1. Strategies for improving Web site performance
Google Webmaster Tools + Google Analytics
Marshall Breeding Director for Innovative Technologies and Research
Vanderbilt University

2. Abstract
With the investments that libraries make in developing websites, it is critical to constantly measure use levels, discern patterns and trends, and spot hotspots and areas of strengths, as well as areas that aren’t working like you anticipated. Google Analytics, a free service offering a very sophisticated approach to website analytics, enables libraries to use methodologies well tuned in the ecommerce arena such as action-oriented web development and search engine optimization. Breeding demonstrates how he uses Google Analytics to assist in the management of sites such as Library Technology Guides, the Vanderbilt Television News Archive, and components of the Vanderbilt University Library’s web presence.

3. Objective Determine whether your web site meets its goals
Are there usability issues with the site?
Are parts of the Web site invisible?
Understand normal use patterns
Mode of constant improvement
Action / Goal oriented change

4. Enterprise approach to analytics
Multiplicity of Resources to track
Web Servers
OPACS
E-Resources
Databases
Repositories
Important to track the flow of use among all the library’s Web-based resources
Beyond the library: study flow to and from higher-level Web sites and portals (University -> Courseware -> Library)

5. Collection and Measurement
Multiple techniques
Server logs
Third party collection

6. Web server logs
Web servers are routinely configured to record detailed information about each request. Common elements include:
File requested
Date / time stamp
Status code
Request directive (get, post, head)
Referrer (where the user came from)
User agent (browser and platform data)

7. Exploiting referral data
The query string component of the referrer can be parsed to reveal search terms and other interesting information
User typed “september 11 television archive” in Google to find our site
Important to study how users get to your site
[example: TV News Public Web queries vs OpenWeb)

8. Google Analytics Data Does not use Web server logs
Based on data sent dynamically based on Google Web site
Complete URL
Including referral data
IP / Domain of requestor
Aggregated patterns of use
Personally identifiable data?

9. Analysis methodology Go beyond simply counting pages Identify Sessions
Categorize users
Determine use patterns
Measure interest
Time spent on Web site
Bounce rate
Page overlay analysis

10. Move from measurement to impact
Establish site goals
Benchmark current use
Implement goal oriented improvements
Measure impact
Repeat as needed
(Example: enhancement of TV News OpenWeb)

11. Appropriate data filtering
Requests from indexing bots (crawlers) can skew statistics
Count user requests and bot requests separately
Performance monitors
Link checkers
Monitoring crawler activity is an important component of SEO and Web site discoverability strategies.
Note: Different analytics products may involve different ways of counting bot traffic.

12. Resource Discovery Few users begin with library Web sites
How do users get to your site?
Track performance of the Web site relative to major search engines
SEO – Search engine optimization

13. Web Discovery TV-NewsSearch Database Web TV News Web site
Sucessful search Terms:
“tv news” “vanderbilt tv archive”
“vanderbilt television news archive”
“news archives”
Search and Retrieval
+ e-commerce request
system
TV-NewsSearch Database

14. OpenWeb Strategy TV-NewsSearch Database Web TV News Web site OpenWeb
Mirror Site
Generate 805,000+
Static Pages
Search and Retrieval
+ e-commerce request
system
Successful search Terms:
All words and phrases in
TV-NewsSearch Database
TV-NewsSearch Database

15. Implementation Details
Create OpenWeb mirror site
Static Web page for each database record
Design each page to maximize content terms exposed to Google
Funnel users to existing site
Not meant to be an alternative interface

16. Search engine optimization
Strategy to make your site more visible in Internet search engines: Index > page rank
Tune site structure and page content to maximize exposure in search engines
Systematic harvesting of pages from Web site
Use of XML Sitemap API can help
Monitor with Google Webmaster tools
Monitor with Google Analytics
Action-oriented incremental changes

17. Sitemap Protocol
XML specification for systematically submitting URLs that represent a Web site
Makes indexing more efficient but does not affect PageRank
SiteMap interface provides utilities for monitoring how the site has been indexed with some analytical information on terms used to find your Web site.
Originally proposed by Google, now used by Yahoo, Microsoft and others
See: sitemap.org

18. Webmasters Tools Submit Sitemaps Monitor harvesting of sitemaps
Robots.txt
Keyword performance

19. Google Sitemap
Details

20. Google Sitemap
Sitemap Details

21. Google Sitemap
Top search queries

22. Sitemap Protocol
Sitemap.xml

23. Sitemap Protocol

24. Measuring Web Site Use Log-based tools Analog (basic / free)
Web Trends
NetTracker
Urchin
External perspective
Google Analytics

25. Google Analytics Free tool available for measuring Web site use
Based on data sent from Web server to Google
No personally identifiable data transmitted
Javascript snippet added to each page

26. Google Analytics Visits Pageviews Trends over time Content
Traffic sources

27. Goal-oriented analytics
Define Goals
Measure site performance through completed goals
Funnels

28. Google Analytics
Selection Menu

29. Google Analytics
Dashboard

30. Google Analytics
Visitors

31. Google Analytics
Two Factors

32. Google Analytics
Visitors by Country

33. Google Analytics
Keywords

34. Google Analytics
Referring Sites

35. Google Analytics
Content by Title

36. Google Analytics
Goals

37. Google Analytics
Goal Conversion

38. Google Analytics
Ecommerce

39. Questions and Discussion