The document discusses using Google Analytics to track events on library web interfaces. It introduces why analytics are important, how traditional analytics only track page views, and how Google Analytics can be used to track specific user actions through event tracking. Code examples are provided to track click events on links using jQuery and push those events to Google Analytics to gain insights into how users are interacting with pages.

1. Event Tracking in Library
Web Interfaces
Scott Hanrath
University of Kansas Libraries
shanrath@ku.edu | @rshanrath

2. Why?

3. Big Questions
little questions

4. Turner, Steven. “Web Statistics 2.0: Using Google
Analytics to Measure Library Website Effectiveness.”
Technical Services Quarterly 27.3 (2010)

5. “Traditional”
Analytics

6. Page
!=
[Only|Best] User Action

7. Where does the
“Library” end
online?

8. Usability

9. Google
Analytics

10. <script type="text/javascript”>
var _gaq = _gaq || [];
_gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-xxxxxxxx']);
_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>

11. _gaq.push(
[
'_trackEvent',
‘Category’,
‘Action’,
'Label’
]
);

12. $("#homeHelp a”)

13. $("#homeHelp a").click(function(){
});

14. $("#homeHelp a").click(function(){
_gaq.push(
[
"_trackEvent",
"Home Block Link",
"Help",
$(this).text()
]);
});

15. Lather,
Rinse,
Repeat

30. Thanks!
Scott Hanrath
shanrath@ku.edu | @rshanrath