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Are you a content creator, not a numbers person? A writer, not a web analyst? A creative person who runs away screaming whenever someone starts talking about Google Analytics? This session is for you. Assessing your content is a basic part of any content strategy, and analytics?web, social media, and otherwise?are great tools to help content creators understand how effective their content is. We'll look at how to use the many tools at our disposal to get specific, actionable insights on your content and how to improve it. Find out the signs that show your content is doing its job, and the signs that show that things need a little work. Even if you don't consider yourself a numbers person, you can use analytics to help you create better web and social media content.
Citation preview
How toMeasure Everything
Michael PowersIndiana University of Pennsylvania
Analytics for Content Creators
#MeasureEverything
How toMeasure Everything
Michael PowersIndiana University of Pennsylvania
Analytics for Content Creators
*
#MeasureEverything
OK, not everything, but...*
OK, not everything, but...
• Ways to make your content better by measuring it
*
OK, not everything, but...
• Ways to make your content better by measuring it
• With numbers
*
OK, not everything, but...
• Ways to make your content better by measuring it
• With numbers
• Even if you’re not a “numbers person”
*
OK, not everything, but...
• Ways to make your content better by measuring it
• With numbers
• Even if you’re not a “numbers person”
• “Micro” analytics
*
About Me
About Me
• Director of Electronic Communications at Indiana University of Pennsylvania
About Me
• Director of Electronic Communications at Indiana University of Pennsylvania
• Taught web writing at Higher Ed Experts
About Me
• Director of Electronic Communications at Indiana University of Pennsylvania
• Taught web writing at Higher Ed Experts
• Coded first HTML in 1993
About Me
• Director of Electronic Communications at Indiana University of Pennsylvania
• Taught web writing at Higher Ed Experts
• Coded first HTML in 1993
• Ph.D. in English
About Me
• Director of Electronic Communications at Indiana University of Pennsylvania
• Taught web writing at Higher Ed Experts
• Coded first HTML in 1993
• Ph.D. in English
• @mjpowers
About You
• Writer
• Designer
• “Content creator”
• Not a big Google Analytics user
Analyticsare for
everyone.
“Not everything that can “be counted counts, and “not everything that“counts can be counted.”
“Not everything that can “be counted counts, and “not everything that“counts can be counted.”
—William Bruce Cameron
“Not everything that can “be counted counts, and “not everything that“counts can be counted.”
—William Bruce Cameron
“a data-driven life is “the sexiest digital “life you can imagine.”
—Avinash Kaushik
Or, do it for your boss. He loves data.
Or, do it for your boss. He loves data.
(Not my actual boss)
Readability1
Measure
Readability scores measure how easy to
read a text is.
Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.
4 sentences72 words90 syllables
Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.
Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level Formula
0.39 × (words ÷ sentences)
+ 11.8 × (syllables ÷ words)
− 15.59
read-able.com
read-able.com
read-able.com
Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.
Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level: 6.2
Our undergraduate and graduate classes are designed to offer future journalists—and private and public sector leaders who will interact with them—a thorough understanding of the role of the press in the policy making process. Through instruction and internships, students learn about the principles and the practice of journalism, while mastering the broader background of studies in public policy, politics, economics, history and other liberal arts.
2 sentences67 words113 syllables
Our undergraduate and graduate classes are designed to offer future journalists—and private and public sector leaders who will interact with them—a thorough understanding of the role of the press in the policy making process. Through instruction and internships, students learn about the principles and the practice of journalism, while mastering the broader background of studies in public policy, politics, economics, history and other liberal arts.
2 sentences67 words113 syllables
Grade Level: 17.4
We don’t need elevators.We’re only going to put athletes in this dorm.
• Makes web reading easier, even for highly skilled readers
• Readers read more, understand more
• Readable content gets shared more often
• Easy to check
Why care about readability?
Solutions for poor readability
• Shorter words
• Shorter sentences
• Less passive voice
• Less jargon
A LITTLE BIT OF A TUMBLER.
A shining indication of yellow consists in there having been more of the same color than could have been expected when all four were bought. This was the hope which made the six and seven have no use for any more places and this necessarily spread into nothing. Spread into nothing.
A LITTLE BIT OF A TUMBLER.
A shining indication of yellow consists in there having been more of the same color than could have been expected when all four were bought. This was the hope which made the six and seven have no use for any more places and this necessarily spread into nothing. Spread into nothing.
“See what I mean?”
“Data is your eyes, “not your brain.”
