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Web Marketing: How to Interpret Conversion Data in Google Analytics

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Updated:  
2016-03-26 16:12:40
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After tracking is set up for your web marketing site, the reporting tool shows you conversion data for your goals in a separate report. That data requires some interpretation. Here are a few examples of typical problems and opportunities you might find.

Identify costly keywords with Google Analytics

The first thing to look at is your list of keywords generating traffic to the site. Some of them are pulling their weight; others aren’t.

Here we show that one such keyword isn’t generating any revenue. If you’re spending money on a keyword, consider whether those are dollars well spent. You might want to let go of any keywords that aren’t generating revenue.

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Almost any paid search campaign, no matter how well managed, can benefit from an occasional review of actual conversion performance.

The hidden gold mine

Sometimes, one page or product on your site generates a far higher conversion rate than the others. A report like the content report with dollar index can reveal them.

In that report, it’s clear that one page is generating incredibly high value because it has a very high $ index. It might be a fluke; but then again, it might not. But it certainly pays to check.

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The great landing page

Along the same lines as the Hidden Gold Mine, conversion data can show you the one page on your site that drives the best or worst conversion rate when it acts as a landing page.

A landing page is any page from your site at which visitors from other sites arrive. They land there.

Because search engines and other websites link to whatever page on your site they choose, every page of your site could be a lander. So you need to spot which pages are becoming landing pages, and adjust them to best answer visitors’ questions.

Look at the report shown below. It shows a few pages that have become major landing points for visitors coming from other sites.

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You can use that data to find the landing pages that get the most traffic, and then make sure that they’re also driving proportional conversions. If they are, great! You’ve confirmed that things are working. If they aren’t, you can tweak them to do a better job.

About This Article

This article is from the book: 

About the book author:

John Arnold is a renowned marketing trainer and speaker as well as an entrepreneur and small business advisor. Arnold continues to train and advise small business owners as a Constant Contact regional development director.

Michael Becker is the managing director of North America at the Mobile Marketing Association. Becker has written more than 80 articles on mobile marketing and is an adjunct professor of mobile marketing at Golden Gate University.

Marty Dickinson is the president of HereNextYear.com, a company that combines writing, speaking, and internet strategy to help clients become recognized authorities in their fields. Dickinson also works as a business consultant to web designers and SEO specialists.

Ian Lurie has been a digital marketer for over 25 years. He created and sold the digital agency Portent, Inc. and provides consulting and training services.

Elizabeth Marsten is the senior director of strategic marketplace services for Tinuiti. Marsten has experience in Google AdWords, Microsoft Ads, Amazon Advertising, Facebook, and other platforms.