Review
“… a good, in-depth guide to this service and all of its various settings.” (Jem Matzan, TheJemReport.com, January 2007) “…invaluable…If you are starting out with Analytics, or even if you are reasonably expert, this book is well worth the investment.” (Performance Measurement and Metrics, May 2007)”… a good, in-depth guide to this service and all of its various settings.” (Jem Matzan, TheJemReport.com, January 2007) “…invaluable…If you are starting out …
Buy Google Analytics, 3rd Edition at Amazon
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Google Analytics is one of the best finds for those of us who find ourselves technically-challenged in a technically-heavy world.
This book covers every possible aspect of Google Analytics. I found the language simple, without talking down to anyone. By the time I had completed it, all my questions were fully answered.
I highly recommend Google Analytics to anyone who wants a down-to-earth explanation of the ins and outs of Google Analytics.
In a nutshell, Google’s Analytics service is a web traffic analyzer and marketing performance manager provided for free to anyone with a Google account, but especially geared to those who participate in their AdWords program. This book serves as an introduction and walkthrough guide to Google’s Analytics service for those that do not already know about it. The authors have written this title in a in a “for dummies” format, primarily for small web site authors and bloggers that have not had experience in web traffic analysis software before.
Google Analytics is a mixed bag of content, and it is really up to the reader to determine if the amount of time invested reading the book is paying off more than simply scouting Google’s Analytics site and reading all of Google’s on-line help would. Many chapters are little more than walkthroughs of the Google screens, providing explanations of the obvious, rehashes of the on-line help, and excessive screenshots (often one per page), all of which is very often presented in that cutesy writing style popular today in computer books aimed at beginners. The authors also make the assumption that software in use on their system is in use on yours. As an example, an entire chapter is dedicated to reviewing another web site analyzer, AWStats, without ever actually introducing where it came from, how you can get it, the basic usage of it, etc.
If you do not actually read the book from cover to cover, but rather read only sections relevant to your needs, readers can often find very valuable information. An example of this is chapter 6, “Filtering Your Data”, where the authors thoroughly go over not just how to create filters, but how to create more intelligent filters using Regular Expressions, a more difficult topic I was surprised to find handled so well. Because the book is well organized and divided, readers may find that the title can serve as a spot reference for areas within the Analytics service where Google’s help is not readily apparent, or where a different phrasing or a specific example is more beneficial.
If you are already successfully using Google’s Analytics service or are a more seasoned webmaster, this title will not provide you with additional information or advanced tips. However, if you are new to analyzing web traffic for your small web site or blog, this is a good introduction to Google’s service.