using data from google analytics

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Using Data from Google Analytics 2012 eXtension Annual Conference October 3, 2012 Fahzy Abdul-Rahman (NMSU) … with major assistance from Andrew Zumwalt

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https://learn.extension.org/conferences/nexc2012/events/700 Using data from Google Analytics, we looked into factors that are associated with article and Ask an Expert (AaE) page views. Specifically, we utilized Google Analytics data from April 2009 – April 2012 and available Page Analytics (http://pageanalytics.extension.org/) in the personal finance or Financial Security for All (FSA) Community of Practice (CoP) areas. We shared result implications and limitations based on the results of this study #nEXC2012

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: Using Data from Google Analytics

Using Data from Google Analytics

2012 eXtension Annual ConferenceOctober 3, 2012

Fahzy Abdul-Rahman (NMSU)… with major assistance from

Andrew Zumwalt

Page 2: Using Data from Google Analytics

Goal

1. To share our Community of Practice’s (CoP’s) experience on how we have been using Google Analytics (GA)– As non-expert users– Not intended to go over Google Analytics for CoPs• eXtension webinar by Amy Hays (July 2011) - slideshare

2. To share preliminary findings on items that tend to get more hits– Write eXtension publication with these factors in

mind without sacrificing quality

Page 3: Using Data from Google Analytics

Motivation

• What are getting the hits? Factors?• What GA information tend to be highly useful?– Extension.org is non-profit organization– Many of the GA information pertain to

information measurable in $ (e.g. sales, donation)• Conversion rate (more later)• AdWords

• Application to Personal Finance CoP– Different than Child Care example?

Page 4: Using Data from Google Analytics

First Steps• Introduction to Google Analytics• Installing the Google Analytics

Tracking Code• Working with Report Data

Interpreting Reports• Pageviews, Visits, and Visitors• Time Metrics• Traffic Sources• Content Reports

• Fundamentals• Account Administration• Campaign Tracking and AdWords

Integration• Analysis Focus - AdWords• Goals in Google Analytics• Filters in Google Analytics• Regex and Google Analytics• Cookies and Google Analytics• E-commerce Tracking• Domains and Subdomains

• In-Depth Analysis• Advanced Segmentation• Analytics Intelligence• Internal Site Search• Event Tracking and Virtual Pageviews• Additional Customizations

Google Analytics IQ (GAIQ) Lessons

Page 5: Using Data from Google Analytics

Get the most out of your reportsGetting Started• Install tracking code: Install your tracking code and

view reports within 24 hours.• Set up goals: Identify what key actions you want to

track, conversion rates for ads, marketing initiatives, ecommerce or more. Set up goals to measure your effectiveness.

• Working with Report Data: Explore your data and learn how to read basic reports.

Interpreting Reports: Pageviews, Visits, and Visitors; Time Metrics; Traffic Sources; Content Reports

Maximizing Online Advertising & Ecommerce• Link to AdWords: Monitor your AdWords revenue,

conversions, and ROI. Watch this short video to learn how.

• Link AdSense Got an AdSense account to monetize your site? Link your AdSense and Google Analytics accounts to gain more insight into your AdSense performance. Find out which pages and referrers generate the most revenue, and optimize your site's performance using AdSense Reports.

• Optimize keywords: Watch videos to learn how to get the most value from your advertising spend.

• Tag campaigns: Track conversions on banner ads, email marketing, and other marketing initiatives.

• Track Ecommerce: Link ecommerce performance to keywords and marketing campaigns for details on ROI and more.

Exploring Advanced Features• Advanced Segmentation: Create and use

custom segments to isolate and analyze specific parts of your traffic.

• Custom Reporting: Use the drag-and-drop interface to create reports with the metrics and dimensions you want.

• Flash Tracking: Simplified tracking for Adobe Flash, Flex and AS3 content.

• Create customized email reports: Send regularly scheduled reports to stakeholders within your company.

Page 6: Using Data from Google Analytics

How have we used GA results?

Page 7: Using Data from Google Analytics

FSA CoP

• Financial Security for All (FSA) Community of Practice (CoP)

• Led by 10-15 Extension professionals • Develop resources; provide peer-reviewed Frequently

Asked Questions and Featured Resources; answer Ask the Expert questions; and created online learning lessons– Lessons: Bankruptcy Education and Investing for Farm Families

• Consumers a source of reliable and up-to-date financial and consumer information through a knowledge base of commonly asked questions that have science-based, peer reviewed answers.

