Architecture, processing, configuration, extending and auditing

Google analytics 301 is an in-depth, hands-on training day building on the knowledge acquired in analytics 101, 201 and 202. The course covers how Google Analytics works in detail including its architecture, hit processing and cookie technology as well as best practice deployment planning, configuration and set-up advice. The course also explains and demonstrates the many Google Analytics APIs for reading, writing and configuring data as well as advice, tips and examples for integrating Google Analytics into your organisation’s other systems, processes and technology. The day ends with a detailed audit process which helps asses your installation quality, health and completeness.

How will you benefit?

You will end the day with a detailed understanding of how Google Analytics works, how its many features should be configured and how to deploy Google Analytics in specific environments according to best practice. You will also learn how Google Analytics can be integrated and extended into other systems, technologies and processes to enhance your organisation’s data capture and analysis capabilities. You will also end the day with an audit score assessing your installation for data quality and feature use completeness through a detailed audit of your installation that you will complete yourself.

What is the Syllabus?

The day is split into four sessions, separated by a fifteen-minute break in the morning and afternoon, with a one-hour break for lunch. Registration opens at 9:00am and training starts promptly at 9:30am with the day finishing around 5:00pm.

Session 1 – Architecture, data collection and processing

• Introductions, your objectives and building your 301 action plan
• Understanding the Google account
• Auditing user access to your Google Analytics account *
• The Google Analytics Tracking Code (GATC)
• Understanding and analysing the Google Analytics hit
• Analysing the GA hit with Ghostery, Firebug, Google Tag Assist and the GA Chrome debugger
• Understanding and analysing Google Analytics Cookies
• Understanding and using the Google Analytics virtual pageview
• Understanding and exploring event tracking
• Understanding and exploring social interaction tracking
• Understanding and exploring e-commerce tracking
• Understanding and exploring enhanced e-commerce tracking
• Creating a new Google Analytics account, new web properties and new views
• Introducing and understanding Universal Analytics
• Introducing and understanding the Measurement Protocol

Session 2 – Deployment, configuration and set-up

• Deployment considerations - sub-domains, cross domains, iframe
• Understanding and deploying cross domain tracking
• Understanding and investigating self referrals
• Understanding and exploring traffic allocation
• Customising universal analytics behaviour via the user interface
• Customising universal analytics behaviour via coding customisations
• Editing your account settings *
• Understanding and complying with the Google Analytics terms of service
• Configuring your profile settings *
• Cleansing your data by excluding URL query parameters *
• Understanding and configuring site search *
• Understanding and configuring page grouping *
• Understanding and configuring error tracking *
• Understanding and using predefined filters *
• Understanding and using case transition filter *
• Understanding and using include and exclude filters *
• Understanding and using search and replace filters *
• Understanding and using common regular expressions *
• Understanding and using common advanced filters *
• Understanding and using common cascading advanced filters *

Session 3 – Extending and integrating

• Understanding and using user defined and custom variables
• Understanding and using custom dimensions and metrics
• Understanding and using data import
• Understanding and using the client ID
• Understanding and using the user ID
• Understanding and complying with the Google Analytics terms of service with User ID
• Defining and understanding native session stitching
• Defining and understanding advanced session stitching
• Understanding and using alternative user tracking methods
• Understanding and exploring user ID examples

Session 4 – The measurement protocol, APIs and auditing your installation

• Understanding and using the new measurement protocol API
• Understanding and using the Google Hit Builder
• Understanding and exploring measurement protocol examples
• Introducing the management API
• Introducing and using the Account Explorer
• Introducing the provisioning API
• Introducing the core reporting API
• Introducing and using the GA query explorer
• Introducing and using the GA spread sheet add-on
• Introducing the multi-channel funnel reporting API
• Introducing the real time reporting API
• Introducing the embed API for dash boarding
• Introducing the metadata API
• Introducing the dimensions and metrics explorer
• Some really useful API approved applications
• Auditing your installation for quality and compleatness
• Wrap up, conclusions, your action plan and feedback

* Google Analytics edit access required

What’s the format of the training?

For Google Analytics training, attendees will require on-line administration access to an active (recording some data) Google Analytics account and, if you are using Google AdWords, administrative access to a Google AdWords account for the duration of the training. If you do not have access to an active Google Analytics account, we can provide you with user access to a test account for the duration of the course. However, this is not as good as working with your own data!

A prerequisite of attending the 201 course is having completed the 101 course or possessing equivalent knowledge. A prerequisite of attending the 202 course is having completed the 201 course or possessing equivalent knowledge. Please examine the detailed syllabus of the day you intend to miss to make sure you are fully familiar with all concepts. A prerequisite of attending the 301 course is having completed the 101, 201 and 202 courses or possessing equivalent knowledge.

What did past attendees think?

All our attendees are asked to complete our continuous feedback survey and submit an honest, considered and fair review which we publish on our site and via eKomi. You can read these reviews on our site and on eKomi.