The most popular Spanish post on WA of the month in numbers
Last week there was a very active post and comment thread on Francois Derbaix’s blog (Francois is CEO of www.toprural.com). His post explained the difference he had found between the organic traffic measured for toprural by XITI and Google Analytics. In just a few days 71 persons commented or linked to the post, some of them just tailgating on the “Google is Evil” theme.
He implied that Google used GA to give a wrong idea on the share of organic traffic over total visits and basically “scooped” the news that GA has a campaign tracking latency with a default value of 6 months. In my opinion Google has been pretty clear on what information is reported on the traffic sources and also regarding the configuration options to modify the campaign tracking latency. So basically, the web analyst using the tool is responsible for the configuration and knowing what GA is measuring and reporting.
To analyze the comments thread I marked each comment as either a trackback or a comment, then I reviewed and matched either the content of the comment or the post linking to the thread to one or more of the following themes:
- Google is evil or/and Why GA lies to me?
- Surprised and/or uninformed and/or thankful to know
- Genuine concern and/or Request for advice/Acknowledge need of specialized support
- Provide set-up advice and/or additional information
- Watercooler or miscellaneous conversation and yadayadayada
After browsing the 123 comments and posts involved directly in the conversation till the 23/02/2009 I can highlight the following:
- 71 participants (including post author and guest-star Avinash Kaushnik)
- 123 comments, 27 of them were trackbacks
- 1 every 3 participants was surprised to know Google Analytics track traffic sources in this way and the latency was 6 months
- Only 1 every 10 participants provide set-up advice, solutions or additional information to enrich the conversation
- 12 out of 71 participants at one point of the conversation wrote about the Google is evil theme
- And 6 out of the 27 posts linking the original post were about Google is evil!
- 21 out of 71 participants show genuine concern, requested advice or acknowledge the need for specialized support.
For me the biggest discovery was to learn that so many people use Google Analytics without bothering to learn about its configuration nor the data reported and how quick they place the shame on the tool once they realize they have been getting it wrong. I’m thinking “Eyes wide shut”.
Good bottom line!
Very true. I think that people knowledge about Google Analytics ad-hoc implementation is still in it’s early days. So far so good for the consultants, but also true that this ins’t adding big value to the companies and causes lot of misinformations and incongruences like the examples of your summary.
Thanks Andres!
Juan Cruz
24 Feb 09 at 5:24 pm
I can’t agree more with you, Andres.
Reading the documentation about GA provided at http://code.google.com/apis/analytics/docs/ before implementing it should be a must. Even better, site owners should read it and then they hire a professional to deploy GA.
Sergi
24 Feb 09 at 8:29 pm
Andres, as the good web analyst you are, you certainly know how to extract the most critical insights.
I also noticed that not everybody involved in Web Analytics is really interested in learning more than the basics to run reports.
Here are some thoughts and random guestimates of the reason why this can happen. (Warning: I am entering into “Brainstorming mode”)
- It is a new discipline and we are all learning.
- Not every Web Analytics practitioner/user is an analyst.
- Most people like standards. If we are using this tool, or if a company as big as Google is launching a tool like GA, it should comply to standards, isn’t it?
- Not every company has a web analyts: “web analytics” sort of tasks are assigned to employes in the most varied positions and areas of the business.
- Web analysts, come from very different backgrounds.
- The “profile” of an ideal web analyst is quite complex to find: Analyst, technical, statistics, business, political combination.
- Fear of change and accountability.
- Specialization. The ones coding or implementing are not the ones using the tool.
End of my brainstorming.
Very original and interesting post!
Jose Davila
25 Feb 09 at 1:44 am
Jose,
Just one more idea for the brainstorming:
Most of Google tools enpower the DIY idea (gmail, docs or even apps) so people tends to try to apply it to all Google tools.
Sergi
26 Feb 09 at 12:14 am
Juan, Sergi and Jose, thanks for the conversation.
Juan:
…also true that this isn’t adding big value to the companies and causes lot of misinformation and incongruousness…
Me:
We’re at a point which the irresponsible behavior of a few can cause a lot of harm to WA and its credibility and this can happen within the organization or from the outside.
Sergi:
…Even better, site owners should read it and then they hire a professional to deploy GA…
Me:
Basically apply the 3Ls knowledge building in our current information society (with infinite/cheap access to adhoc knowledge through packed contents and conversation) Learn, Listen & Leap forward. Learn by dedicating time to teach yourself reading and exploring, talk to others contrasting what you have learn and easing your doubts, then you are ready to leap to new knowledge and applications.
Jose:
…Not every Web Analytics practitioner/user is an analyst…
…The “profile” of an ideal web analyst is quite complex to find: Analyst, technical, statistics, business, political combination…
Me:
Two pearls… and at the same time kind of the egg-hen who came first paradox!
Andrés
26 Feb 09 at 1:10 am