GOOGLE

Key Google Analytics Features For Effectively Analyzing Data

Published

5 years ago

December 20, 2019

key google analytics features for effectively analyzing data

Being able to effectively analyze your data is critical when it comes to PPC performance. This article covers a few key Google Analytics features important for quickly analyzing your data in the interface. If you’ve used Analytics before but haven’t ventured in too deep then this article will help you better segment and view your performance.

Secondary Dimensions

Since this article is introductory I want to clarify what a dimension is versus a metric, but if you already know the difference feel free to skip to the next paragraph. A dimension is a data attribute such as a campaign, keyword, or source/medium. Those are the most common ones in PPC, but a dimension can also be a location, page URL, month, age, device, language, etc. Metrics are quantitative measurements, or numbers, associated with dimensions and are typically what people think of when they used the word “data”. The metrics are what tell us how something is performing.

The secondary dimension feature is probably the one I use the most when viewing data in an Analytics table. It simply allows you to quickly segment data one step further with an additional dimension option of your choice. If I was looking at Google Ads data using the campaign as my primary dimension I could add ad group as a secondary dimension to break the data down more. You could also do this for ad group and keyword, page and source/medium, among many many other combinations.

Various examples of primary and secondary dimension combinations:

Secondary Dimension Campaign with Ad Content_blurred

Secondary Dimension Campaign with Ad Group_blurred

Secondary Dimension Keyword with Ad_Group_blurred

Secondary Dimension Source and Medium with Ad Content_blurred

Advanced Filters

This is my #2 most used Analytics feature and I’m usually using it in combination with a secondary dimension. Advanced filters are exactly what they sound like, filters that you can put in place to whittle down your data to specific segments of interest. For example, I might put a filter in place to include only campaigns that contain the word bananas. Once I do that all campaigns not containing bananas go away so I can see the data I’m interested in more clearly. The filter can be set to include or exclude items, and you have the choice of several options for how to filter:

Dimensions: containing, begins with, ends with, exactly matching, or regex
Metrics: greater than, less than, or equals

When you’re filtering, keep in mind that you can only filter for dimensions and metrics that are present in your data table. If you have a secondary dimension selected you can filter on both the primary and secondary dimensions simultaneously.

Dimension and metric filter options:

Example advanced filters:

Advanced Filter Exclude Exact Campaign

Advanced Filter Two Dimensions One Metric

Pivot View

I will be the first (but not the only one) to admit that I don’t love and don’t use the pivot view in Analytics. I much prefer to export my data and do my pivots in Excel or Google Sheets. But I realize not everyone, especially those just getting familiar with data analysis, may not be comfortable with pivots in Excel/Sheets and in that case it is a useful feature. It can also be useful if you need to pivot simple data quickly.

With the pivot view, you will select a dimension, pivot by, and a metric option. You can add up to two dimensions and two metrics. There are numerous combinations of options you can use and part of getting the hang of pivots is jumping in there and testing out combinations until you figure out what you need. Listed below are some simple pivot report options to get you started.

New vs Returning Visitor Analysis

Primary Dimension – Channel
Pivot by – User Type
Pivot Metric – Sessions
Second Pivot Metric – Goal Completions/Transactions

Example pivot view:

Pivot View Google Analytics Sessions and Transactions By User Type By Channel

Channel Analysis

Primary Dimension – Channel
Pivot by – Source
Pivot Metric – Sessions

Landing Page Analysis

Primary Dimension – Landing Pages
Pivot by – Medium
Pivot Metrics – Sessions

Browser & Operating System Analysis

Primary Dimension – Browser
Pivot by – Operations system
Pivot metric – Sessions
Second Pivot metric – Goal Completions/Transactions

Conversion Analysis

Primary Dimension – Landing Pages
Secondary Dimension – Medium
Pivot by – Location
Pivot Metric – Sessions
Secondary Pivot Metric – Goal Completions/Transactions

Come Workshopping With Me!

If you enjoyed learning a few different ways to use Analytics to improve your data chops then you should join me at Hero Conf Austin in April 2020. I will be leading a half-day workshop all about using Analytics for PPC analysis. Our workshops are hands-on and personal so you get the attention you deserve.

PPChero.com

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Google Warns About Misuse of Its Indexing API

Published

3 weeks ago

September 12, 2024

Max

Google Warns About Misuse of Its Indexing API

Google has updated its Indexing API documentation with a clear warning about spam detection and the possible consequences of misuse.

Warning Against API Misuse The new message in the guide says:

“All submissions through the Indexing API are checked for spam. Any misuse, like using multiple accounts or going over the usage limits, could lead to access being taken away.”

This warning is aimed at people trying to abuse the system by exceeding the API’s limits or breaking Google’s rules.

What Is the Indexing API? The Indexing API allows websites to tell Google when job posting or livestream video pages are added or removed. It helps websites with fast-changing content get their pages crawled and indexed quickly.

But it seems some users have been trying to abuse this by using multiple accounts to get more access.

Impact of the Update Google is now closely watching how people use the Indexing API. If someone breaks the rules, they might lose access to the tool, which could make it harder for them to keep their search results updated for time-sensitive content.