Page 8: Using Data from Google Analytics

How have we used GA results?

• Shared with NIFA• Monthly CoP Meeting– Unusual activities– Top hits– Accessed Webinar recording– CoP annual report

Page 9: Using Data from Google Analytics

Content filtered by “personal_finance”

Month PageviewsJan 1, 2007 - Jan 31, 2007 0Feb 1, 2007 - Feb 28, 2007 0Mar 1, 2007 - Mar 31, 2007 8Apr 1, 2007 - Apr 30, 2007 365May 1, 2007 - May 31, 2007 1,509Jun 1, 2007 - Jun 30, 2007 948Jul 1, 2007 - Jul 31, 2007 1,387Aug 1, 2007 - Aug 31, 2007 1,331Sep 1, 2007 - Sep 30, 2007 993Oct 1, 2007 - Oct 31, 2007 1,286Nov 1, 2007 - Nov 30, 2007 1,406Dec 1, 2007 - Dec 31, 2007 916Jan 1, 2008 - Jan 31, 2008 1,030Feb 1, 2008 - Feb 29, 2008 788Mar 1, 2008 - Mar 31, 2008 741Apr 1, 2008 - Apr 30, 2008 616

…Jan 1, 2009 - Jan 31, 2009 734Feb 1, 2009 - Feb 28, 2009 767Mar 1, 2009 - Mar 31, 2009 785Apr 1, 2009 - Apr 30, 2009 30,348May 1, 2009 - May 31, 2009 32,451Jun 1, 2009 - Jun 30, 2009 32,060Jul 1, 2009 - Jul 31, 2009 32,618Aug 1, 2009 - Aug 31, 2009 30,837

E.g. #1

Page 10: Using Data from Google Analytics

Pre-April 2009

• From Ben MacNeill (eXtension engineering group)

That spike is directly related to when we started collecting GA data by category. Around April 11 we appended categories to the URL that Google records so that we could then filter by category within GA.

There's no way to get that information prior to April 2009.

Page 11: Using Data from Google Analytics

Glossary Spike

• 5,000 page views for January 31, 2012

E.g. #2

Page 12: Using Data from Google Analytics

Glossary Spike

• For that day, 1,353 Pageviews from "cloquet.k12.mn.us" (Unique's: 167)

Page 13: Using Data from Google Analytics

AaE Question Escalation

• (August, 2012) “Received a deluge of AaE question escalation reports this past month. Not sure why. Unfortunately, some questions were about resources in a certain county in the U.S., some wanted financial assistance from us, some were very poorly worded, and some were just plain venting about the economy or the government. I answered them the best that I could and closed out some that we couldn't work with.”

E.g. #3

Page 14: Using Data from Google Analytics

AaE Question Escalation

• Not everything can be answered by GA

Page 15: Using Data from Google Analytics

Where are the hits coming from?

Page 16: Using Data from Google Analytics

Historically

eXtension - ALL

FSA

Page 17: Using Data from Google Analytics

• National

eXtension stats: Applicable to FSA?

Data from: Quantcast

Page 18: Using Data from Google Analytics

FSA Visitor’s Tendency • Visitors Flow, September 2012

New

Page 19: Using Data from Google Analytics

FSA Visitor’s Tendency • Browser & OS, September 2012

Page 20: Using Data from Google Analytics

Keywords 04/2009-04/20091. (not provided) 1,357 18.93%2. smart goals 85 1.19%3. what is fica tax 42 0.59%4. rmd rules 39 0.54%5. investing for farm families 38 0.53%6. what is fica on my pay-

check 34 0.47%7. what's fica on my pay-

check 30 0.42%8. lost birth certificate 27 0.38%9. fica exemption 25 0.35%

10. important household documents 25 0.35%

09/20121.

lost birth certificate 7,931 1.76%2.

what is fica on my paycheck 7,931 1.76%3.

