Setting Up Asynchronous Google Analytics Tracking

Posted on January 26, 2010
Filed Under Google Analytics, Google Updates, Web Analytics | Leave a Comment

Google launches asynchronous tracking as an alternative google analysis tracking tool to help website owners track their site visitors. The Google Analytics Asynchronous Tracking Code snippet is a small piece of JavaScript code that website owners paste into their web pages. It activates Google Analytics tracking by inserting ga.js into the page which then provides an API for customizing how the page is tracked.

Google explains that there are a number of advantages to using Asynchronous tracking that include: ‘allows for much quicker tracking code load times as a result of the improved browser execution, optimizes how browsers load ga.js, eliminates tracking errors from dependencies when the JavaScript hasn’t fully loaded, and improves data collection and accuracy.’

The below snippet displays the minimum configuration required to track a page asynchronously. It denotes the page’s web property ID and then calls ’trackPageview’ to send the tracking data back to the Google Analytics servers.  The best location for the google analytics tracking snippet is at the top of the <body> section. To set up asynchronous tracking, you just have to copy and paste the following snippet replacing UA-XXXXX-X with your web property ID:

<script type=”text/javascript”>

var _gaq = _gaq || [];

_gaq.push([’_setAccount’, ‘UA-XXXXX-X’]);

_gaq.push([’_trackPageview’]);

(function() {

var ga = document.createElement(’script’); ga.type = ‘text/javascript’; ga.async = true;

ga.src = (’https:’ == document.location.protocol ? ‘https://ssl’ : ‘http://www’) + ‘.google-analytics.com/ga.js’;

(document.getElementsByTagName(’head’)[0] || document.getElementsByTagName(’body’)[0]).appendChild(ga);

})();

</script>

If you want to add the asynchronous snippet on pages that do not use Google Analytics or are currently using traditional tracking with ga.js, Google shows how you can convert your pages to use the asynchronous snippet by doing the following:

1. If the page already uses Analytics, remove your existing tracking code snippet and any customizations you have made.

2. Insert the asynchronous snippet at the top of the <body> section of your pages.

3. Modify the _setAccount method with your web property ID.

4. Add your customizations back in using the asynchronous syntax.

If you would rather place the Analytics snippet at the bottom of the page, you can still keep most of the benefits of asynchronous loading by splitting the snippet in half. You have to keep the first half at the top of the page and the other half at the bottom of the page. You will have to place the snippet that inserts ga.js at the bottom of the page. For more detailed information about setting up asynchronous analytics tracking and answers to common installation questions, Google Analytics provides a helpful guide on their Google code web pages.

Guaranteed Number One Spot on Google Scam

Posted on November 30, 2009
Filed Under Google Updates, Toronto Marketing Consultant, Toronto Online Consulting, Toronto SEO, Toronto SEO Consulting, Toronto Web Consulting | Leave a Comment

 SEO Scam : Be Number One In Google 

There are numerous SEO firms who claim that they can give guaranteed first page placement in the search engine results page.  Is this guaranteed number one sport on the major search engine Google, a reality or a scam?  If it is not possible why are people still investing a lot of big bucks in search engine optimization?  Let us take a look into what everything means and suggests.

The internet market place has become a global village and has a wider exposure currently than any other place.  As a result there is a surge in the number of websites that are launched into cyberspace with every passing day. In fact, you will have to spend a lot of money to bring your website on to the first few pages or rather the first few ranks of SERPs.  If you are not watchful then you might just royally walk into the trap laid by many SEO firms who claim that they can immediately position your website on the top page ranks.  And they are having a few offers and bonuses if you buy their services.

If they do follow the right kind of SEO strategies, tools and techniques,  getting a high page on the major search engines calls for spending a lot of money alongside providing qualitative content on the web pages.  If the SEO firms offer very low rates for their services then there is something fishy and you will have to cross check everything before you actually go ahead with the firm, if you do not learn what all they have on the offer, you will be ending up investing all your money and will not  benefit with a good page rank and a decent ROI.

SEO is an ongoing process and it cannot be finished with just getting a good rank for the website.  In fact the actual work starts then and it is to maintain the good page rank that the website has achieved.  Hence, clients beware of those companies who offer freebies in the form of free hosting to making you numner one just on your name

GoDaddy.com Hosting & Servers

Setting up Google AdWords Campaigns for Beginners Using AdWords

Posted on October 22, 2009
Filed Under Google AdWords, Google Updates, Pay Per Click, Toronto Marketing Consultant, Toronto SEM Consulting | Leave a Comment

Google AdWords can be a difficult process for individuals or companies to harness the true power of PPC marketing through Google. Understanding how Google Adwords works and the basic concept behind their pay per click program can be defined as such:

Campaign  - Ad Group – Keyword Selection – AD Copy – Landing Page

Campaign:

A Google AdWords campaign is the top level of the pay per click module within AdWords. Here is where the campaigns can be named. All pertinent information such as billing, account information, reporting and settings are set in this top level. You can run multiple campaigns within your account. This is done to specifically break down themed, relevant campaign projects. Multiple campaigns, with related focuses should be set up and built out if you are planning on running larger projects

Ad Groups

Within each campaign are ad groups. Multiple ad groups can be set up within a campaign to deliver a focused theme and to ensure separation of keyword selections. An example of this would be

Campaign - Law

Ad Groups ; Personal injury, Criminal, Immigration , Motor Vehicle Accidents, Wrongful Death, etc….

Setting up only one ad group to cover the above themes will lower your Quality Score and also increase your cost per click, Google is looking for separation of relevance to each ad group. This will also allow you to set up specific key phrases in each group with themed ads and landing pages, all connected to increase the most relevant path for the end user. It also aids in the management of your campaign. Each ad group can now support specific key phrase terms related to those ad groups and let you define AD copy related to the theme of the ad group. Specific landing pages can now be developed for just that ad group. Create as many ad groups that you have specific verticals to cover, it will aid in a more flexible campaign

Keyword Selection

Keyword selections should be made that pertain only to one themed ad group. If you have created many ad groups, place only the related terms into one specific ad group. For example: you would not place immigration key phrases within the criminal ad group. Google will lower your Quality Score and increase your cost. Since the cross over population of unrelated terms within an ad group, also reflects on the AD Copy and landing page assigned to that ad group. If the correct term focus is not within the correct ad group, Google will penalise you through poor Quality Score and high cost per click charges.

Ad Copy

Ad copy is what will be displayed on Google when someone searches for the terms within your ad group. Ad copy will be your “call to action” that engages a web surfer to click on. This ad copy should be clear and concise, the copy that is displayed must convey an exact themed, relevant offering. It is recommend that you set up 3-4 ads per ad group. Ads that are served equally over a period of time will allow you to see exactly which ads convert to clicks better.

Landing Pages

Aside from ad copy that creates click conversions, the final step in the equation is the landing page. You should create multiple landing pages for testing purposes to see which are most effective in overall conversions. Each landing page should be specific to each individual ad group, thus in turn is related to the key phrases within your ad group. Each landing page must have a call to action on it. There could be forms for harvesting customer information or direct sales call to action through order forms

Conclusion:

From the initial setup you can now see that each area of AdWords campaign development is entwined. The goal of a successful AdWords campaign is to increase sales and lower conversion costs to ensure the highest return on investment. In later posts we will break down the optimization of each section above.

Keywordspy

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