Improve Engagement With Google Search

Remember back in 2005 when there was no free Google Analytics? Web site analytics was almost unheard-of until BIG BANG!

Google Trends for Keyword “Google Analytics”

Google announces free website analytics look at the huge spike towards the later part of 2005. If you ask me that’s what started the ROI Revolution. In today’s online business world I would be hard pressed to consider life without analytics website tracking. To improve my search results I perform a web site analysis where my visitor starts. If you click the “Search engines” link you get a birds-eye view of only search engine traffic and the keywords people use to get to your site.

Install Google Analytics Tracking Code Properly

This is where you may need some analytics help? Most websites are a breeze to set up in 10 minutes. If you have a website with special features it may be worth some google analytics consulting or specific google analytics tutorials. One good example of a special attention element is ecommerce integration. There are special steps required like installing form variables on your checkout form and enabling eCommerce in the Google Analytics interface.

Use Web Analytics to Refine Your Business

Don’t just install Google Analytics, use profiles and filters. Each profile you create is like a channel from the same account. You can create up to 50 profiles per account, don’t be shy! Make Bob, the accountant his own profile with a custom dashboard of money metrics. The same goes for Mary in Marketing, she wants to look at the success of her marketing campaigns, why not create her a profile with her own beautiful dashboard. Use different filters in profiles to isolate campaigns, e.g. PPC campaigns

Easily Integrate Into Google Checkout

Find Analytics help and track how visitors navigate through your checkout process (sales funnel). Once you install the tracking code and activate ecommerce you be able to see 2 very important behaviors; successful purchases and abandonment. Where and why are people leaving your site? Find out what turns people on! What keywords and pathways to purchase are most effective? We are talking money here, folks!

Check With Google Groups When in Need

The Group of experts and users that discuss challenges are very insightful> One yip I will give you is use Firefox with google-analytics. It is much quicker than Explorer and has plenty of fancy plugins for users. E.g. business notes

Read the Fine Print at Google Inc.

If you are concerned about any aspect of this website analysis software READ THE FINE PRINT.

“Google may change its fees and payment policies for the Service from time to time including but not limited to the addition of costs for geographic data, the importing of cost data from search engines, or other fees charged to Google or its wholly-owned subsidiaries by 3rd party vendors for the inclusion of data in the Service reports. The changes to the fees or payment policies are effective upon your acceptance of such changes which will be posted at www.google.com/analytics (or such other URL Google may provide from time to time). Unless otherwise stated, all fees are quoted in U.S. Dollars. Any outstanding balance becomes immediately due and payable upon termination of this Agreement for any reason and any collection expenses (including attorneys’ fees) incurred by Google will be included in the amount owed, and may be charged to the credit card or other billing mechanism associated with your Adwords account.”

ROI Filters to Expose Adwords

With Adwords you are paying for every visit to your site. TO me, that’s priority #1. Find the Best Adwords keywords for your business using reporting with AdWords/analytics. You may want to but you don’t have to install Adwords conversion tracking. Google Analytics should become one of your primary Adwords tools to look at areas to that need improvement. In Google Analytics there is a simple metrics that cannot be found anywhere in AdWords, it’s called BOUNCE. Streamline Google AdWords spending by tapping into Google Analytics. I am surprised certification google AdWords professional attain does not include more on Google analytics.

Employ as One of Your Primary SEO tools

Depend on Less SEO Tips—More cold hard facts. The most sure footed way to stimulate Googlebot is to see what he likes. Looking at your top content then sources can be a good starting point. If you perform more Fact Based SEO optimization your SEO website design should be in tune with the most engaged visitors you have, you just need to identify who they are first!

TIP: The Free google toolbar download is a google analytics seo companion.

A Good SEO Blog For Tips you Can Measure

There are a few SEOers that bring you news for a living. Not all SEO techniques are created equal. There are a few blogs I like to frequent to improve my Google ranking. For reliable google seo advice I like these sites:

• http://www.wolf-howl.com/
• http://www.seomoz.org/blog
• http://robertssemsystem.com/index.php/Search-Marketing/comments/google_seo_secrets-_part_1/ (My site)

Take a look and make notes in Google Analytics when you implement SEO–find out what works best for you.

Google Employees Speak Out

Yes it does happen on occasion, Google employees quit. Can they be squeezed for inside information? I suppose that really depends on how disgruntled they are and how much value they have for their assets. In the post cited in this paragraph you can read what a few employees have to say about quitting Google.

Compare Google Results in Best View

You’ve got 5 views available when you look at your Google results.

Table

Percentage

Performance

Comparison

Detail

For simple site analysis I use the table view most frequently. They are all useful, especially in high level meetings where pie charts may be more suitable for presentation.

Get a Listing in the Google Directory (DMOZ)

It’s not the easiest listing to get, but if you get accepted into the google directory you should see a spike in your analytics. Many of the other search engines rely on the DMOZ directory as a trusted source of information. Getting a listing here means your site has passed human review.

Catch the Google-Website-Optimizer Wave

Google website optimizer is a free program for AB & Multivariate testing. Instead of using Google Analytics for this Website-Optimizer should be your number one choice, that’s what it is designed for. If you want to test multiple versions of your homepage it’s as easy as installing some Java script and starting an experiment. The same applies to testing page elements like different images or mainlines on 1 page.