(not provided) 5,500 1.22%4.

what is fica 2,847 0.63%5.

fica tax 2,463 0.55%6.

what is debt 1,759 0.39%7.

fica exempt 1,695 0.38%8.

self proving affidavit 1,695 0.38%9.

self-proving affidavit 1,279 0.28%10.

replace lost birth certificate 1,216 0.27%

Page 21: Using Data from Google Analytics

04/2009-04/2009 1. google.com 320 12.46%

2. genxfinance.com 69 2.69%

3. intranet 62 2.41%

4. fcs.tamu.edu 61 2.38%

5. njaes.rutgers.edu 58 2.26%

6. csrees.usda.gov 55 2.14%

7. early-retirement.org 55 2.14%

8. studentaid.rutgers.edu 55 2.14%

9. google.ca 53 2.06%

10. 4-h.org 52 2.02%

09/20121.

google.com 7,643 8.12%

2.genxfinance.com 5,692 6.05%

3.extension.iastate.edu 2,718 2.89%

4.njaes.rutgers.edu 2,111 2.24%

5.fcs.tamu.edu 2,015 2.14%

6.csrees.usda.gov 1,759 1.87%

7.facebook.com 1,407 1.49%

8.lifehacker.com 1,247 1.32%

9.about.extension.org 1,151 1.22%

10. extension.unh.edu 1,151 1.22%

Referral Traffic Source

Page 22: Using Data from Google Analytics

The Hits

• Data from GA• Many readily available from FSA CoP efforts (e.g.

tagging)• Scraping – Google Spreadsheet Doc (=insertHTML, =insert…)

• Limitations: 50 per sheet, Excel VBA better but lack expertise

– To obtain number of words and tagging for FAQs– Sample 150 out of 1,815 from FAQ list.

• Excel and SAS for data cleaning and analyses

Page 23: Using Data from Google Analytics

GA Metrics are Not Perfect

• Sample – E.g. This report is based on 499,411 visits (6.28%)

• Hits = Reading = Comprehension = behavior change?– Print one and make copies– Hit a page and stayed on that page while attending

other oncoming matters• Cookies block

Page 24: Using Data from Google Analytics

Overall Hits for “personal_finance”, 04/2009 – 04/2012

• From top 25 “all time” pageviews:# Page Title Pageviews

Unique Pageviews

Avg. Time on Page Entrances

Personal Finance – eXtension 49,211 34,521 0:00:52 25,0981 Investing for Your Future - eXtension Learning Lessons 25,735 20,387 0:01:33 18,6692 How can I replace a lost birth certificate? – eXtension 17,936 16,759 0:04:51 16,727

3What is the FICA tax that is taken out of my paycheck? - eXtension 16,568 16,074 0:04:31 15,915

4 Organize Your Important Papers - eXtension 16,297 13,655 0:02:36 12,366

5Financial Security: Managing Money in Tough Times – eXtension 13,782 8,132 0:00:58 5,283

6 Investing Unit 1: Building Blocks - eXtension 11,809 8,785 0:01:55 3,0717 Financial Security: Glossary - eXtension 11,347 2,037 0:00:31 6208 Teaching Children Coping Skills - eXtension 9,899 9,262 0:02:20 8,8339 Financial Security: Glossary - eXtension 9,613 1,082 0:00:36 700

10Financial Security: Managing Money in Tough Times - eXtension 8,849 4,456 0:00:54 2,769

11 Investing for Your Future - eXtension 8,674 6,684 0:01:45 6,20712 Investing for Your Future - eXtension Learning Lessons 8,244 6,111 0:01:45 5,45913 SMART Financial Goal-Setting - eXtension 8,180 4,520 0:01:39 4,153

14Who is exempt from paying the FICA tax in the United States? - eXtension 7,703 6,541 0:03:24 6,525

Page 25: Using Data from Google Analytics

Overall Hits for “personal_finance”

# Page Title PageviewsUnique Pageviews

Avg. Time on Page Entrances

15

What is the Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) rule for tax-deferred retirement plans such as IRAs and 401(k)s? – eXtension 7,177 6,780 0:03:46 6,525

16

How long should you keep monthly utility bills such as gas, electricity, water, etc. for your home? I have heard a year, and that is what I am starting to do in a notebook with dividers for each month. Is there any point in keeping these records any longer? - eXtension 6,939 6,780 0:02:51 6,700

17Financial Security: Managing Money in Tough Times - eXtension 6,477 3,947 0:01:01 2,387