—Colleen Jones
A report tostart with
•Content
•Site Content
•All Pages
A report tostart with
•Content
•Site Content
•All Pages
Pages from Your Site
Pages from Your Site
Measurements
Not as useful for content creators• Entrances
• % Exit
Pageviews2
Measure
“Um, yeah, if we “could more hits on “the website—that “would be great.”
“Um, yeah, if we “could more hits on “the website—that “would be great.”
(Also not my actual boss)
Pageviews: how many times a page has been loaded into a browser.
Why not hits?
• A hit is the download of a single file
• 1 page = 10, 20, 30 or more files
High pageviews aren’t always a success
High pageviews aren’t always a success
Low pageviews aren’t always a content issue
Low pageviews aren’t always a content issue• Navigation is difficult
• Page is orphaned
• Maybe the link didn't get sent out in that e-mail
• The server is offline
Solutions for low pageviews
Solutions for low pageviews
• Improve readability
Solutions for low pageviews
• Improve readability
• Improve utility to users
Solutions for low pageviews
• Improve readability
• Improve utility to users
• Improve Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
• Not just a content issue
• Right keywords in the right places
Solutions for low pageviews
• Improve readability
• Improve utility to users
• Improve Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
• Not just a content issue
• Right keywords in the right places
Solutions for low pageviews
• Improve readability
• Improve utility to users
• Improve Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
• Not just a content issue
• Right keywords in the right places
http://moz.com/beginner
s-guide-to-seo
One more thing about pageviews...
One more thing about pageviews...
$2.1 Million
Average Salary in This Elevator
If pageviews are low, other scores may not mean much
Engagement measures
• Bounce rate
• Avg. Time on Page
Bounce Rate3
Measure
A bounce is a one-page visit.
The bounce rate is the % of visits to that page
that bounce.
36 entrances ÷ 23 bounces =63.89% bounce rate
What does it mean?
“I came,“I saw,“I puked.”
So a lower bounce rate is better
So a lower bounce rate is better
Except when it’s not
So a lower bounce rate is better
Except when it’s not
Solutions for a high bounce rate• Is there an audience that hits this page
with the wrong expectations?
• Are there useful links on the page? Anyplace to go?
• Does the content actually interest people?
Solutions for a high bounce rate• Is there an audience that hits this page
with the wrong expectations?
• Are there useful links on the page? Anyplace to go?
• Does the content actually interest people?
Solutions for a high bounce rate• Is there an audience that hits this page
with the wrong expectations?
• Are there useful links on the page? Anyplace to go?
• Does the content actually interest people?
Solutions for a high bounce rate• Is there an audience that hits this page
with the wrong expectations?
• Are there useful links on the page? Anyplace to go?
• Does the content actually interest people?
Solutions for a high bounce rate• Make it shorter
• Improve readability
Avg. Time on Page4
Measure
Avg. Time on Page is—the average for all visitors to that page.
Bounces are averaged in as 0.
Longer can be better
Longer can be better
Except when it’s not
Except when it’s not
What’s a good avg. time on page?• Average reading speed is 200–250 wpm
• Words on page ÷ 200 = minutes needed to read the page
1,214 words ÷ 200 = 6 minutes
Solutions for low time on page
Solutions for low time on page
• Make it shorter
Solutions for low time on page
• Make it shorter
• Improve readability
Solutions for low time on page
• Make it shorter
• Improve readability
• Make sure content interests your audience
Solutions for low time on page
• Make it shorter
• Improve readability
• Make sure content interests your audience
• Delete the page
How do we use more of our brains here?
Bounce Rate: 95%
Navigation Summary
92% enter on this page
92% enter on this page
92% enter on this page
93% exit from this page
92% enter on this page
93% exit from this page
Segmentation
How did they get to the site?Segment by Source
How did they get to the site?Segment by Source
How did they get to the site?Segment by Source
Are they new to the site?Segment by Visitor Type
Are they new to the site?Segment by Visitor Type
Are they new to the site?Segment by Visitor Type
Where are they?Segment by Metro
Where are they?Segment by Metro
Where are they?Segment by Metro
Were they on mobile?
Were they on mobile?
Were they on mobile?
What’s a Good Score?
It depends
Grade me! Look at me! Evaluate and rank me!
I’m good, good, good and oh so smart! GRADE ME!
Problems with analytics
• Sites are different
• Google Analytics installs can be different
• Goals are different
• Analytics isn’t always accurate...
40?
40?
40?
40?
40?40?
“So what you’re“saying is that all“these numbers“are meaningless.”
Use analytics data in comparison• With last week, last month, last year
• With similar pages on your website
• Dept. vs. dept.
