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How To Setup A/B Testing Using Microsoft Clarity And GA4

Published

7 months ago

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How To Setup A/B Testing Using Microsoft Clarity And GA4

As a marketer, you want to improve your website’s performance and drive more conversions. In many cases, A/B testing could be the answer.

By comparing two versions of a webpage, you can determine which one is more effective at achieving your goals.

In this article, we’ll walk you through the steps to set up A/B testing using Microsoft Clarity and GA4.

Microsoft Clarity is a free heatmap analytics tool that has all the necessary segmentation functionalities to set up A/B testing, especially when Google Optimize is sunsetting as a marketer; you need alternative ways to run your tests.

The easiest and most straightforward way to set up A/B testing is to set up two versions of the webpage and direct traffic to each.

By using a URL filter of Microsoft Clarity, you can segment data and analyze them for different versions of your webpage.

But what if you want to test different layouts of the page on the live traffic without different URLs?

Fortunately, Clarity has custom tags (and GA4 custom dimensions), so you can tag your users and filter them in reports.

What Are Microsoft Clarity Custom Tags?

Clarity’s custom tags are arbitrary alphanumeric custom labels you can assign to the visitor and later use to segment data and analyze recordings and heatmaps for different testing groups.

Screenshot from Clarity, May 2023

Are There Limits To Custom Tags In Microsoft Clarity?

There are no limits. You can add as many tags as you want to your project without any restrictions or limitations.

How To Tag A Visitor Using Microsoft Clarity

Tagging is as simple as running a small snippet of JavaScript code:

clarity("set", "experiment", "group_name");

But I would like to guide you through a specific, real-life example of how this can be used from our experience.

At SEJ, we conduct various tests on different types of ads and webpage layouts to gain insights into how user behavior is impacted by factors such as the type of banner ad or webpage layout.

Examples of A/B tests we are running:

  • Static banner ads vs. animated banner ads.
  • Left sidebar vs. right sidebar.
  • Changing menu labels.

The goal is to understand in what case users scroll deeper into the article and thus engage in reading – or whether changing menu labels can help drive more clicks.

1. A/B Testing Static Banner Ads Vs. Animated Banner Ads

We use Google Ad Manager to load ads on our webpage, and thus we can use Google Publisher Tag API to pass key values to our ad server.

We evenly distribute traffic by utilizing the Math.random() function in JavaScript, which returns 1 or 2.

To get the experiment running, copy and paste the below.

We use key “ads_type” with predefined values “static_ads” and “animated_ads” in GAM to be able to run reports of ads on the GAM side as well, such as CTR for each group.

Add key values in GAMScreenshot from Google Ad Manager, May 2023

Then in your webpage <head> section, copy and paste the JS code, or you can use GTM custom HTML tag on every pageview where you have ads.

<script>
   window.group_name = "animated_ads";
   let randomNumber = Math.floor(Math.random() * 2) + 1; // either 1 or 2
   if( randomNumber == 2 ){
      group_name = "static_ads";
   }   
document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', function() {   
   //make sure publisher tag has loaded   
   if( typeof googletag != 'undefined' ){   
      googletag.pubads().setTargeting("ads_type", group_name );
   }
   //check if clarity has loaded and set tag "experiment" with values "static_ads" or "animated_ads"
   if( typeof window.clarity != 'undefined' ){
      window.clarity("set", "experiment", window.group_name );
   }
});
</script>

When “DOMContentLoaded” event fires, publisher tag and Clarity are usually loaded. If not, you may consider wrapping JS inside into a setTimeout() function with a small delay.

With the ads_type key in GAM, it is possible to configure different banner types to be served to each group. As we have that key set up as a tag value for “experiment” key in Clarity, we can analyze data for each group and run your reports.

Clarity scroll depth reportScreenshot from Clarity, May 2023

If you need a specific setup that requires advanced coding you may try using ChatGPT to write for you a code.

If you want to track how users’ conversion rates change in GA4 you can add a custom dimension with the key “experiment” in GA4 and populate it when the configuration tag loads by using datalayer.push method.

dataLayer.push({ 'experiment': group_name });

Alternatively, you can use GTM JavaScript variable to get window.group_name global variable value we set above as a testing parameter.

Global JavaScript variableScreenshot from GA4, May 2023

And in the configuration tag, set up a custom dimension to pass that variable value as shown below:

Populate custom dimension Screenshot from GA4, May 2023

Populate custom dimension “experiment” from the global JS variable window.group_name, and voila!

Now your experiment custom dimension is passed to GA4, and you can filter reports using the custom dimension “experiment.”

