Web Analytics With Patrick Ludolph
The subject of analysis is extremely important for Search Engine Optimization. Only by comprehensive analytic measures, you can be sure to be on the right track and to identify new potential and trends early. SEO succeeds if not only loads generated traffic but positively correlated quality traffic with the own goals…
Patrick employs several years on his weblog Web Analytics News with the subject web analysis. He also runs a podcast just on this subject for some time. We had to speak opportunity… on the subject of analysis with Patrick
Patrick, thank you that you yourself have agreed to this interview. Introduce times you our readers.
Patrick Ludolph is P. Ludolph: As already said. I come from the supposedly non-existent city, am resettled but before two years in Hamburg. With the Internet I am dealing since around 1994 someone Gopher something says? This was my gateway drug before the WWW. All with hand built websites began then, 1995 I was studying at Humboldt State in Northern California where a Prof fully on the WWW. Since I gave the first HTML courses together with him. At that time it was fun to search engines as the WWWW (World Wide Web worm) but at search engine optimization I thought not. It was only much later, around around 2002 / 2003. Because everything to Google turned and I am just on the train. At the time was my clients websites to optimize, therefore primarily on site optimization.
I found access numbers already always exciting tried pretty much any logfile Analyzer was hands. It was really exciting then took Google Urchin and Google Analytics of the broad mass was accessible. Past eternally long logfile analysis time finally data with which to the behaviour of the user on the website and the behavior of the Web server could examine. I worked for two large online agencies in the field of SEO and Web Analytics, then before I am switched to a provider of Web analytics software last year. Here is my role in advising the clients. It comes true action instructions derive the figures because often company spends a lot of money for Web analytics software and create a huge data tomb is thus. I am helping with our tool to use, that it can benefit also and counts not only PIs ;-)
In your XING profile is read that you not only like to in Web statistics, but also in the water. Ever met a shark?
P. Ludolph: Yes, in fact. Two years ago at the stone reef in Egypt. Which was so far away that I could not caress it. Is but impressive.
We come back to the actual subject to speak. In SEO circles, the issue of Web analysis is often raised. I think very important personal analysis. Why is it not often discussed? It is generally underestimated or SEOs rather trust their sense of design?
P. Ludolph: I think here we must distinguish between SEOs serving their own projects and their knowledge monetarism and the SEOs involved for large enterprises. If you work for a corporation, then have to you any manure and justify any decision in any way. I created the on site Optimization Guide for a group. These optimizations cost but a lot of money because a lot of resources used for programming in the CMS and maintaining content. For the change of title tags, meta tags and Headlines alone the Agency has estimated an amount. Can an amount is not output if you do not clearly show why, why, and why. The numbers of Web analytics tools were behind very helpful, especially when it comes to success.
An experienced SEO you need to not but say what effect the measures can have. Know that easy and makes and provides a few days later the success to his bank account ;-)
Another point is from my point of view, that SEO is today but to a large extent on the site going, but off site. Web Analytics is but mainly it employs what happens on the page, what the users there are and how you can optimize the page for the visitors. However, I think that every SEO should deal with the issue because something to convert it to another is to get the traffic to the page.
Furthermore, I am quite sure that all SEOs dealing with Web Analytics, is like some other SEO topics halt only not so hot.
Many understand Web analysis as observing their admissions. Web analysis is however much more complex. What do you understand the term and what is the real value?
P. Ludolph: Web analysis is an integral part of online marketing for me. It is the online experience to improve the visitor to my site in fact. If the user feels comfortable, it back, remains more and eventually also buys. Web analysis allows now to make decisions based on data from me and from within the abdomen. Often discussed as of the design. How much must be the font, the color must have the teaser with or without image? There are then various drafts and proposals and at the end, who is the longest in the company or most is in the hierarchy will win. You take the emotions from the discussion with a Web analytics tool and say simply: “Let it try us out”. It tests two or three instances in a limited period and afterward the numbers say what works best for you very carefully. Can you do of course with a complete relaunch, but have to apply to small limited areas and elements. Therefore I believe that a major relaunch is pure waste of money. Small continuous and measurable changes are much cheaper, faster and more efficient. Also, you may then sometimes take a wrong decision without equal losing his job. Introduce what would happen if you make a relaunch and then go the admissions in the cellar you. Because without many agencies prefer the analysis and mention dead the issue.
If you are seriously running Web analysis you can decisions but much better and more effective so that, as even when it comes to allocate a budget to various marketing channels.
When worth Web analysis, how many visitors should you have at least?
P. Ludolph: This is no question of the number of visitors, but only the objectives I track of the Web page. I know of highly specialized companies which produce sinfully expensive machines and sell all over the world. The website has no 50 visitors a day, but each is, there lands worth much.
Should just SEOs what do to improve their Web analysis?