How To Stay Compliant To use the Indexing API properly, follow these rules:

Don’t go over the usage limits, and if you need more, ask Google instead of using multiple accounts.
Use the API only for job postings or livestream videos, and make sure your data is correct.
Follow all of Google’s API guidelines and spam policies.
Use sitemaps along with the API, not as a replacement.

Remember, the Indexing API isn’t a shortcut to faster indexing. Follow the rules to keep your access.

GOOGLE

This Week in Search News: Simple and Easy-to-Read Update

Published

3 months ago

June 30, 2024

Entireweb News Bot

This Week in Search News: Simple and Easy-to-Read Update

Here’s what happened in the world of Google and search engines this week:

1. Google’s June 2024 Spam Update

Google finished rolling out its June 2024 spam update over a period of seven days. This update aims to reduce spammy content in search results.

2. Changes to Google Search Interface

Google has removed the continuous scroll feature for search results. Instead, it’s back to the old system of pages.

3. New Features and Tests

Link Cards: Google is testing link cards at the top of AI-generated overviews.
Health Overviews: There are more AI-generated health overviews showing up in search results.
Local Panels: Google is testing AI overviews in local information panels.

4. Search Rankings and Quality

Improving Rankings: Google said it can improve its search ranking system but will only do so on a large scale.
Measuring Quality: Google’s Elizabeth Tucker shared how they measure search quality.

5. Advice for Content Creators

Brand Names in Reviews: Google advises not to avoid mentioning brand names in review content.
Fixing 404 Pages: Google explained when it’s important to fix 404 error pages.

6. New Search Features in Google Chrome

Google Chrome for mobile devices has added several new search features to enhance user experience.

7. New Tests and Features in Google Search

Credit Card Widget: Google is testing a new widget for credit card information in search results.
Sliding Search Results: When making a new search query, the results might slide to the right.

8. Bing’s New Feature

Bing is now using AI to write “People Also Ask” questions in search results.

9. Local Search Ranking Factors

Menu items and popular times might be factors that influence local search rankings on Google.

10. Google Ads Updates

Query Matching and Brand Controls: Google Ads updated its query matching and brand controls, and advertisers are happy with these changes.
Lead Credits: Google will automate lead credits for Local Service Ads. Google says this is a good change, but some advertisers are worried.
tROAS Insights Box: Google Ads is testing a new insights box for tROAS (Target Return on Ad Spend) in Performance Max and Standard Shopping campaigns.
WordPress Tag Code: There is a new conversion code for Google Ads on WordPress sites.

These updates highlight how Google and other search engines are continuously evolving to improve user experience and provide better advertising tools.

AI

Exploring the Evolution of Language Translation: A Comparative Analysis of AI Chatbots and Google Translate

Published

7 months ago

February 26, 2024

Max

A Comparative Analysis of AI Chatbots and Google Translate

According to an article on PCMag, while Google Translate makes translating sentences into over 100 languages easy, regular users acknowledge that there’s still room for improvement.

In theory, large language models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT are expected to bring about a new era in language translation. These models consume vast amounts of text-based training data and real-time feedback from users worldwide, enabling them to quickly learn to generate coherent, human-like sentences in a wide range of languages.

However, despite the anticipation that ChatGPT would revolutionize translation, previous experiences have shown that such expectations are often inaccurate, posing challenges for translation accuracy. To put these claims to the test, PCMag conducted a blind test, asking fluent speakers of eight non-English languages to evaluate the translation results from various AI services.

The test compared ChatGPT (both the free and paid versions) to Google Translate, as well as to other competing chatbots such as Microsoft Copilot and Google Gemini. The evaluation involved comparing the translation quality for two test paragraphs across different languages, including Polish, French, Korean, Spanish, Arabic, Tagalog, and Amharic.

In the first test conducted in June 2023, participants consistently favored AI chatbots over Google Translate. ChatGPT, Google Bard (now Gemini), and Microsoft Bing outperformed Google Translate, with ChatGPT receiving the highest praise. ChatGPT demonstrated superior performance in converting colloquialisms, while Google Translate often provided literal translations that lacked cultural nuance.

For instance, ChatGPT accurately translated colloquial expressions like “blow off steam,” whereas Google Translate produced more literal translations that failed to resonate across cultures. Participants appreciated ChatGPT’s ability to maintain consistent levels of formality and its consideration of gender options in translations.

The success of AI chatbots like ChatGPT can be attributed to reinforcement learning with human feedback (RLHF), which allows these models to learn from human preferences and produce culturally appropriate translations, particularly for non-native speakers. However, it’s essential to note that while AI chatbots outperformed Google Translate, they still had limitations and occasional inaccuracies.

In a subsequent test, PCMag evaluated different versions of ChatGPT, including the free and paid versions, as well as language-specific AI agents from OpenAI’s GPTStore. The paid version of ChatGPT, known as ChatGPT Plus, consistently delivered the best translations across various languages. However, Google Translate also showed improvement, performing surprisingly well compared to previous tests.

Overall, while ChatGPT Plus emerged as the preferred choice for translation, Google Translate demonstrated notable improvement, challenging the notion that AI chatbots are always superior to traditional translation tools.

Source: https://www.pcmag.com/articles/google-translate-vs-chatgpt-which-is-the-best-language-translator