(Quick tip: When naming your custom dimensions, make sure you don’t use any of the reserved parameter names to function it properly.)

2. Left Sidebar Vs. Right Sidebar

The principle is the same. Use Math.random() function in JavaScript in order to split test.

<style>
/*when adding this class to the content div it swaps sidebar position */
.main_content_right{
flex-direction: row-reverse;
}
</style>
<script>
   // since we have no any css under .main_content_left class it will do nothing i.e. sidebar will be the default right;   
   window.group_name = "main_content_left" 
   let randomNumber = Math.floor(Math.random() * 2) + 1; // either 1 or 2. 
   //let randomNumber = Math.floor(Math.random() * 5) + 1; // random number from 1-5. use this if you want to run test on the sample of your traffic e.g. on the 25%.
   if( randomNumber == 2 ){
      group_name = "main_content_right" // we will use group_name as a class name and a custom tag at the same time;
   }
//If DOMContentLoaded has loaded run the code, otherwise attach an event listener   
if (document.readyState === 'complete') {
     move_sidebar( group_name )      
   } else {
   // DOMContentLoaded event has not yet fired
   document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', function() {
       move_sidebar( group_name );
   });
   }
function move_sidebar( class_name ){   
   document.querySelector('.sej-sect>div').classList.add(class_name);// add class 
   //check if clarity has loaded and set tag "experiment" with values "right_sidebar" or "left_sidebar"
   if( typeof window.clarity != 'undefined' ){
      window.clarity("set", "experiment", class_name );
   }
   console.log('sidebar position', class_name );
}
</script>

In this case, we are manipulating DOM in order to change the layout.

In your specific case, you may need to apply different CSS for layout adjustments. You can use ChatGPT as a handy tool to help you with your custom coding.

After a certain time, when you have enough sample data for your split testing, you can use Microsoft Clarity’s tag filter “experiment=main_content_left” or “experiment=main_content_right” to segment your data.

3. A/B Test Menu Labels

Again we will be using Math.random() function and manipulating DOM via JavaScript.

We want to test the menu label “Latest” vs. “News”  in our website’s navigation bar.

For that, let’s get the JS path using browser DevTools as shown below.

DevTools JS pathScreenshot from DevTools, May 2023

We will be using JS path to access elements in the DOM and change the label.

<script>
   //We want to test the menu label for the Latest section in our website's navigation bar
   window.group_name = "Latest" 
   let randomNumber = Math.floor(Math.random() * 2) + 1; // either 1 or 2. 
   //let randomNumber = Math.floor(Math.random() * 5) + 1; // random number from 1-5. use this if you want to run test on the sample of your traffic e.g. on the 25%.
   if( randomNumber == 2 ){
      group_name = "News" // we will use group_name as a label and a custom tag at the same time;
   }
//If DOMContentLoaded has loaded run the code, otherwise attach an event listener   
if (document.readyState === 'complete') {
     change_label( menu_label )      
   } else {
   // DOMContentLoaded event has not yet fired
   document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', function() {
       change_label( menu_label );
   });
   }
function change_label( menu_label ){   
   document.querySelector("#main-navigation > li:nth-child(1) > a").textContent=menu_label;//set label, in your case it will be different
   //check if clarity has loaded and set tag "experiment" with values "right_sidebar" or "left_sidebar"
   if( typeof window.clarity != 'undefined' ){
      window.clarity("set", "experiment", menu_label );
   }
   console.log('menu label', menu_label );
}
</script>

To add your code, you can either insert it into the <head> section of your webpage or use GTM, as explained earlier.

Note that if you’re tracking with GA4, you’ll also need to use a custom dimension.

To pull reports in GA4 you would need to use “Explorer Reports” and filter your metric by custom dimension “experiment”.

Conclusion

Buying A/B testing tools can be expensive, and they may not always offer the specific features you need for your goals.

For instance, none of the A/B testing tools we tried could provide a user-friendly interface for testing different types of ads without custom coding.

However, the methods described here may require some effort to learn custom coding.

With ChatGPT available to help you write code, however, the process shouldn’t be too hard.

More resources:

Featured Image: Burdun Iliya/Shutterstock



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4 Ways To Try The New Model From Mistral AI

Published

17 hours ago

on

December 11, 2023

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4 Ways To Try The New Model From Mistral AI

In a significant leap in large language model (LLM) development, Mistral AI announced the release of its newest model, Mixtral-8x7B.

What Is Mixtral-8x7B?

