Pageviews might not be all you care to measure using Google Analytics. You may like to measure the number of times your files (PDFs, AVI, WMV) are downloaded. Google Analytics provides you with the capability to track clicks on file download links. Because these links do not lead to a pageview on your site containing Google Analytics tracking code, you’ll need to tag the links with the _trackPageview() JavaScript to create a virtual pageview so that you can track these downloads.
For example, to log every click on a particular link to www.semseoexpert.com/files/tracking-downloads.pdf as a pageview for /downloads/tracking-downloads you would add the following attribute to the link’s <a> tag:
< a href= ” http:// www. semseoexpert .com /files/tracking-downloads.pdf”>
< a href= ” http:// www. semseoexpert .com /files/tracking-downloads.pdf” onClick=”javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview(‘/downloads/tracking-downloads’); “>
You can create a virtual pageview to represent any kind of activity or interaction in your site. All you need to do is to call _trackPageview() and provide a user friendly name. This will create a virtual pageview in GA interface (in the Top Content and Content Drilldown reports) even though no new page has actually been loaded.
Google Analytics Top Content Report - PDF Download
Since virtual pageviews appear along with standard pageviews in Google Analytics reports, you may wish to create a duplicate profile where you filter out the virtual pageviews.
Another point that is very important to consider is that even though virtual pageview is a great way for tracking PDF downloads, you should not use trackPageview JavaScript for tracking all kind of events (e.g., tracking menus) as it can potentially inflate your traffic reports in GA.
Web Analytics
Google AdWords offers a report called Search Query Performance report that can be a very powerful tool for improving your Google AdWords PPC campaign.
As I mentioned in my previous post on keyword research, keyword selection can make or break a SEM campaign. You can utilize keyword research tools such as Wordtracker, Google AdWords keyword tool and SKTool to identify keywords that you should add to your PPC campaign.
No matter how careful you are in selecting your phrases and identifying negative keywords in advance, if you use broad match, there is a good chance your ads show up for not so relevant search queries.
Google AdWords Search Query Performance Report
AdWords Search Query report can help you identify the exact phrases that have triggered your ads. You can use this Google report as a negative keyword generator which helps you suppress your ads from appearing for irrelevant search queries. Excluding irrelevant keywords can help you improve your CTR, get more relevant traffic, improve your conversion rate and reduce your cost.
Twitter seems to have finally found a way to monetize its social media platform. Following their deals with Google and Microsoft to provide them with real time search, there are rumours that they are ready to launch their advertising platform.
Google has been long a believer of ad relevancy and they pioneered the concept of Quality Score to promote and reward the most relevant ads. Twitter seems to follow the footsteps of Google. According to Twitter`s head of product management, they are planning to make the ads relevant and useful so that they are seamless and users do not think of them as ads.
We have to wait and see if they can succeed in incorporating the ads in the tweets without negatively impacting user experience.
Social Media Consultant
Just received an update e-mail from Google regarding my Google Ad Manager Account. Since Google’s acquisition of DoubleClick back in 2008, they have made some improvements to Google Ad Manager to ensure easier and faster inventory and ad operations management.
Google introduced their next generation of publisher ad serving platform – DoubleClick for Publishers (DFP) which leverages the strengths of Google and DoubleClick. The new ad serving platform is available in two formats: DoubleClick for Publishers, for large sites, and DFP Small Business, a free version for smaller sites.
As a result, all Google Ad Manager publisher accounts will be upgraded to DFP Small Business.
The new Google DFP has new features such as open web services API and an overhauled user interface that has an improved trafficking workflow and delivery algorithm. You can still login to DFP Small Business with Google Ad Manager credentials (username and password).
You can learn more about Dart for Publishers (DFP) and its features and benefits here.
As I mentioned in my previous article on real time search, there would be more real time news feed added to the sources of real time search. Google just announced that starting this week, they added the content of My Space to real time search. Now Google provides a pool of news, photos and blog posts published by MySpace users. Google ranks the updates by relevancy and freshness.
Social Media Consultant
