Google Analytics - How Accurate is it?
Google Analytics - How Accurate is it?
Today, as it is said, that Google is the gateway to Internet and it’s the first page of Internet; I believe that Google is the Internet and so do might a lot of you. You type it and Google will give it to you; not only from search but the add-on services it provides.
Although our discussion is not about what Google is but it’s about what Google is not. My findings tell me that Google is not 100% accurate neither with Search nor with Analytics. Search Engine Optimizers know the fact about Google Search’s accuracy and they would never want me to reveal the secrets. As far as Google Analytics is concerned I think everyone’s looking for answers that are not yet part of Google Analytics’ online help and support. How Accurate is Google Analytics?
For past two months I conducted a couple of simple experiments. I placed a lead capturing page which redirected the user to a “thank-you” page on form completion. I shall not disclose the name of the website on which I placed the form but I’ll definitely share the results.
On analyzing the data over this period of time Google showed “679” conversions for my Lead Capturing goal. This meant that the “thank-you” was hit 679 times as per Google Analytics. But to my surprise the number of records in my database was “792”. I could realize the reasons behind this difference to be the JavaScript used in the analytics code (as many of us believe) or users’ behavior which intends them to exit the browser window before the “thank-you” page gets fully loaded.
I still felt that the JavaScript problem was not a concrete reason for such a big drop-out in the numbers. So, for the second month I planted the Google analytics script in the action event of the submit button. So this meant that whenever someone hits the submit button on successful completion, a goal is accomplished and this increments the number of tracked goals by one. Again the result was as spoofy as the previous one. The tracked goal conversions numbered at 1160 and the actual stored records were 1367.
The calculations actually tell me that Google Analytics is 85.26% accurate. I gave it an 86% accuracy score keeping in mind the JavaScript problem which includes browser incompatibility with JavaScript or any other issues a user might have running scripts.
The results obtained from these simple experiments tell us that what you see is not what you actually got. I think getting a lower estimate is far better than a higher one and then actually recording lesser goal conversions.
Now obviously, questions rise on the reliability of Google Analytics. I believe that relying on Google Analytics is not a mistake. All we need to do is to use this tool only for having estimates and studying the visitor behavior to have plans. In parallel we should also have our own ways of determining goal conversions to most accurate point if not the actual conversions. Using Google Analytics to study new search trends ad on-going demand by the visitors is again a reason to let Google go with an 86% accuracy score. This altogether will help the web-masters community for their better.
So now lets pray for Google Analytics to get better or some equally power alternatives to jump in.
Google Analytics How Accurate is it - To learn more about this author, visit Abhishek Bhardwaj's Website.
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Article:
Today, as it is said, that Google is the gateway to Internet and it’s the first page of Internet; I believe that Google is the Internet and so do might a lot of you. You type it and Google will give it to you; not only from search but the add-on services it provides.
Although our discussion is not about what Google is but it’s about what Google is not. My findings tell me that Google is not 100% accurate neither with Search nor with Analytics. Search Engine Optimizers know the fact about Google Search’s accuracy and they would never want me to reveal the secrets. As far as Google Analytics is concerned I think everyone’s looking for answers that are not yet part of Google Analytics’ online help and support. How Accurate is Google Analytics?
For past two months I conducted a couple of simple experiments. I placed a lead capturing page which redirected the user to a “thank-you” page on form completion. I shall not disclose the name of the website on which I placed the form but I’ll definitely share the results.
On analyzing the data over this period of time Google showed “679” conversions for my Lead Capturing goal. This meant that the “thank-you” was hit 679 times as per Google Analytics. But to my surprise the number of records in my database was “792”. I could realize the reasons behind this difference to be the JavaScript used in the analytics code (as many of us believe) or users’ behavior which intends them to exit the browser window before the “thank-you” page gets fully loaded.
I still felt that the JavaScript problem was not a concrete reason for such a big drop-out in the numbers. So, for the second month I planted the Google analytics script in the action event of the submit button. So this meant that whenever someone hits the submit button on successful completion, a goal is accomplished and this increments the number of tracked goals by one. Again the result was as spoofy as the previous one. The tracked goal conversions numbered at 1160 and the actual stored records were 1367.
The calculations actually tell me that Google Analytics is 85.26% accurate. I gave it an 86% accuracy score keeping in mind the JavaScript problem which includes browser incompatibility with JavaScript or any other issues a user might have running scripts.
The results obtained from these simple experiments tell us that what you see is not what you actually got. I think getting a lower estimate is far better than a higher one and then actually recording lesser goal conversions.
Now obviously, questions rise on the reliability of Google Analytics. I believe that relying on Google Analytics is not a mistake. All we need to do is to use this tool only for having estimates and studying the visitor behavior to have plans. In parallel we should also have our own ways of determining goal conversions to most accurate point if not the actual conversions. Using Google Analytics to study new search trends ad on-going demand by the visitors is again a reason to let Google go with an 86% accuracy score. This altogether will help the web-masters community for their better.
So now lets pray for Google Analytics to get better or some equally power alternatives to jump in.
Google Analytics How Accurate is it - To learn more about this author, visit Abhishek Bhardwaj's Website.
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