Are you a content creator, not a numbers person? A writer, not a web analyst? A creative person who runs away screaming whenever someone starts talking about Google Analytics? This session is for you. Assessing your content is a basic part of any content strategy, and analytics?web, social media, and otherwise?are great tools to help content creators understand how effective their content is. We'll look at how to use the many tools at our disposal to get specific, actionable insights on your content and how to improve it. Find out the signs that show your content is doing its job, and the signs that show that things need a little work. Even if you don't consider yourself a numbers person, you can use analytics to help you create better web and social media content.

1. How to
Measure Everything
Michael Powers
Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Analytics for Content Creators
#MeasureEverything

2. How to
Measure Everything
Michael Powers
Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Analytics for Content Creators
*
#MeasureEverything

3. OK, not everything, but...*

4. OK, not everything, but...
•Ways to make your content better by
measuring it
*

5. OK, not everything, but...
•Ways to make your content better by
measuring it
•With numbers
*

6. OK, not everything, but...
•Ways to make your content better by
measuring it
•With numbers
•Even if you’re not a “numbers person”
*

7. OK, not everything, but...
•Ways to make your content better by
measuring it
•With numbers
•Even if you’re not a “numbers person”
•“Micro” analytics
*

8. About Me

9. About Me
•Director of Electronic Communications
at Indiana University of Pennsylvania

10. About Me
•Director of Electronic Communications
at Indiana University of Pennsylvania
•Taught web writing at Higher Ed Experts

11. About Me
•Director of Electronic Communications
at Indiana University of Pennsylvania
•Taught web writing at Higher Ed Experts
•Coded first HTML in 1993

12. About Me
•Director of Electronic Communications
at Indiana University of Pennsylvania
•Taught web writing at Higher Ed Experts
•Coded first HTML in 1993
•Ph.D. in English

13. About Me
•Director of Electronic Communications
at Indiana University of Pennsylvania
•Taught web writing at Higher Ed Experts
•Coded first HTML in 1993
•Ph.D. in English
•@mjpowers

14. About You
•Writer
•Designer
•“Content creator”
•Not a big Google Analytics user

18. Analytics
are for
everyone.

19. “Not everything that can
“be counted counts, and
“not everything that
“counts can be counted.”

20. “Not everything that can
“be counted counts, and
“not everything that
“counts can be counted.”
—William Bruce Cameron

21. “Not everything that can
“be counted counts, and
“not everything that
“counts can be counted.”
—William Bruce Cameron

22. “a data-driven life is
“the sexiest digital
“life you can imagine.”
—Avinash Kaushik

23. Or, do it for
your boss. He
loves data.

24. Or, do it for
your boss. He
loves data.
(Not my actual boss)

25. Readability
1
Measure

26. Readability scores
measure how easy to
read a text is.

27. Now we are engaged in a great civil
war, testing whether that nation, or
any nation so conceived and so
dedicated, can long endure. We are
met on a great battlefield of that war.
We have come to dedicate a portion
of that field, as a final resting place
for those who here gave their lives
that that nation might live. It is
altogether fitting and proper that we
should do this.

28. 4 sentences
72 words
90 syllables
Now we are engaged in a great civil
war, testing whether that nation, or
any nation so conceived and so
dedicated, can long endure. We are
met on a great battlefield of that war.
We have come to dedicate a portion
of that field, as a final resting place
for those who here gave their lives
that that nation might live. It is
altogether fitting and proper that we
should do this.

29. Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level
Formula
0.39 × (words ÷ sentences)
+ 11.8 × (syllables ÷ words)
− 15.59

30. read-able.com

31. read-able.com

32. read-able.com

33. Now we are engaged in a great civil
war, testing whether that nation, or
any nation so conceived and so
dedicated, can long endure. We are
met on a great battlefield of that war.
We have come to dedicate a portion
of that field, as a final resting place
for those who here gave their lives
that that nation might live. It is
altogether fitting and proper that we
should do this.
Flesch-Kincaid
Grade Level: 6.2

34. Our undergraduate and graduate
classes are designed to offer future
journalists—and private and public
sector leaders who will interact with
them—a thorough understanding of
the role of the press in the policy
making process. Through instruction
and internships, students learn about
the principles and the practice of
journalism, while mastering the
broader background of studies in
public policy, politics, economics,
history and other liberal arts.
2 sentences
67 words
113 syllables

35. Our undergraduate and graduate
classes are designed to offer future
journalists—and private and public
sector leaders who will interact with
them—a thorough understanding of
the role of the press in the policy
making process. Through instruction
and internships, students learn about
the principles and the practice of
journalism, while mastering the
broader background of studies in
public policy, politics, economics,
history and other liberal arts.
2 sentences
67 words
113 syllables
Grade Level: 17.4

37. We don’t need elevators.
We’re only going to put
athletes in this dorm.

38. •Makes web reading easier, even for
highly skilled readers
•Readers read more, understand more
•Readable content gets shared more
often
•Easy to check
Why care about readability?

39. Solutions for poor readability
•Shorter words
•Shorter sentences
•Less passive voice
•Less jargon

40. A LITTLE BIT OF A TUMBLER.
A shining indication of yellow
consists in there having been
more of the same color than
could have been expected when
all four were bought. This was
the hope which made the six
and seven have no use for any
more places and this
necessarily spread into nothing.
Spread into nothing.

41. A LITTLE BIT OF A TUMBLER.
A shining indication of yellow
consists in there having been
more of the same color than
could have been expected when
all four were bought. This was
the hope which made the six
and seven have no use for any
more places and this
necessarily spread into nothing.
Spread into nothing.

42. “See what I mean?”

43. “Data is your eyes,
“not your brain.”
—Colleen Jones

45. A report to
start with
•Content
•Site Content
•All Pages

46. A report to
start with
•Content
•Site Content
•All Pages

48. Pages from
Your Site

49. Pages from
Your Site
Measurements

50. Not as useful for content
creators
•Entrances
•% Exit

51. Pageviews
2
Measure

52. “Um, yeah, if we
“could more hits on
“the website—that
“would be great.”

53. “Um, yeah, if we
“could more hits on
“the website—that
“would be great.”
(Also not my actual boss)

54. Pageviews: how many
times a page has been
loaded into a browser.

55. Why not hits?
•A hit is the download of a single file
•1 page = 10, 20, 30 or more files

56. High pageviews aren’t always
a success

57. High pageviews aren’t always
a success

58. Low pageviews aren’t always
a content issue

59. Low pageviews aren’t always
a content issue
•Navigation is difficult
•Page is orphaned
•Maybe the link didn't get sent out in
that e-mail
•The server is offline

60. Solutions for low pageviews

61. Solutions for low pageviews
•Improve readability

62. Solutions for low pageviews
•Improve readability
•Improve utility to users

63. Solutions for low pageviews
•Improve readability
•Improve utility to users
•Improve Search Engine Optimization
(SEO)
•Not just a content issue
•Right keywords in the right places

64. Solutions for low pageviews
•Improve readability
•Improve utility to users
•Improve Search Engine Optimization
(SEO)
•Not just a content issue
•Right keywords in the right places

65. Solutions for low pageviews
•Improve readability
•Improve utility to users
•Improve Search Engine Optimization
(SEO)
•Not just a content issue
•Right keywords in the right places
http://moz.com/beginners-guide-to-seo

66. One more thing about pageviews...

67. One more thing about pageviews...

70. $2.1 Million
Average Salary in This Elevator

74. If pageviews are low, other scores
may not mean much

75. Engagement measures
•Bounce rate
•Avg. Time on Page

76. Bounce Rate
3
Measure

77. A bounce is a
one-page visit.

78. The bounce rate is the %
of visits to that page
that bounce.

79. 36 entrances ÷ 23 bounces =
63.89% bounce rate

80. What does it mean?

81. “I came,
“I saw,
“I puked.”

