When Google Analytics can help you increase your Conversion Part 1

I am a big fan of Google Analytics, not only because it is free, but it can give you a nice insight of all your business/website just by collecting and evaluating the correct data. I have divided this post in 3 parts since there is a lot to write about it.

Following the video below (quite funny by the way), I have experience a few times the same issue as our friend just to find the "milk" he is looking for, hence "Site Search" will be the first part of this post about.

Site Search 

Most of eCommerce platform have in-built site search solutions. You could either use Google site search or any other provider. I have also experience working with FAST from Microsoft, however I still prefer the Google site search because it is easy and free to use. If you have GSS installed on your site there is not much you need to do, since all will be sync and automated for you to your Google Analytics Account. However if you do not have GSS on your website, you can easily track your search terms following the steps below:

1. Go to your Google Analytics account and click on the profile you want to track your internal site search. If you are not very confident on how to do that, create a testing profile and make all changes there before moving to your main profile account.
2. Identify your internal site search parameter. To do that, perform a search on your website. Most of internal parameter are defined as just "q" (query), but some other site search engines might use diferent parameter. The example below the parameter the site search is using is "searchKey"





3. As soon as you identify the parameter your internal site search is using you can go back to your Google Analytics account and click on Profile Setting.







Once in your Profile Settings, you should see the screen shot below. Click on "Do track Site Search" and include the parameter of your internal site search. In my case is "searchKey". I recommend to check box the "Strip query parameters out of URL". This will allow you a cleaner result on GA. Some websites might have other parameter to identify your search query, for instance the page category where the search has been performed. If you do not have this functionality in your website, you are done, so click the "Apply" button at the bottom of the page.

In order to check your internal search results, you go to your GA account where you have enabled the site search and go to content>site search.

What to do with all this data?

Quite obvious, you will be able to identify what users are trying to find on your website. With this data you can approach your Search Engine team and show them which kws are performing better and which ones are not performing at all. You can also identify architecture flaws, only because people are searching many times the same kw term it might imply that people cannot find easily therefore they need to ask our internal site search for help.

Site search can also help you sell more if you tune it correctly. With the historical data of searches performed in your website you can give weight to certain products to be placed first and therefore improving customer experience.

Have fun!