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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

Google Analytics Configuration

• How does Google Analytics Work?• Cross domain & sub domain tracking• Modifying the Google Analytics Tracking code

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

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

Google Analytics uses these 5 Cookies

Sample Google Analytics Cookie:53195706.354747012.1232214650.1264371284.1264481927.214

Why Cross Domain Tracking?

Why Subdomain Tracking?

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

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>

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>

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>

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

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

Driving ROI using Google Analytics

• Facebook• Email Campaigns• AdWords• Newspapers

Tag your Marketing with the URL Builder

Facebook

Email Campaigns

Newspapers

Google AdWords

Sample KPI Dashboard

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)

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

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

Contact Higher Education MarketingPhilippe Taza514-312-3968ptaza@higher-education-marketing.com

Scott Duncan416-418-7476sduncan@higher-education-marketing.com

SCREENSHOTS OF PROFILE CONFIGURATION

Site Search / Finding the Query Parameter

Exclude Internal Traffic with a Filter

Aim to have better data. Remove your internal traffic with an exclude filter

Site Search Configuration

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

Include hbs.edu Host Name

“Extract Host Name” Filter

Advanced Filter: Extract Host Name why?

Common Educational Website Goals

• Goals are projected business end-points for visitors: – Request a brochure– Book a campus tour– Request more information– Apply

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.

Setting up the Request a Brochure Goal

how to configure google analytics to optimize your college's marketing initiatives

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