Product Description

Site statistics give you raw numbers, but Web analytics crunch those numbers into meaningful metrics you can actually use. Here’s what's new in Google Analytics 2.0, such as cross-segment reporting and drilldown content that enhance analysis. Learn to set up Analytics and choose filters, explore goals and goal-setting, use customizable dashboards and date ranges, and master basic analytics and Web statistics concepts. Examine every aspect of available reports, learn to use those best suited for e-commerce sites, and more.

BONUS: Each copy of Google Analytics 2.0 includes a $25 Google AdWords gift card compliments of Google. With this $25 gift card , you can attract new customers to your website on Google's dime.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #39355 in Books
• Published on: 2007-08-27
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 336 pages

From the Back Cover
Site Stats on Steroids

Is your Web site serving its purpose? To find out, you need to analyze factors related to what the site is supposed to do. Site statistics give you raw numbers, but Web analytics are like site stats on steroids. Analytics crunch those raw numbers into meaningful metrics—information you can use.

If you read our first book on Google Analytics, you already know what this tool can do and why that matters. (If you didn't, don't worry; there's an overview here, too.) This edition shows you what's new in version 2.0, helping you uncover specific details and use them like never before.

• Master basic analytics and Web statistics concepts

• Set up Google Analytics 2.0, choose the filters you need, and explore goals and goal-setting

• Learn about new features that enhance analysis, including cross-segment reporting and drilldown content

• Take control of Google Analytics with customizable dashboards and date ranges

• Examine every aspect of the available reports, including visitors, traffic sources, content, and goals

• Discover the specific reports suited for e-commerce sites and how to use them

• Maximize the integration of Google Analytics with Google AdWords

• Boost your use of Regular Expressions, write your own filters, and quantify your goals

About the Author
Jerri L. Ledford is a freelance business technology writer with more than 700 articles, news stories, profiles, and reports to her credit. Her work has appeared in Information Security Magazine, IT Manager's Journal, Network World, CRM Magazine, and many others.

Mary E. Tyler is a contributing editor at OSTG/NewsForge, the world's largest source of daily Linux coverage. She's a former software and Web developer who specializes in Open Source, enterprise software, intellectual property, and anything Macintosh.

Customer Reviews

Somewhat useful basic guide for GA but lacking in areas
I have read a ton of guides and information on Google Analytics, have taken a 6 week training course (provided by ROI Revolution who happen to be mentioned in this book as it would have it) and have used it for my companies sites as well as some of my clients. I had never read the first version of this book due to the not-so-flattering reviews of it so I decided to take a look at the latest version to see what it had to offer and if it had any useful content I had missed.

After reading it I would say that it is a useful basic guide for anyone getting started with Google Analytics as well as for those looking to brush up on their knowledge and to have a handy guide. There are also some solid, advanced topics they cover in the book such as regular expressions, advanced filters, as well as many side bars and notes during chapters. However,some of these advanced topics feel like they have been thrust upon the reader under the assumption that the reader already has some understanding of some of the advanced topics. I feel as there was not enough back-story to properly introduce some of their advanced topics and many times the location of these advanced topics messed with the flow of the book; they were introduced at times when the section of the book you were reading was rather basic.

The flow of the book (and the interesting tone at some points) seemed a bit off to me and one of the biggest things in Google Analytics was completely left out or barely even touched upon and that was setting up tracking for an E-Commerce site. There is a lot that goes into this (though it is not necessarily difficult but there are many different variables and codes you will need to know and utilize) and you truly need to assess your website and how it is structured before setting up the tracking code, the hidden form and some of the other utm functions (too little time and space to explain all that here). I was very surprised, and quite dissapointed actually, this was completely left out as it it really is a huge part of Google Analytics. They also did not mention or explain many of the other different variables and codes that allow you to more fully take advantage of Google Analytics and make it work just right for you and your business.

Not a bad basic guide to have handy for understanding the reports and some other things but really surprised at how much they left out for the sake of some of the really basic stuff they left in or espoused upon way too much. There are other resources you will need to truly grasp the whole setup process for more complex websites; this book makes it all seem so simple and basic as it doesn't explain that all too well.

Feed Your IT Beast!
This book is rich with information about how to read Google Analytics reports, and how to code your site so you'll get the reports you want. If you're an IT geek (especially an IT geek young enough to read the impossibly small type in the screen shots), you'll enjoy this book.

If you're looking a strategic or practical introduction to Google Analytics, you're out of luck.

The book gets off to a slow start, discussing another product (AW Stats) for two of the first three chapters.

Chapter 4 tells you how to sign up for Google Analytics. But really: if you can't figure out how to sign up for it, perhaps you should just hire someone to handle it for you. Chapter 5 presents "the dashboard" in all its obvious glory.

If you're not bored witless by now, the next chapter (Filtering Your Data) ought to do it for you. Though there are examples, they're basic and obvious. If you'd like examples of filters that give real marketing insight into your site's visitors, you'll have to find another book.

The same thing applies to the next chapter: Using Analytics Goals. The book tells you how to set up goals using Google Analytics, but if you're trying to figure what your site's goals should be, no joy.

Bottom line: There is a lot of information in this book, but unless you're an IT staffer looking for geeky tips, it's hard to put it to much use.

Essential Manual For Anyone Who Wants To Get The Most Out Of Google Analytics
There is a ton of out-of-the-box functionality built into Google Analytics, but if a user never goes beyond that they will miss out on some of the biggest benefits that can be found in features like goals, and custom filters. These features can be used to track the success of your web site, your marketing efforts, and your products and services ... which could be important. This book presents these fairly complex concepts in plain language that anyone who is fairly technical can understand.

The book also explains how to setup profiles and other users so that multiple people in an organization can have access to the reports. This is pretty easy to do, but again the book explains it in such a way that almost anyone can understand the importance of assigning users to a particular profile and the differences in roles (i.e. reports only or account administrator).

It also walks you through each report section of Google Analytics, and gives you an overview of what each report is displaying, it's drill-down capabilities, and any assumptions or "gotchas" that might exist to help you understand the data behind the report. It also points out a few real-world business uses of a few of the reports, and how you can leverage a particular report to make business or design decisions ... which also could be important.

Overall, I think this is an essential manual for anyone who wants to get the most out of Google Analytics. Like I said, the software really has a lot of power and functionality out-of-the-box, but if you can go beyond that into some of the more custom features you will get a lot more value out of it ... and this book helps you get there. Its an easy, light read and most people can probably read it in just a few sittings. I would recommend it to anyone in your organization that is going to ever log into Google Analytics.

http://www.stuffthatjustworks.com/2007/11/11/GoogleAnalytics20.aspx