Google Analytics

You can't manage what you can't measure.

SEO Analytics - management through measurement
One of the great aspects of your Internet presence is the measurability and control that web sites and web site technology enables.

Successful websites use analytics to drive their web design, search engine optimisation and marketing campaigns. To measure website performance and Search Engine Optimisation effectiveness, marketers need analytics solutions that offer the power and flexibility to uncover a complete range of information - analytics and professional analytical interpretations that map real world performance against business objectives identifying shortfalls and overlaps.

Revealing analytics equip marketers and management with the opportunity to swiftly and simply measure a complete range of their online performance.

Analytics in action
The power of analytics is no great secret.

  • 47% of web sites use web analytics
  • 12% of those planning to upgrade or replace in the next 12 months. Analytical integration is planned by 22%,
  • 19% of businesses have no intention of applying analytics - don't be one of them

    Clearly you need to know whether your SEO is succeeding and helping your business develop and grow. For most organisations the single most important measure of SEO success has traditionally been through Search Engine Ranking. What's your Google search position?

    Types of analytics There is however a great deal more to accurately tracking Search Engine Optimisation success than simply measuring rankings or counting page views. Fact - For most organizations the measure of search engine optimisation campaign success has traditionally and almost singularly been through Search Engine Ranking. You don't though have to be at number one in the Search Engine Rankings for your web presence to be delivering great results.

    As has been realised over the last few years there's a lot more to accurately tracking Search Engine Optimisation success than simply measuring rankings or counting page views. Neither offering a particularly insightful measurement of activity and performance.

    With the emergence of Web 2.0 we are seeing new models emerge for the measurement of Web Statistics and Analytics. Web 2.0 features such as social networks, Blogs, wikis, consumer generated content, podcasts, RSS, rich internet applications (RIAs), social tagging and bookmarking, publishing and mash-up content all require new and innovative ways in which organisations can share their online messages and measure this interaction.

    Analytics and Analytical Reporting for YOUR Business

    Top Page answers the Search Engine Optimisation questions that are most important to your organisation. We configure functional reports offering dynamic views of a range of tracking metrics and results customisable to include metrics specific to a range of business types

    Not only do we collect the correct data we know how to correctly interpret it cutting through the weight of data and extracting meaning from complexity.

    Informing your Web Presence through Analytics

    We understand that there's much more to Search Engine Optimisation and analytics than just rankings and page views, that a successful Search Engine Optimisation campaign will deliver traffic from a wide range of keywords, including terms and often unexpected phrases. The success of SEO campaigns needs to be measured multi-dimensionally. Non-branded search traffic, percentage of traffic from search engines and rankings are all insightful metrics of value in the same way that some organisations now claim that page views and time spent on site are now less relevant than before. Nielsen/NetRatings is among a growing number of companies grappling with "life after page views," in a new Web analytics arena where blog posts, widgets, online video and other emerging Web 2.0 media are changing how companies look to measure the effectiveness of Web efforts -- and the tools used to do the measuring. New analytics tools that measure comments added to blogs, ratings, applications shared with friends, clicks on ads and online video use -- all of which can show how "engaged" a user are the way forward when it comes to new metrics and identify a web site's "semantic layer."

    The top 10 Key Analytics

    Here are some of the analytics we consider critical when studying data gathered through analytical tools including Google Analytics.

  • Top referring keywords
  • Referring domains
  • Click Path Analysis
  • Paid Versus Organic
  • Geographical
  • Visiting Trends
  • Top Landing Pages
  • Conversion Rates
  • Bounce Rates
  • Browser Types

    Identify top referring keywords. 25% of Google queries are unique. Referring keywords reveal patterns and themes that otherwise would be next to impossible to identify. Analysis of top referring keywords guides keyword selection and hones campaign direction revealing audience and scope. A successful Search Engine Optimization campaign will deliver traffic from a wide range of keywords, likely including unexpected terms and phrases.

  • Referring Domains. Highlights the main traffic drivers - search engines and related sites tend to occupy the top of the list. By identifying references it is possible to measure the effectiveness of a link building campaign, themes and hot spots. Maybe a site is reviewing your product or an influential blogger referring to you. This kind of information might be used to subsequent content and link baiting inclusion.

  • Click path analysis. Offers opportunities to engage visitors more effectively by improving the navigation experience.

  • Paid vs. Natural. Map the gaps and cross over between paid and natural campaigns. Paid search enables the rapid targeting of high volume terms and use ROI/conversion rate data to inform decisions on where to compete organically. Conversely, areas that see high activity through organic Search Engine Optimisation can inform focus for PPC campaigns.

  • Geographic referrals. The more targeted and niche the Internet becomes, the more important geography becomes. Accurate geo data can be used to develop new content, launch targeted landing pages, and in some cases, even modify service offerings to better target geo revenue sources.

  • Visiting trends. Compare visitor numbers over time. Use trend analysis to identify and apply correlations between visitor numbers and referring keywords.

  • Top Landing Pages. Analysis of which pages are proving most popular can generate plenty of powerful data. Data can be used to optimise site structure and gear the internal linking scheme using optimal anchor text to channel traffic to other less visited pages.

  • Conversion Rates. Do your visitors do what you ultimately want them to do? Do they follow your call to action? If so, how often? More than in the past, less than in the past? Calls to action may include purchasing products, completing a registration form, downloading a file, casting a vote, reading promotional literature.

  • Bounce Rate. Informs how many people visited a single page and stayed there. You don't want a high bounce rate. Visitors don't hang around if they don't find the information they are looking for. Measuring bounce rate is important in evaluating the effectiveness of content.

  • Browser type. An important metric due to new mobile connectivity. If you are being told that mobile browsers or spiders are struggling to view your information properly then act accordingly. Make your web presence as effective as possible to those browsers visiting it.

    Generating traffic to a website is only half the battle, having a website that drives the traffic to take a desired action is key. Using conversion rate analysis informs site tactics and is essential. The consequences of informed decision making might be changes to campaign budgets, landing page optimisation, re-targeting keywords. Fresh inspirational copywriting, video or audio content, generating different link bait or a host of other Search Engine Optimization changes might also influence conversion rates.

    Other web Analytics

    Of course there are many other web analytics that can also inform your SEO including analysis of non-branded traffic. Search Engine Optimisation experts even go as far as to say that non-branded traffic (how much traffic you receive from terms that don't include your company name) is actually the purest measure of search engine optimization success.

    For more information on how Web Analytics can be used to effectively inform your website strategy and win YOU more business, Contact us NOW on Tel: +44 (0)1242 227876 for more information on
    blog creation, blog curation and blog management as part of your SEO.
    Author - Chris Horner