MAD Productions

Google Analytics Changes

On the 11th August, Google implemented a major update to the way sessions are reported in Google Analytics. The change helps determine which traffic sources result in the most conversions. To get an accurate idea of how a site visitor behaves each time they reach your site, Google and other analytics tools determine when a user has reached a new “session.” Each session counts as its own visit, impacting key metrics such as page views, time on site, and total visitor count

Google Analytics sessions used to be worked out using the below criteria:

•             When the user has been inactive on the website for 30 minutes

•             At the end of the day all sessions are considered closed

•             When the user closes their web browser

Earlier this month Google Analytics have changed to the below criteria

•             When a user has been inactive for 30 minutes & also at the end of the day all sessions are considered closed

•             When the source campaign for the user changes – this information relates to campaign tracking information – which can be set up manually in links – for example on your email newsletter, or is sent via AdWords auto-tagging.

What does this mean?

If the user leaves the site and then re-enters from a new source, it counts as a new session. For example, if a user landed on a page through your PPC campaign, left to do some research, then arrived at the same page within 30 minutes through another source (let’s say Twitter) and converted, Google Analytics would count it as one PPC session.

Now, this activity will merit two separate sessions, and marketers can see that the hypothetical visitor converted when he or she came from the social source. Also if a user checks out an article on your site because they found it by searching for one term, then leaves your site and finds another article based on another term, each visit counts as a new session.

Note that sessions will no longer end just because a user closes their browser. Google now assumes that users who close the browser and then return to your site may be experiencing any number of internet phenomena, including a browser crash or casually browsing around a site while engaging in other activities. By continuing a session when the user closes their browser for only a very short time, sessions will more accurately model a user’s engagement with the website.

How does this affect my stats?  What changes will I see?

All historic data in Analytics will be measured by the old session definition. As for new data, MAD are seeing, in some cases, a sizeable increase in the total number of visits (i.e., sessions) and a correlating decrease in other metrics (e.g., time on site, page views, etc.). There’s no impact on unique visitors, page views, conversions and time on site.

This update also helps M.A.D in using the new Multi Channel Funnels in Analytics, that Google has released this week. For a great overview video from Google, visit http://www.google.com/analytics/analytics-funnels.html

While we’re on the topic of Google Analytics updates, you may have noticed an increase in your organic traffic. Traffic from images.google.com is now being registered as organic traffic not referral traffic. This update allows you to report on what search terms visitors came to your site on when referred to by Google Image Search.

Google have announced changes to Google AdWords regarding the use of personal information of the website visitor, and are making it a requirement for all sites advertising through AdWords to have a valid SSL certificate – already a pre-requisite for any MAD Productions E-Commerce site.

From the 17th of May it must be clear in any ad served through Google Adwords asking for personal information how this information will be used. Any ad failing to do so will be suspended by Google and could lead to your AdWords account being deactivated.

This ties in with the recent changes made by Google regarding ads banning them from requesting information in return for free gifts and survey results. With so many recent cases of personal information being misused and easily accessed Google is under pressure to ensure total protection of all of the customers using the sites advertised by them.

It must also be very clear how customers can opt out of emails, phone calls and direct communications so that they can freely enter their information without being hassled in the future. This gives the customer greater control over the use of their personal information without the company creating a complicated process for opting out meaning that they continue communication.

Google are making it a requirement to have an SSL certificate to ensure that all sites have secure payment protecting customers from fraud and ensuring that personal details cannot be taken and used by any 3rd party.

To make sure that your site is covered it is important to make it clear what your intentions are regarding personal information and that you have a valid SSL certificate that will protect the personal information gathered during payment.

The regulation of the internet continues to be tightened in response to the growing demand from users to protect them from fraud and unlawful use of their personal information. Any failure to comply with Google’s new requirements can have serious consequences including AdWord account and domain suspension so it is important to make sure that you follow their latest guidelines.

All current MAD PPC clients ads should comply with these regulations due to existing content written into the privacy policy however, if you would like any further information please take a look at the websites below:

adwords blogspot

adwords support