How can you use analytics in better ways to track, report on, and act on the activity on your WordPress site? This presentation will help answer that question by going over the basics of the Google Analytics plugin as well as other low-cost/free analytics application that are available for WordPress. We’ll also go through some basic analytics best practices and jump into actual examples of ways to use analytics to gain more insight into how users are getting to, and using, your WordPress site. This presentation is targeted at the blogger, business user, developer, or casual WordPress user that might think they’re “missing” something with their analytics collection and reporting. Some stuff will be slow for developers, and some stuff might be a bit over the heads of those that don’t know how to code, but the tactics and ideas are relevant for most and I try to cover all levels of understanding with each example. That way users can go back to their developers and say “we need to do this” and developer can back to the users and say “have you thought about doing this”.

1. Measure Twice,
Blog Once
Getting Better Analytics from
Your WordPress Site
#measure #wordpress
Adam Ware
@wheresitworking
http://www.swellpath.com
http://www.wheresitworking.com

2. About Me
CEO of SwellPath
We simplify the interpretation and utilization of digital analytics for
medium and large companies
+
WordPress Devotee
Since 2006; family blog, wife’s sites, personal sites, company site, some
clients’ sites, etc.
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3. Everyone’s Dilemma
An overarching problem collecting,
organizing, reporting on, and
analyzing data
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4. Quick Approach for
Tackling Analytics
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5. 1. Understand your site
objectives, and how they
relate to your business
objectives!
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6. 2. Figure out which actions or
activities are relevant to those
objectives.
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7. 3. Understand what you will
do when those numbers go
up or down.
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8. 4. Make sure you are tracking
those actions, and understand
how to obtain the data.
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9. 5. Focus on those metrics!
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10. Keep It Simple
There are a lot of data!
Look at less of it;
think more about it;
and get more value out of it.
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11. Primary Collection Tip
Use the Google Analytics for WordPress
plugin from Joost
http://yoast.com/wordpress/google-analytics/
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12. Track Outbound & Downloads
Track downloads and offsite clicks:
Why?
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13. Part of the Path
This is part of the path you
want visitors to take right?
So you want to know who
is on that path!
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14. Where Do You See This Data?
Reports > Content > Events
Or...
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15. In the Pages Report
Reports > Content > Pages
Search for “tracked”
(antiquated)
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16. Advanced Settings
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17. Authors, Tags, Categories
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18. More Advanced Settings
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19. Tracking Intense Debate Activity
Intense Debate Google Analytics Plugin
http://www.esev.com/blog/post/2011-02-intensedebate-and-google-analytics/
http://intensedebate.com/pluginEditor/
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20. Roll Your Own Customization
Integrate Google Analytics Event
Tracking Into Your Site
Why? You can then track it, and even
make view it as a conversion (i.e. Goal
in GA)
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21. Event Tracking - How To
Give this to
your developer
http://code.google.com/apis/analytics/docs/tracking/eventTrackerGuide.html
In the As a
reports: Goal:
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22. Other Examples
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23. Also Consider Getting Crazy
https://www.crazyegg.com/
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24. Social Interaction Tracking
http://bit.ly/ga-social-demo
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25. Checking Your Work
Without waiting a day...
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/httpfox/
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26. “Campaign” Tracking
http://spath.us/Google-URL-builder
Why should you use this?
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27. Facilitate “Campaign” Tracking
Tools can automate the process...
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28. Where to Find the Reports
Reports > Traffic Sources > Campaigns
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29. Put Cookies in Your CRM
Example: Push
Google Analytics
source data into Zoho
CRM
Why? Close the loop on sources!
http://www.swellpath.com/2011/02/add-google-analytics-data-to-zoho-lead-forms/
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30. Go All Big Brother On Visitors
Who
What
When
Where
GetClicky.com & http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/clicky/
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31. Questions & More Info
Slides
http://www.wheresitworking.com
Me
@wheresitworking
adam.ware@swellpath.com
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