Test Your Google Analytics IQ

Google is now offering a Google Analytics course for web analytics! Plus, if you want to get your Google Analytics Individual Qualification you can pay $50 to take a test. If you score at least 75% on the test, you become qualified. They say that this is proof of your Google Analytics competency, but there's no information as to whether or not they will have a logo or graphic to display. I assume they do, or will soon.

Even if you're not interested in the certification, there's a ton of great Google Analytics information for beginners to advanced users.

So there you have it. Head on over to Conversion University to learn more about GA and take the course to prove your knowledge to the world.

(Check back for our Google Analytics Individual Qualifications soon!)

Google Analytics 101

I just came across a simple yet useful post on the Google AdWords blog about Google Analytics.

If you've installed Google Analytics and you don't know what to do next, their post should help. Basically, just look at the major metrics and watch them over time.

The main thing to keep in mind is that there is no "good bounce rate" or optimal time on site for everyone. Each site, and even each section within a site will have different values. The key is to look at trends over time.

Microsoft Gatineau - Google Analytics Killer?

Is Microsoft Gatineau ready to strip Google Analytics of the web analytics throne?

I've been using both Microsoft Gatineau and Google Analytics on one of my sites for about 3 months. I think that's plenty of time for me to give a fair analysis of both packages.

*Note that I am much more experienced with Google Analytics, so that might have some effect on my opinion. However, I'm trying to be as neutral as possible in this review.



1. User Interface / Usability:
Winner: Google Analytics
Why?: Google is king when it comes to user interfaces. (Not starting off so neutral, are we?) When I log into my Google Analytics account, I'm presented with a very useful dashboard. If the information I need isn't there by default, I can easily add it. On the other hand, Microsoft's Gatineau gives me a 3-layer calendar that allows me to select a date range by day, week, or month, with a single click. This might be useful if jumping from one date range to another was a frequent activity, but so far, it's not. This date-range picker takes up 4 inches above the fold on EVERY report! The two inches below that is a description of the report you're viewing, and below that is the graph for the report you chose. Unfortunately, half of it is below the fold!



Navigation through reports is done through a folder structure.



This isn't awful, but getting to the next level always requires 2 clicks. One to select the item and display the menu, and another to choose between demographics or diving a level deeper.


2. Useful Information
Winner:Google Analytics
Why?: This would be a tie because they both have all standard web analytics information, except Microsoft makes it so much harder to view the useful information. Sorry to go back to usability, but with the GA dashboard, I can view my most useful information on one screen. With Gatineau, it takes 12 to 20 clicks and 6-10 page loads just to get the same information.

3. Demographics
Winner: Microsoft Gatineau
Why?: Because Google doesn't have it. However, with this being Gatineau's claim to fame, I'm unimpressed. Over the past 3 months, I only have demographics information on about 20% of my visitors. Sure this information is useful for some things, but with 80% being unknown, I really don't know much more than I did before.

Overall Winner: Google Analytics!

Who didn't see that coming?

I was really hoping to write some good things about Microsoft Gatineau, but until they improve the user interface, I won't be leaving Google Analytics any time soon. Also note that Gatineau hasn't been officially released yet. There are some features which haven't even been activated, such as the emailing or exporting of reports. However, the framework of what's to come is there, and I have to say, it's no Google-killer.

I'd love to hear from other Gatineau users. Is there anyone out there that would choose Gatineau over Google Analytics?

Even though GA won this battle, I'd still encourage you try out Microsoft Gatineau and Google Analytics to decide for yourself.

I look forward to your comments.

- Jason Green

Google Analytics Data Sharing

Upon entering my Google Analytics account this evening, I was presented with a new request.

Google Analytics Data Sharing:

"In order to improve your experience with Google products, Google Analytics is updating its data sharing policy. You now have the ability to share your Analytics data with other Google services. This will improve integration, enable additional features in Google's advertising services (including Google Analytics, AdWords and AdSense) and improve your experience with these products."

The big question is: What do I get in return?

I'm all about open source and open information, but they're not really selling me on this one. If you go by the explanation above, it sounds like I get to improve Google. They can do this without me, I'm sure. There's also a bunch of fluff about improving my experience with their other services. "Additional Features"? How about a link?

My fear for this new "feature" is that it will be accepted by all of the less savvy Google Analytics users, while the businesses that took the time to set up their analytics accounts properly will decline to share. If that's the case, how valuable will the data be?

The Google Analytics Blog has a good writeup of what this is all about. It would have been nice if there was a link to this post from the opt-in message so I could check it out before sharing my analytics information.

This might actually be useful, but I think it will take a month or so before we have anything useful to compare.

I'm very interested to find out if anyone else is using this feature. If you've enabled the benchmarking feature and have gleaned useful information from it, please share it with us.

What is everyone else thinking about sharing your Google Analytics information with others?