82. So a lower bounce rate is better

83. So a lower bounce rate is better
Except when it’s not

84. So a lower bounce rate is better
Except when it’s not

85. Solutions for a high bounce
rate
•Is there an audience that hits this page
with the wrong expectations?
•Are there useful links on the page?
Anyplace to go?
•Does the content actually interest
people?

86. Solutions for a high bounce
rate
•Is there an audience that hits this page
with the wrong expectations?
•Are there useful links on the page?
Anyplace to go?
•Does the content actually interest
people?

87. Solutions for a high bounce
rate
•Is there an audience that hits this page
with the wrong expectations?
•Are there useful links on the page?
Anyplace to go?
•Does the content actually interest
people?

88. Solutions for a high bounce
rate
•Is there an audience that hits this page
with the wrong expectations?
•Are there useful links on the page?
Anyplace to go?
•Does the content actually interest
people?

89. Solutions for a high bounce
rate
•Make it shorter
•Improve readability

90. Avg. Time on Page
4
Measure

91. Avg. Time on Page is—the average
for all visitors to that page.
Bounces are averaged in as 0.

92. Longer can be better

93. Longer can be better

94. Except when it’s not

95. Except when it’s not

96. What’s a good avg. time on
page?
•Average reading speed is 200–250 wpm
•Words on page ÷ 200 = minutes
needed to read the page

97. 1,214 words ÷ 200 = 6 minutes

98. Solutions for low time on page

99. Solutions for low time on page
•Make it shorter

100. Solutions for low time on page
•Make it shorter
•Improve readability

101. Solutions for low time on page
•Make it shorter
•Improve readability
•Make sure content interests your
audience

102. Solutions for low time on page
•Make it shorter
•Improve readability
•Make sure content interests your
audience
•Delete the page

103. How do we use more of our
brains here?

105. Bounce Rate: 95%

106. Navigation
Summary

112. 92% enter on
this page

113. 92% enter on
this page

114. 92% enter on
this page
93% exit from
this page

115. 92% enter on
this page
93% exit from
this page

116. Segmentation

119. How did they get to the site?
Segment by Source

120. How did they get to the site?
Segment by Source

121. How did they get to the site?
Segment by Source

122. Are they new to the site?
Segment by Visitor Type

123. Are they new to the site?
Segment by Visitor Type

124. Are they new to the site?
Segment by Visitor Type

125. Where are they?
Segment by Metro

126. Where are they?
Segment by Metro

127. Where are they?
Segment by Metro

128. Were they on mobile?

129. Were they on mobile?

130. Were they on mobile?

132. What’s a Good
Score?

133. It depends

134. Grade me! Look at me!
Evaluate and rank me!
I’m good, good, good and
oh so smart! GRADE ME!

135. Problems with analytics
•Sites are different
•Google Analytics installs can be
different
•Goals are different
•Analytics isn’t always accurate...

137. 40?

138. 40?
40?

139. 40?
40?
40?

140. “So what you’re
“saying is that all
“these numbers
“are meaningless.”

141. Use analytics data in
comparison
•With last week, last month, last year
•With similar pages on your website
•Dept. vs. dept.
•Major page vs. major page

142. Goals

143. Higher ed goals
1. Get students
2. Help students, faculty, and alumni
succeed
3. Get donations to keep doing 1. and 2.

144. Higher ed goals
1. Get students
2. Help students, faculty, and alumni
succeed
3. Get donations to keep doing 1. and 2.
$

145. Higher ed web goals
•Attract potential students
•Get applications
•Help students find _____
•Engage alumni
•Take donations

146. Higher ed web goals
•Attract potential students
•Get applications
•Help students find _____
•Engage alumni
•Take donations
$

147. GA allows these as goals
•Getting to a page
•Clicking on something
•Seeing a certain number of pages
•Staying a certain number of minutes

148. Set up goals in Google
Analytics
Donation [donation value]
Application $???
Visit registration $???

149. Set up goals in Google
Analytics
Donation [donation value]
Application $200
Visit registration $100

150. Set up goals in Google
Analytics
Donation [donation value]
Application $2,000
Visit registration $1,000

151. “So now you’re
“just making the
“numbers up?”