Mixtral-8x7B from Mistral AI is a Mixture of Experts (MoE) model designed to enhance how machines understand and generate text.

Imagine it as a team of specialized experts, each skilled in a different area, working together to handle various types of information and tasks.

A report published in June reportedly shed light on the intricacies of OpenAI’s GPT-4, highlighting that it employs a similar approach to MoE, utilizing 16 experts, each with around 111 billion parameters, and routes two experts per forward pass to optimize costs.

This approach allows the model to manage diverse and complex data efficiently, making it helpful in creating content, engaging in conversations, or translating languages.

Mixtral-8x7B Performance Metrics

Mistral AI’s new model, Mixtral-8x7B, represents a significant step forward from its previous model, Mistral-7B-v0.1.

It’s designed to understand better and create text, a key feature for anyone looking to use AI for writing or communication tasks.

This latest addition to the Mistral family promises to revolutionize the AI landscape with its enhanced performance metrics, as shared by OpenCompass.

Mixtral-8x7B: 4 Ways To Try The New Model From Mistral AI

What makes Mixtral-8x7B stand out is not just its improvement over Mistral AI’s previous version, but the way it measures up to models like Llama2-70B and Qwen-72B.

mixtral-8x7b performance metrics compared to llama 2 open source ai modelsmixtral-8x7b performance metrics compared to llama 2 open source ai models

It’s like having an assistant who can understand complex ideas and express them clearly.

One of the key strengths of the Mixtral-8x7B is its ability to handle specialized tasks.

For example, it performed exceptionally well in specific tests designed to evaluate AI models, indicating that it’s good at general text understanding and generation and excels in more niche areas.

This makes it a valuable tool for marketing professionals and SEO experts who need AI that can adapt to different content and technical requirements.

The Mixtral-8x7B’s ability to deal with complex math and coding problems also suggests it can be a helpful ally for those working in more technical aspects of SEO, where understanding and solving algorithmic challenges are crucial.

This new model could become a versatile and intelligent partner for a wide range of digital content and strategy needs.

How To Try Mixtral-8x7B: 4 Demos

You can experiment with Mistral AI’s new model, Mixtral-8x7B, to see how it responds to queries and how it performs compared to other open-source models and OpenAI’s GPT-4.

Please note that, like all generative AI content, platforms running this new model may produce inaccurate information or otherwise unintended results.

User feedback for new models like this one will help companies like Mistral AI improve future versions and models.

1. Perplexity Labs Playground

In Perplexity Labs, you can try Mixtral-8x7B along with Meta AI’s Llama 2, Mistral-7b, and Perplexity’s new online LLMs.

In this example, I ask about the model itself and notice that new instructions are added after the initial response to extend the generated content about my query.

mixtral-8x7b perplexity labs playgroundScreenshot from Perplexity, December 2023mixtral-8x7b perplexity labs playground

While the answer looks correct, it begins to repeat itself.

mixtral-8x7b errorsScreenshot from Perplexity Labs, December 2023mixtral-8x7b errors

The model did provide an over 600-word answer to the question, “What is SEO?”

Again, additional instructions appear as “headers” to seemingly ensure a comprehensive answer.

what is seo by mixtral-8x7bScreenshot from Perplexity Labs, December 2023what is seo by mixtral-8x7b

2. Poe

Poe hosts bots for popular LLMs, including OpenAI’s GPT-4 and DALL·E 3, Meta AI’s Llama 2 and Code Llama, Google’s PaLM 2, Anthropic’s Claude-instant and Claude 2, and StableDiffusionXL.

These bots cover a wide spectrum of capabilities, including text, image, and code generation.

The Mixtral-8x7B-Chat bot is operated by Fireworks AI.

poe bot for mixtral-8x7b firebaseScreenshot from Poe, December 2023poe bot for mixtral-8x7b firebase

It’s worth noting that the Fireworks page specifies it is an “unofficial implementation” that was fine-tuned for chat.

When asked what the best backlinks for SEO are, it provided a valid answer.

mixtral-8x7b poe best backlinks responseScreenshot from Poe, December 2023mixtral-8x7b poe best backlinks response

Compare this to the response offered by Google Bard.

