Google Analytics Page Speed Now Available

I’ve mentioned recently about the importance of web page speed as a factor in search engine ranking. Such measurement was considered under the premise of user experience. Google wants the process of information search fairly quick, and search engine users would probably choose fast loading sites over the slower ones. In addition, slower loading pages also influence Google AdWords landing page quality.

Surely, as website owners and not just SEO people, we like to measure this metric and evaluate if our website is loading as fast as it should be. Otherwise, we may need to review our coding practice, or have a word with out web hosting provider.

Continue reading Google Analytics Page Speed Now Available

How to Track Offline Campaigns for Local SEO

Google has been more caring when it comes to accommodating search queries that contain local modifiers. In the past when someone uses location + keyword, Google tries to find results based on conventional means. That is, look for the pages that match based mainly on the presence of these keyword combinations, and to a later extent, relevance of inbound links and anchor text.

Effective advertising: Hong Kong MTR can use such campaign to help discourage last second dash on closing doors. Source: thepirata.com

Now Google serves results more geared towards local flavor. The search engine giant is increasingly focusing on serving local results and local modifiers are sometimes not even a necessary part of search queries.

Continue reading How to Track Offline Campaigns for Local SEO

Why Google Analytics Users Can’t Remove Profiles?

Ever since I started using Google Analytics and serving clients in their website analytics reports, I have about 50 or so accounts tied to a personal Google account. Some of these accounts have up to six sub profiles for internal website segmentation.

Yet about a third of these accounts are no longer accessible because I no longer work for a client and the owner or administrator removed my access privilege. To my frustration, their account remains in the list. To get rid of this unwanted listing, administrators have to either a) Remove the profile completely or b) Remove my email address in the list of allowed access. If they don’t, the list would only grow, with some of them I really don’t need or want to access.

Sample of unwanted Google Analytics profile.

Continue reading Why Google Analytics Users Can’t Remove Profiles?

8 Things to Check When Relaunching Your Website

Revamping a website is an exciting time. For a company’s online presence, it’s an opportunity to portray a new look and follow a new brand direction. But it is also a time to be reasonably nervous as bugs, misspelled words or malfunctioning forms can arise anytime. In SEO, there are also things we need to pay attention to. Some are done way before a website relaunch takes place; others need to be performed at the very moment the site goes live.

Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/studio5/

I guess a common question asked by webmasters and website owners is “I have a new website revamped, what must I do to ensure I don’t lose my search engine rankings?” If you are about to embark into a website revamp or about to sign off that redesign project, here’s a simple checklist for your guidance.

Continue reading 8 Things to Check When Relaunching Your Website

URL Builder for Google Analytics

Overview
Google Analytics’ URL Builder is a tool that allows us to associate offline and online marketing initiatives into our Google Analytics reports. Using this tool enables us to scientifically pinpoint an under-performing or overachieving channels and help us make better business decisions.

For example, you have promoted your products listed on your website and decided to use print media like SCMP or Apple Daily, or outdoor billboard using POAD or JCDecaux with your product URL prominently placed on these ads. Now, when someone visits your product page, how do you know they are actually readers of SCMP or pedestrians passing by the bus stop billboard at Jardine House? By using URL Builder you can figure it out!

Continue reading URL Builder for Google Analytics