', 100, true]); Action article-load

Label url

Value 100

Non-Int? true

_gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'reading', 'start-reading', 'url',

_gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'reading', 'content-bottom', 'url',

_gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'reading', 'page-bottom', 'url',

Credit: Justin Cutroni http://rasmussen.co/cutronievents

But What About Our Tuition Estimator?

• Outcome KPIs:

@JLBraaten

Tracking a Tuition Estimator

Category tution-estimator _gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'tuition-

estimator', 'calculate-tuition',

'55116|bu|mark|ba|0|0', 110]);

Action calculate-tuition

Label [zip]|[school]|[program]|[credential]|[grant

s]|[partner]

Value [credits]

Non-Int? -

You’re Not Out of the Woods Yet

@JLBraaten

Custom Events Can’t Track Everything

• Outcome KPIs:

@JLBraaten

Sometimes You Need Qualitative Data Too

Now We Have Everything We Need

• Outcome KPIs:

@JLBraaten

Telling the Story

@JLBraaten

People Care About Price…

@JLBraaten

…But They Care More About the Outcome

School 7

School 6

School 5

School 4

School 3

School 2

School 1

Price Interest by School of Study

Most Segments Improved in Task Completion

@JLBraaten

…But Website Segment D is a Big Deal

Another Forest for Another Day

@JLBraaten

Analytics Pioneer’s Takeaways

• Always Start with KPI Planning

• Avoid Custom Event Mistakes

• Be Disciplined About Tagging Events

• Use Events With Other KPI to Tell the Story

@JLBraaten

Thank You

@JLBraaten

Josh Braaten: ContentScientists.com/about

Custom Event Strategies for the Web Analytics Pioneer

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