[Web4lib] Google Analytics

Cary Gordon listuser at chillco.com
Mon Feb 22 09:09:41 EST 2010


While this is true, you can put calls to the GA js library, which has
tools for this purpose.

What you cannot do is track calls made directly to a file. If that is
a must you could configure your system so that files could not be
downloaded directly and force users through a trackable intermediary
page.

Thanks,

Cary

On Sun, Feb 21, 2010 at 5:00 PM, Alan Cockerill
<alan.cockerill at jcu.edu.au> wrote:
> And further to GA's limitations is that you can't put javascript in pdfs,
> podcasts or other binary files.
>
> It's still pretty sexy though.
>
> Alan Cockerill
> Library Technologies Coordinator
> James Cook University
>
> PO Box 6811
> CAIRNS QLD 4870
> Phone:+61 7 4042 1737
> Fax: +61 7 4042 1516
> Email: Alan.Cockerill at jcu.edu.au
> Skype: alan.cockerill.jcu
> Web: http://cms.jcu.edu.au/libcomp/assist/contacts/JCUPRD_017401
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>
>
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>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: web4lib-bounces at webjunction.org
> [mailto:web4lib-bounces at webjunction.org] On Behalf Of John Bickar
> Sent: Saturday, 20 February 2010 3:23 AM
> To: Web4lib at webjunction.org
> Subject: Re: [Web4lib] Google Analytics
>
> Hi all,
>
> I just wanted to add that, although GA is quite powerful and useful, one
> of its limitations is that it it only tracks usage for visitors who have
> Javascript turned on and aren't blocking it for your site.
>
> Comparing and contrasting GA stats with server logs (using something
> such as AWStats for Apache) will yield more reliable data than GA alone.
>
> Also, Google's Webmaster Tools
> <https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/> provides some data that GA
> doesn't.
>
> -John Bickar
> Stanford University Libraries
>
>
>
> Kozlowski,Brendon wrote:
>> Just as a followup to Stacey's solution to link tracking...  Using the
> trackPageviews method will also increase your overall
> visitor/visits/pageviews hit counts for your own domain.  Since this is
> probably what you want on some of your links, that's a great solution - just
> be sure that if you're tracking outbound links to other websites that are
> not your own you do one of two things:
>>
>> 1. Set up your account to separate the external links as something
> separate
>> ...or...
>> 2. Use event tracking as suggested by someone else for external links not
> part of your own domain/website structure.
>>
>> That way your overall stats figures aren't off their expected margin by
> leaps and bounds.  :)  Google Analytics is quite powerful, and there are
> books written specifically for it. See if your institution has one or two,
> and if not, perhaps it's time to get a copy.  Enjoy!
>>
>>
>>
>> Brendon Kozlowski
>> Web Administrator
>> Saratoga Springs Public Library
>> 49 Henry Street
>> Saratoga Springs, NY, 12866
>> [518] 584-7860 x217
>>
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-- 
Cary Gordon
The Cherry Hill Company
http://chillco.com




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