P. Ludolph: Should contact concrete and especially measurable objectives first. Then goes off with data collection and one enters a loop system. I checked on the data, consider what I could do better, change this and fair again. Specifically for SEOs conversion optimization will be very exciting. This must be a conversion not always purchase or clicking an affiliate link, but may be also the end read is an article on a content page. It is not always easy to measure such objectives but with some creativity, it is already.
Often Web pages are matched only by their admissions. How are you on the issue: much prefer good traffic or traffic?
P. Ludolph: Traffic you can basically never enough have ;-) but of course has to be “good”, because otherwise it is useless. But more Traffic you have, the greater the likelihood that also “good” visitors are. Often it is however easier conversion rate to optimize to get as more traffic.
Who tried different Web analysis tools, will find some major differences. Why are these differences within the tool?
P. Ludolph: It has several reasons. On one hand there are internal processes. Millions Page impressions must be bundled in sessions. There are however no standards, but each tool is different. One of the greatest traps is implementation. We believe many simply a Javascript snippet into the page and here we go. This is the best way to inaccurate data. You should treat implement Web analytics systems as a software project including QA.
And which tool is the engender wool milk bilge now?
P. Ludolph: It depends on my objectives, the complexity of my site and my marketing activities. It is important to remember that the tool alone only a small fraction. The work is made still with brain lard. As I work for a tool provider I would recommend a specialized tool :-)
What is the good old log files? You used still log files for your evaluations or completely vertebrate you on what your tools?
P. Ludolph: I use almost no longer no log files. Only in technical analyses, if I want to know as to drive what spider or bots.
With your own projects you should set to Google Analytics. Why is Google?
P. Ludolph: It is free and unbeaten from the functionality. Google Analytics has many borders specifically for the enterprise sector, but there is more than enough for my private projects. If you really austerity Google Analytics, then you are already far front ;-)
Analytics provides the ability to monitor the positions within the Google ergonomics automatically?
P. Ludolph: No, this is not, because Google unfortunately not delivered the item data. It is only possible through the referrer guess which was the result. To track rankings to, you must the results for which there are very good tools. Whether Google like that or not is another sheet.
Google Analytics has I think the big disadvantage that data in the appropriate server, but saved Google. This concerned many SEOs because they fear Google would make this data into the relevance score of its website. Can you share their concern?
P. Ludolph: This concerns must think only the SEOs have their Websites provide any valuable content. If I really have the best content on a topic, then I must be no concerns, or?
However, I do not think that analytics data will affect the ranking. Would it be proven that Google had a serious problem with the credibility. If you still have a problem, which are enough alternatives.
Besides the traffic on the generic search results it can be simply buy or generate including about Web 2.0 platforms. What traffic now is the best?
P. Ludolph: How always makes the mix.
Many webmasters operate small niche portals rather unknown. Brand recognition can affect significantly the conversion?
P. Ludolph: A brand has very much to do with trust and which in turn affects the conversion. The ready also backward as the case shows. If I own a trademark, then fake I but no Amazon reviews. On the other hand just small niche portals can be very successful when they do their homework. Web Analytics they are able to distribute their often very limited budget.
We also set to Google Analytics. You had a look at our performance. Our main objective is to generate as many root reader who comment on our. What should we improve your opinion?
P. Ludolph: Your numbers are already impressive and reflect a certain visitor loyalty. You have a high proportion of direct traffic, a good bounce rate and average dwell time and average number of pages per visit are also noteworthy.
First, I would define targets to your place in Google Analytics for commenting on the blog, the contact form, the SEO tools or links.
Then I would look where traffic comes from, leading to these objectives. Also I would play it invite visitors to interact. Someone who leaves a comment for the first time could you send as a nice email with reference to the RSS feed and see what happens.
Thank you. Generally what will change in the Web analysis, what we will have tomorrow available?
P. Ludolph: I think the great war the features is over. All great tool providers cover the entire spectrum of Web analysis. I think the trend is starting now something useful with the many data. Search Engine Optimization based on Analytics data are a point. This is not new but still long for each available. Integration is also a very big issue. Currently the Web analytics systems are still Islands there but have very many more data pots in undertaking linked to the Web data. Here, better interfaces must be created.
The connection to offline actions should be exciting. What would be as if I get a voucher because my behavior on the Web page on my phone, I can redeem at the store? I think something is doing is here.
Thank you Patrick again. I would recommend your blog to our readers at this point once again. Now you have the final words, what want you rid yet?
P. Ludolph: in any case the link to my blog and our podcast. Also I recommend everybody to experiment a lot, especially the small changes can be sometimes very effective. Analysis data becomes part of your decisions and take from them not only to subsequent view. Sets started with the first step and writes times your concrete objectives that then it can go directly to analyze and optimize. It is important to have the user at the Center and search engine.