Mixtral-8x7B: 4 Ways To Try The New Model From Mistral AIMixtral-8x7B: 4 Ways To Try The New Model From Mistral AI

Mixtral-8x7B: 4 Ways To Try The New Model From Mistral AIScreenshot from Google Bard, December 2023Mixtral-8x7B: 4 Ways To Try The New Model From Mistral AI

3. Vercel

Vercel offers a demo of Mixtral-8x7B that allows users to compare responses from popular Anthropic, Cohere, Meta AI, and OpenAI models.

vercel mixtral-8x7b demo compare gpt-4Screenshot from Vercel, December 2023vercel mixtral-8x7b demo compare gpt-4

It offers an interesting perspective on how each model interprets and responds to user questions.

mixtral-8x7b vs cohere on best resources for learning seoScreenshot from Vercel, December 2023mixtral-8x7b vs cohere on best resources for learning seo

Like many LLMs, it does occasionally hallucinate.

mixtral-8x7b hallucinationsScreenshot from Vercel, December 2023mixtral-8x7b hallucinations

4. Replicate

The mixtral-8x7b-32 demo on Replicate is based on this source code. It is also noted in the README that “Inference is quite inefficient.”

Mixtral-8x7B: 4 Ways To Try The New Model From Mistral AIScreenshot from Replicate, December 2023Mixtral-8x7B: 4 Ways To Try The New Model From Mistral AI

In the example above, Mixtral-8x7B describes itself as a game.

Conclusion

Mistral AI’s latest release sets a new benchmark in the AI field, offering enhanced performance and versatility. But like many LLMs, it can provide inaccurate and unexpected answers.

As AI continues to evolve, models like the Mixtral-8x7B could become integral in shaping advanced AI tools for marketing and business.

Featured image: T. Schneider/Shutterstock



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OpenAI Investigates ‘Lazy’ GPT-4 Complaints On Google Reviews, X

Published

2 days ago

on

December 10, 2023

By

OpenAI Investigates 'Lazy' GPT-4 Complaints On Google Reviews, X

OpenAI, the company that launched ChatGPT a little over a year ago, has recently taken to social media to address concerns regarding the “lazy” performance of GPT-4 on social media and Google Reviews.

Screenshot from X, December 2023OpenAI Investigates ‘Lazy’ GPT-4 Complaints On Google Reviews, X

This move comes after growing user feedback online, which even includes a one-star review on the company’s Google Reviews.

OpenAI Gives Insight Into Training Chat Models, Performance Evaluations, And A/B Testing

OpenAI, through its @ChatGPTapp Twitter account, detailed the complexities involved in training chat models.

chatgpt openai a/b testingScreenshot from X, December 2023chatgpt openai a/b testing

The organization highlighted that the process is not a “clean industrial process” and that variations in training runs can lead to noticeable differences in the AI’s personality, creative style, and political bias.

Thorough AI model testing includes offline evaluation metrics and online A/B tests. The final decision to release a new model is based on a data-driven approach to improve the “real” user experience.

OpenAI’s Google Review Score Affected By GPT-4 Performance, Billing Issues

This explanation comes after weeks of user feedback about GPT-4 becoming worse on social media networks like X.

Complaints also appeared in OpenAI’s community forums.

openai community forums gpt-4 user feedbackScreenshot from OpenAI, December 2023openai community forums gpt-4 user feedback

The experience led one user to leave a one-star rating for OpenAI via Google Reviews. Other complaints regarded accounts, billing, and the artificial nature of AI.

openai google reviews star rating Screenshot from Google Reviews, December 2023openai google reviews star rating

A recent user on Product Hunt gave OpenAI a rating that also appears to be related to GPT-4 worsening.

openai reviewsScreenshot from Product Hunt, December 2023openai reviews

GPT-4 isn’t the only issue that local reviewers complain about. On Yelp, OpenAI has a one-star rating for ChatGPT 3.5 performance.

The complaint:

yelp openai chatgpt reviewScreenshot from Yelp, December 2023yelp openai chatgpt review

In related OpenAI news, the review with the most likes aligns with recent rumors about a volatile workplace, alleging that OpenAI is a “Cutthroat environment. Not friendly. Toxic workers.”

google review for openai toxic workersScreenshot from Google Reviews, December 2023google review for openai toxic workers

The reviews voted the most helpful on Glassdoor about OpenAI suggested that employee frustration and product development issues stem from the company’s shift in focus on profits.

openai employee review on glassdooropenai employee review on glassdoor

openai employee reviewsScreenshots from Glassdoor, December 2023openai employee reviews

This incident provides a unique outlook on how customer and employee experiences can impact any business through local reviews and business ratings platforms.

openai inc google business profile local serps google reviewsScreenshot from Google, December 2023openai inc google business profile local serps google reviews

Google SGE Highlights Positive Google Reviews

In addition to occasional complaints, Google reviewers acknowledged the revolutionary impact of OpenAI’s technology on various fields.