• Major page vs. major page
Goals
Higher ed goals1. Get students
2. Help students, faculty, and alumni succeed
3. Get donations to keep doing 1. and 2.
Higher ed goals1. Get students
2. Help students, faculty, and alumni succeed
3. Get donations to keep doing 1. and 2.$
Higher ed web goals
• Attract potential students
• Get applications
• Help students find _____
• Engage alumni
• Take donations
Higher ed web goals
• Attract potential students
• Get applications
• Help students find _____
• Engage alumni
• Take donations$
GA allows these as goals
• Getting to a page
• Clicking on something
• Seeing a certain number of pages
• Staying a certain number of minutes
Set up goals in Google Analytics
Donation [donation value]
Application $???
Visit registration $???
Set up goals in Google Analytics
Donation [donation value]
Application $200
Visit registration $100
Set up goals in Google Analytics
Donation [donation value]
Application $2,000
Visit registration $1,000
“So now you’re“just making the“numbers up?”
Page Value5
Measure
Page value is...
Value of any “transactions” that happen
after a visit to this page
÷
Number of unique
pageviews for this page
Home Page Admissions B.S. in Math
Visit CampusVisit Sign-Up
FormThanks for Registering
Home Page Admissions B.S. in Math
Visit CampusVisit Sign-Up
FormThanks for Registering
$100
Home Page Admissions B.S. in Math
Visit CampusVisit Sign-Up
FormThanks for Registering
$100$20$20
$20$20$20
Solutions for low page value
• Is this page related to a goal?
• Shorter, more readable, include calls to action
• Usability test
• Content experiment
Sharing Data6
Measure
Various kinds of sharing data tell you how often your web content has been shared on
social networks
Shared Count
AddThis/ShareThis
AddThis/ShareThis
• Better readability, shorter content
• Better metadata
• Know your audience
• Read Dan Zarrella’s Hierarchy of Contagiousness
Solutions for low sharing rate
• Better readability, shorter content
• Better metadata
• Know your audience
• Read Dan Zarrella’s Hierarchy of Contagiousness
Solutions for low sharing rate
• Better readability, shorter content
• Better metadata
• Know your audience
• Read Dan Zarrella’s Hierarchy of Contagiousness
Solutions for low sharing rate
• Better readability, shorter content
• Better metadata
• Know your audience
• Read Dan Zarrella’s Hierarchy of Contagiousness
Solutions for low sharing rate
• Better readability, shorter content
• Better metadata
• Know your audience
• Read Dan Zarrella’s Hierarchy of Contagiousness
Solutions for low sharing rate
Social Media Engagement
7Measure
Followers
Engagement
Shares/Actions
From follower to “customer”
Followers
Engagement
Shares/Actions
From follower to “customer”
Social media engagement measures show how many of your followers interact with
your content.
Most go something like this:
clicks ÷ posts ÷ followers
This gives you the percentage of followers who engage with each post.
What’s a click?
Facebook Twitter
Like Mention
Comment Retweet
Share Link click
So the formula forFacebook would be:
(likes + comments + shares) ÷ posts ÷ followers
(30,286 likes +703 comments + 7,170 shares) ÷
1 post ÷ 4,165,311 fans =
(30,286 likes +703 comments + 7,170 shares) ÷
1 post ÷ 4,165,311 fans =
0.92% engagement
“0.92%? That’s tiny. “George Takei is “bad at social “media.”
(101,010 likes +2,266 comments +
9,144 shares) ÷ 2 posts ÷
4,165,311 fans =1.35% engagement
But isn’t a share or a comment worth more than a like?
The Varsity Outreach Formula
The Varsity Outreach Formula
The Varsity Outreach Formula
(30,286 likes +703 comments + 7,170 shares) ÷
1 post ÷ 4,165,311 fans =
0.92% engagement
(30,286 likes × 2 +703 comments × 2 +
7,170 shares) ÷ 1 post ÷
4,165,311 fans =1.66% engagement
(30,286 likes × 2 +703 comments × 2 +
7,170 shares) ÷ 1 post ÷
4,165,311 fans × 1,000 =
1,660 engagement
Choose a formula that works for you and stick with it.
Putting It All Together
So, how’s our content doing?
Content analytics spreadsheet
Content analytics spreadsheet
Content analytics spreadsheet
The Measures1. Readability
2. Pageviews
3. Bounce Rate
4. Avg. Time on Page
5. Page Value
6. Sharing Data
7. Social Media Engagement
Questions?
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