Using Google Analytics (GA) for Annual Report and

PlanningFahzy Abdul-Rahman

Family Resource Management SpecialistExtension Family & Consumer Sciences

National Extension Technology Conference (NETC)

May 21, 2014

Outline

I. IntroductionII. Reporting: Using Google Analytics Data for

Extension Work ReportingIII. Planning: Using Google Analytics for

Extension Programming and PlanningIV. Conclusion

I. Introduction

• Originally, GA was designed for business– E.g. Pages that has the highest hits, leads to the most

revenue• For Extension, any talks about evaluation need to

revolve around the Logic Model. – Evaluation is an everyday activity– Can be done for various stages of you program

• As laid out in the Logic Model

– Can be done for various purposes– These data can in turn be used for grants and

proposals

Logic Model: Evaluation …

…. an everyday activity that can be done for various stages of you program

Motivation

• Many of Extension activities nowadays are online based– As funding has been cut– As a more efficient way to do

programming• The issue: How to show the values of

these online-based publications and activities– How-To publications, webinars

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 OverviewWhat we will not discuss today …

II. Reporting

• Reporting in Annual Report and Promotion and Tenure Packet– Pageviews (or unique)

• Journals brag about their reach and subscription• Top 5, 10 articles, How-To publications

• How your website (and other Social Media outlet) has helped your program goals.– Show that people who visited your site tend to … – … E.g. visit other .gov resources [from your site], – … E.g. healthy _______ habit adoption

• Difficult to establish. E.g. high bounce rate ~ obtained resources or website not useful

Using Google Analytics Data for Extension Work Reporting

Extension How-To Publication Report

E.g. Google Analytics Data in eXtension

III. Planning

• Depends on Extension Online Goals1. Monetary: Donations,

savings -> very similar to business model

2. Non-Profit (typical Extension): Volunteer sign-up, downloads, visiting your YouTube channel, webinar registration

Two main ways:1. Just use the metrics– Usually along with

dimensions & segmentations

2. These goals need to be converted into Google Analytics Goals. – May involve some tricks.

Using Google Analytics for Extension Programming and Planning

1. Utilize the Metrics Directly

• Use results available directly from GA• Make sense out of them – If the youth group has very low site access, …– If the bounce rate from mobile users is almost

100%, …– If main search keywords that lead to your side are

“hair extension”, …• Working in Extension, you have an article on hair

trimming recall.

Plan

ning

2. Using Google Analytics Goals

Start with typical business plan or Logic Model. Here is a business example. Easier to measure due to $$$.

Plan

ning

2. Using Google Analytics Goals

Plan

ning

Start with typical business plan or Logic Model. Non-businesses tend to involve less $$$ goals – more difficult.

2. Using Google Analytics Goals

• A trick is involved here.

• See “Goal URL”• In Google Analytics,

you have four ways to track goals:

1. URLs2. Time3. Pages/visit4. Events

Plan

ning

GA Goal Example• After you have set up goals

(and intermediate goals) in GA:

• the Funnel Visualization report will display perhaps the single most definitive funnel performance metric in Google Analytics: the Funnel Conversion Rate.

• Goals & funnels are not retroactive. So, don’t delay!!!

Plan

ning

With Goals, Measure Goal ConversionPlan

ning

E.g. Funnel with a Goal SetPlan

ning

IV. Conclusion• GA is not perfect but certainly better than nothing.

It contains valuable information that can be utilized for site, planning, and program improvements.

• Start simple. When reporting trends over time, be consistent. Segment, segment, segment …. for enriched results. – You may look back for some of the metrics– Things will be a lot easier if you’ve planned ahead with

regards to the metrics, dimensions, and segmentations used.

• Retroactive data: Some data you obtain retroactively; others no.

Fahzy Abdul-Rahman

Using Google Analytics for Annual Report and

Planning

National Extension Technology Conference (NETC)

May 21, 2014