18Organize Your Important Household Papers: Print this Lesson - eXtension 6,095 4,854 0:03:32 4,106

19Even Frost-Free Outdoor Faucets Can Freeze, Break - eXtension News 6,032 5,729 0:03:14 5,729

20 Investing for Your Future - eXtension Learning Lessons 5,968 4,981 0:01:35 4,663

21Financial Security: Managing Money in Tough Times - eXtension 5,872 3,055 0:01:05 1,782

22 Financial Security: Retirement Planning - eXtension 5,729 3,644 0:01:37 668

23What's the best peer-to-peer music download software? - eXtension 5,618 5,490 0:02:07 5,490

24

How long should you keep Explanation of Benefit statements from insurance companies, including Medicare? - eXtension 5,268 5,029 0:03:19 4,965

25 What is a self-proving affidavit? - eXtension 5,061 4,774 0:02:50 4,726

Page 26: Using Data from Google Analytics

Overall Flow

• From top 25 all time pageviews:– 17 are pages

• Pages could be curriculum, articles, monthly messages, glossary

• Average time = 1:41 min• Tend to be simple. E.g. introduction pages

– 8 are FAQs• Average time = 3:27 min• Higher complexity: Longer, comprehending questions and

answers

• “How can I replace a lost birth certificate?” Is #2

Page 27: Using Data from Google Analytics

Results by Page Categories

• Articles• Glossary Terms• FAQs

Page 28: Using Data from Google Analytics

FOR ARTICLESResult

Page 29: Using Data from Google Analytics

Article Top Tags• 63: personal_finance_research_summaries,• 52: financial_security:_legal_topics,• 38: financial_security:_financial_planning_process_research,• 36: financial_security:_managing_money_in_tough_times,• 34: cop,• 32: financial_crisis,• 31: financial_security:_saving_and_investing_research,• 31: disasters,• 29: financial_security,• 26: financial_security:_consumer_credit,• 24: financial_security:_consumer_education_research,• 24: financial_crisis_and_individuals,

Page 30: Using Data from Google Analytics

Title Date PublishedAverage Google Search Entrances

Average Page Views per Week

Investing for Your Future 8-Jan2010 47.2025 319.949Financial Security: Managing Money in Tough Times 29-Jun2010 17.4177 192.076Organize Your Important Papers 19-Feb2007 84.6329 169.215Investing Unit 1: Building Blocks 15-Oct2009 5.02532 94.0127Teaching Children Coping Skills 10-Sep2008 56.4051 93.2405Financial Security: Glossary 14-Feb2007 1.86076 91.7848SMART Financial Goal-Setting 19-Feb2007 33.6582 89.5443Deciding Which Bills to Pay First 24-Jun2010 25.2658 87.6962Organize Your Important Household Papers: Print this Lesson 28-Sep2007 15.2532 72.6582

Financial Security: Retirement Planning10-

Mar2010 2.17722 61.3418Coping With Stress 10-Sep2008 24.4177 54.0253Household Filing System 31-Jan2008 24.8987 49.4684Investing for Farm Families 14-Oct2009 6.59494 47.1266Investing Unit 1: Wealth Protection 28-Jul2008 0.417722 45.2785

Page 31: Using Data from Google Analytics

Title Date PublishedAverage Google Search Entrances

Average Page Views per Week

Investing Unit 1: Wealth Protection 28-Jul2008 0.417722 45.2785Organize Your Important Household Papers: Introduction 5-Apr2009 5.46835 41.924Financial Security: Estate Planning 27-Jan2009 1.67089 41.6203Financial Security: Consumer Credit 2-Apr2011 2.17722 41.3671Sizing Up Your Financial Situation 24-Jun2010 2.5443 40.8861

Financial Security for All Learning Lessons10-

Nov2006 0.531646 40.8354Investing Unit 2: Investing Basics 12-Feb2009 0.367089 40.6582Financial Security for All Debtor Education 19-Apr2010 2.73239 40.2817Financial Security: Children and Money 11-Jan2011 2.05063 39.8101Dealing With Collection Agencies 8-Dec2009 22.2763 37.4737Accepting Your Feelings 25-Jun2010 17.4937 36.2532