152. Page Value
5
Measure

153. Page value is...
Value of any
“transactions”
that happen
after a visit to
this page
÷
Number of
unique
pageviews for
this page

154. Home Page Admissions B.S. in Math
Visit Campus
Visit Sign-Up
Form
Thanks for
Registering

155. Home Page Admissions B.S. in Math
Visit Campus
Visit Sign-Up
Form
Thanks for
Registering
$100

156. Home Page Admissions B.S. in Math
Visit Campus
Visit Sign-Up
Form
Thanks for
Registering
$100$20$20
$20$20$20

159. Solutions for low page value
•Is this page related to a goal?
•Shorter, more readable, include calls to
action
•Usability test
•Content experiment

160. Sharing Data
6
Measure

161. Various kinds of sharing data
tell you how often your web
content has been shared on
social networks

162. Shared Count

165. AddThis/ShareThis

166. AddThis/ShareThis

167. •Better readability, shorter content
•Better metadata
•Know your audience
•Read Dan Zarrella’s Hierarchy of
Contagiousness
Solutions for low sharing
rate

168. •Better readability, shorter content
•Better metadata
•Know your audience
•Read Dan Zarrella’s Hierarchy of
Contagiousness
Solutions for low sharing
rate

169. •Better readability, shorter content
•Better metadata
•Know your audience
•Read Dan Zarrella’s Hierarchy of
Contagiousness
Solutions for low sharing
rate

170. •Better readability, shorter content
•Better metadata
•Know your audience
•Read Dan Zarrella’s Hierarchy of
Contagiousness
Solutions for low sharing
rate

171. •Better readability, shorter content
•Better metadata
•Know your audience
•Read Dan Zarrella’s Hierarchy of
Contagiousness
Solutions for low sharing
rate

172. Social Media
Engagement
7
Measure

173. Followers
Engagement
Shares/Actions
From follower to “customer”

174. Followers
Engagement
Shares/Actions
From follower to “customer”

175. Social media engagement
measures show how many of
your followers interact with
your content.

176. Most go something like this:
clicks ÷ posts ÷ followers
This gives you the percentage of
followers who engage with each post.

177. What’s a click?
Facebook Twitter
Like Mention
Comment Retweet
Share Link click

178. So the formula for
Facebook would be:
(likes + comments + shares) ÷
posts ÷ followers

179. (30,286 likes +
703 comments +
7,170 shares) ÷
1 post ÷
4,165,311 fans =

180. (30,286 likes +
703 comments +
7,170 shares) ÷
1 post ÷
4,165,311 fans =
0.92% engagement

181. “0.92%? That’s tiny.
“George Takei is
“bad at social
“media.”

182. (101,010 likes +
2,266 comments +
9,144 shares) ÷
2 posts ÷
4,165,311 fans =
1.35% engagement

183. But isn’t a share or a comment
worth more than a like?

184. The Varsity Outreach Formula

185. The Varsity Outreach Formula

186. The Varsity Outreach Formula

187. (30,286 likes +
703 comments +
7,170 shares) ÷
1 post ÷
4,165,311 fans =
0.92% engagement

188. (30,286 likes × 2 +
703 comments × 2 +
7,170 shares) ÷
1 post ÷
4,165,311 fans =
1.66% engagement

189. (30,286 likes × 2 +
703 comments × 2 +
7,170 shares) ÷
1 post ÷
4,165,311 fans
× 1,000 =
1,660 engagement

190. Choose a formula that works for
you and stick with it.

191. Putting It All
Together

192. So, how’s our
content
doing?

193. Content analytics
spreadsheet

194. Content analytics
spreadsheet

195. Content analytics
spreadsheet

196. The Measures
1. Readability
2. Pageviews
3. Bounce Rate
4. Avg. Time on Page
5. Page Value
6. Sharing Data
7. Social Media
Engagement

197. Questions?