The most positive review mentions about the company appear in Google SGE (Search Generative Experience).

Google SGE response on OpenAIScreenshot from Google SGE, December 2023Google SGE response on OpenAI

Conclusion

OpenAI’s recent insights into training chat models and response to public feedback about GPT-4 performance illustrate AI technology’s dynamic and evolving nature and its impact on those who depend on the AI platform.

Especially the people who just received an invitation to join ChatGPT Plus after being waitlisted while OpenAI paused new subscriptions and upgrades. Or those developing GPTs for the upcoming GPT Store launch.

As AI advances, professionals in these fields must remain agile, informed, and responsive to technological developments and the public’s reception of these advancements.

Featured image: Tada Images/Shutterstock



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ChatGPT Plus Upgrades Paused; Waitlisted Users Receive Invites

Published

2 days ago

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December 9, 2023

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ChatGPT Plus Upgrades Paused; Waitlisted Users Receive Invites

ChatGPT Plus subscriptions and upgrades remain paused after a surge in demand for new features created outages.

Some users who signed up for the waitlist have received invites to join ChatGPT Plus.

Screenshot from Gmail, December 2023ChatGPT Plus Upgrades Paused; Waitlisted Users Receive Invites

This has resulted in a few shares of the link that is accessible for everyone. For now.

RELATED: GPT Store Set To Launch In 2024 After ‘Unexpected’ Delays

In addition to the invites, signs that more people are getting access to GPTs include an introductory screen popping up on free ChatGPT accounts.

ChatGPT Plus Upgrades Paused; Waitlisted Users Receive InvitesScreenshot from ChatGPT, December 2023ChatGPT Plus Upgrades Paused; Waitlisted Users Receive Invites

Unfortunately, they still aren’t accessible without a Plus subscription.

chatgpt plus subscriptions upgrades paused waitlistScreenshot from ChatGPT, December 2023chatgpt plus subscriptions upgrades paused waitlist

You can sign up for the waitlist by clicking on the option to upgrade in the left sidebar of ChatGPT on a desktop browser.

ChatGPT Plus Upgrades Paused; Waitlisted Users Receive InvitesScreenshot from ChatGPT, December 2023ChatGPT Plus Upgrades Paused; Waitlisted Users Receive Invites

OpenAI also suggests ChatGPT Enterprise for those who need more capabilities, as outlined in the pricing plans below.

ChatGPT Plus Upgrades Paused; Waitlisted Users Receive InvitesScreenshot from OpenAI, December 2023ChatGPT Plus Upgrades Paused; Waitlisted Users Receive Invites

Why Are ChatGPT Plus Subscriptions Paused?

According to a post on X by OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman, the recent surge in usage following the DevDay developers conference has led to capacity challenges, resulting in the decision to pause ChatGPT Plus signups.

The decision to pause new ChatGPT signups follows a week where OpenAI services – including ChatGPT and the API – experienced a series of outages related to high-demand and DDoS attacks.

Demand for ChatGPT Plus resulted in eBay listings supposedly offering one or more months of the premium subscription.

When Will ChatGPT Plus Subscriptions Resume?

So far, we don’t have any official word on when ChatGPT Plus subscriptions will resume. We know the GPT Store is set to open early next year after recent boardroom drama led to “unexpected delays.”

Therefore, we hope that OpenAI will onboard waitlisted users in time to try out all of the GPTs created by OpenAI and community builders.

What Are GPTs?

GPTs allow users to create one or more personalized ChatGPT experiences based on a specific set of instructions, knowledge files, and actions.

Search marketers with ChatGPT Plus can try GPTs for helpful content assessment and learning SEO.

There are also GPTs for analyzing Google Search Console data.

And GPTs that will let you chat with analytics data from 20 platforms, including Google Ads, GA4, and Facebook.

Google search has indexed hundreds of public GPTs. According to an alleged list of GPT statistics in a GitHub repository, DALL-E, the top GPT from OpenAI, has received 5,620,981 visits since its launch last month. Included in the top 20 GPTs is Canva, with 291,349 views.

 

Weighing The Benefits Of The Pause

Ideally, this means that developers working on building GPTs and using the API should encounter fewer issues (like being unable to save GPT drafts).

But it could also mean a temporary decrease in new users of GPTs since they are only available to Plus subscribers – including the ones I tested for learning about ranking factors and gaining insights on E-E-A-T from Google’s Search Quality Rater Guidelines.

custom gpts for seoScreenshot from ChatGPT, November 2023custom gpts for seo

Featured image: Robert Way/Shutterstock



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