How Does a Credit Card Work?11-

Nov2009 27.9494 34.7722

Page 32: Using Data from Google Analytics

Log(Average Page Views per Week)Log(Average Hits/Week) (1) (2) (3) (4)

Intercept 0.82517 1.585*** 1.358*** 1.523***

Log(Average Google Search Entrances)

0.634*** 0.609***

Age of Article (Days) -0.0006*** 0.0002* -0.0007*** 0.000193

Number of Tags 0.140*** -0.04098

Research Summary -0.685** -1.06331

Financial Planning Research -0.21013 -0.1752

Legal 0.35982 0.14268

Managing in Tough Times 1.790*** 0.82425

Adj R^2 0.0443 0.509 0.1173 0.5788

n(Read) 506 506 506 506

n(Used) 485 433 485 433

Page 33: Using Data from Google Analytics

FOR GLOSSARY TERMSResults

Page 34: Using Data from Google Analytics

Top 13Glossary Title Date Publishe

dAverage Google Search Entrances

Average Page Views per Week

Periodic Expenses 15-Nov2006 9.43038 11.6582Bankruptcy 5-Apr2009 2.59494 5.86076Diversification 19-Feb2007 0.025317 3.5443Debt Limit (Debt-to-Income Ratio) 15-Nov2006 2.5443 3.3038Bond 3-Aug2007 0.164557 2.94937Durable Power of Attorney 20-Nov2007 0.189873 2.94937Net (“Take-Home”) Income 15-Nov2006 2.39241 2.94937Portfolio 15-Nov2006 0.835443 2.78481Annual Report 14-Nov2006 0.012658 2.65823Bear Market 14-Nov2006 0 2.51899Corporate Bonds 22-Feb2007 0.164557 2.50633Self-Proving Affidavit 17-Apr2007 1.49367 2.49367Commodities 22-Feb2007 0.012658 2.44304

Page 35: Using Data from Google Analytics

#14-25Glossary Title Date Publishe

dAverage Google Search Entrances

Average Page Views per Week

Bull Market 14-Nov2006 0 2.41772Blue-Chip Stock 14-Nov2006 0 2.40506401(k) Plan 14-Nov2006 0.037975 2.40506Unused Credit 15-Nov2006 2.05063 2.40506Broker 14-Nov2006 0 2.36709Commission 15-Nov2006 0 2.3038Account Maintenance Fees 14-Nov2006 1.86076 2.26582Debt Balance 15-Nov2006 1.63291 2.08861Stock 29-Jul2010 0.037975 2.07595Growth Funds 15-Nov2006 0 2.05063Index Fund 15-Nov2006 0 2.05063Mutual Fund 15-Nov2006 0.0126582 2.01266

Google search one item leads to related items

Page 36: Using Data from Google Analytics

Glossary: Log(Average Hits/Week)Variable (1) (2)Intercept 1.33 2.526***Log(Average Google Search Entrances) 0.625***

Age of Article (Days) -0.002 -0.00126***

Number of Tags 0.047 0.03788

Adj R^2 0.0416 0.411n(Read) 505 505n(Used) 474 239

Page 37: Using Data from Google Analytics

FOR FAQS: DATA INCOMPLETEResults

Page 38: Using Data from Google Analytics

Implications• GA is very useful even for a non-profit organization like

eXtension• SMART Goals

– For conversion rate– Possible goals: Enrollment in the online courses

• Bankruptcy, Investment for Farm Families,

– Higher search rank (SEO)• Tagging

– Messy: Not everyone tags, insonsistencies• financial_security:_consumer_credit vs. consumer_credit vs.

consumercredit vs. credit

– Important for evaluation• Factors that matter: Subject matter, Google search entry,

number of tags (+)

Page 39: Using Data from Google Analytics

Recommendations/Future Studies

• Adequate data: If data were merged properly• … with improved Excel VBA skills for data scrapping• … and cleaned data• … which include having well-defined tags– Encourage improved tagging in CoPs

• SMART goals for conversion rate. E.g. enrollment in courses

• Google Optimizer for optimum eXtension.org design

Page 40: Using Data from Google Analytics

Using Data from Google Analytics

2012 eXtension Annual ConferenceOctober 3, 2012

Fahzy Abdul-Rahman (NMSU)[email protected]