For those of you following along the development of the EBook being created to help study for certification in Google Analytics, three new chapters have been posted in the last week.  Currently, the chapters posted include: (more…)

A little over a week ago, I posted the first chapter of the Rise Guide to Google Analytics Ebook which was available for download. The next Chapter, Finding Your Way Around Google Analytics has just been added.

In Chapter 1, Introducing Google Analytics, we illustrated the definition of Analytics and what Google Analytics can do for your business or Website . From there, we touched on how Google Analytics works and the details around data updating and storage, along with setting data sharing preferences. (more…)

Google Analytics standard edition has unveiled a beta of the Real-Time Analytics reporting available in Google Analytics Premium.  As we discussed in our previous blog, Google Analytics Premium will offer real time analytics among other features.  As a prelude for standard edition users, real time analytics is available to a select audience.  An announcement of the offering was made on September 29^th. Having had an opportunity to explore the new features and reports, I am enamored with the well-organized interface and the almost instantaneous updates. (more…)

First things first, what is the Google Analytics Individual Qualifications Exam?

It is a test put together by the fine folks at Google to prove proof of proficiency in utilizing Google Analytics. Seems pretty straight forward, but why is this important, or even necessary? (more…)

Google Analytics is an excellent way to track and analyze on-site traffic.  However, the UI for Goggle Analytics is not mobile optimized, which presents challenges for those who need to see updates on their mobile device.  The Google Analytics Software Design Kit (SDK) and corresponding Application Programming Interface (API) rectify the issue by allowing developers to create their own Apps.  Thankfully, there are several well-built, fast and intuitive Apps available.  I will focus this blog on the App universe for Android powered devices.  While I am inclined to frugality (some might argue parsimony), this blog will present what, in my estimation, are the best available free and paid Android Apps. (more…)

When most advertisers consider their campaign performance, sum metrics like Impressions, Clicks, Spend and Revenue tend to dominate evaluations.  Relative metrics like Click-Through-Rate, Cost per Click and Return on Ad Spend also garner a great deal of attention—as they should.  For those analysts who really want to ‘roll up their sleeves’ and look beyond the obvious for campaign insights, we suggest that Loyalty and Recency should be two metrics included in any thorough analysis. (more…)

The advent of Google Analytics 5 in the first quarter of 2011 ushered in several new features that are improvements over the existing Google Analytics package.  We are excited about the update and have chosen to write a summary of the improvements we find the most compelling and valuable. (more…)

SEO is, in many ways, still a developing art form.  At Rise, we strive to stay at the forefront of thought leadership and constantly seek out the latest developments in the industry, some of which can bring significant changes and considerations. There are, however, a few things that most think of when looking to rank high in Google and ultimately, get the click throughs and page views that will meet company goals. Among these are keywords, site architecture, links and speed. (more…)

Google Analytics (GA) is an amazing tool and my most heavily used Google Product—next to Gmail. The great part about it is that no matter what skill level you have with the product, you will always be able to see the information you need. However, for those who are first starting to use this product, it is important to know the basics in order find the data you want to see. I feel that learning the basics of Google Analytics falls into 3 simple categories: ‘Who’, ‘Where’ and ‘What’ (‘Why’ and ‘When’ are for a later blog).

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Google Analytics provides two tools for partitioning traffics results: web properties and profiles.  Both of these tools provide useful ways to compartmentalize data and create unique user access.  However, while seemingly very similar in set-up and construction, there are a few highly relevant distinctions users should be cognizant of when determining which method to employ on their Google Analytics account. (more…)