Beyond our proprietary tools that we utilize, there are many great tools available for those “do it yourself”- SEO’ers. As an SEO manager, I try out new tools on a daily basis and frequently get asked what my favorites are. While it is hard for me to pick one favorite, I thought I would highlight some of my favorites and how I use them. The key to each of these tools is knowing how to use the information they provide to get a competitive advantage; below are my tips! (more…)

In yet another new initiative to overhaul its appearance, functionality and utility to both brands and consumers, Facebook has revealed a new metric: People Talking About.  While the name may not be much to ‘like’ (although it may be changed before its official launch), People Talking About has the potential to change the way companies conduct social media campaigns and the way their fans and consumers interact with them. (more…)

You’d think with a title like that I’d be discounting the impact data and analysis play in the role of marketing operations… actually, it is quite the opposite. Numbers drive everything, but are you equipped to generate, analyze and act upon your data? (more…)

Google Analytics is an excellent way to track and analyze on-site traffic.  However, the UI for Goggle Analytics is not mobile optimized, which presents challenges for those who need to see updates on their mobile device.  The Google Analytics Software Design Kit (SDK) and corresponding Application Programming Interface (API) rectify the issue by allowing developers to create their own Apps.  Thankfully, there are several well-built, fast and intuitive Apps available.  I will focus this blog on the App universe for Android powered devices.  While I am inclined to frugality (some might argue parsimony), this blog will present what, in my estimation, are the best available free and paid Android Apps. (more…)

The advent of Google Analytics 5 in the first quarter of 2011 ushered in several new features that are improvements over the existing Google Analytics package.  We are excited about the update and have chosen to write a summary of the improvements we find the most compelling and valuable. (more…)

Google Analytics (GA) is an amazing tool and my most heavily used Google Product—next to Gmail. The great part about it is that no matter what skill level you have with the product, you will always be able to see the information you need. However, for those who are first starting to use this product, it is important to know the basics in order find the data you want to see. I feel that learning the basics of Google Analytics falls into 3 simple categories: ‘Who’, ‘Where’ and ‘What’ (‘Why’ and ‘When’ are for a later blog).

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Did you know that SiteCatalyst allows you to isolate and analyze the traffic coming from social networks?  It takes a bit of digging, but can provide valuable information. The easiest way to isolate social network stats in SiteCatalyst is to run a referring domain report by going to ‘traffic sources’, and then ‘referring domain’. This will give you all available metrics for all domains. This functionality is already enabled in the default SiteCatalyst code – no need to make any changes. (more…)

Google Analytics provides two tools for partitioning traffics results: web properties and profiles.  Both of these tools provide useful ways to compartmentalize data and create unique user access.  However, while seemingly very similar in set-up and construction, there are a few highly relevant distinctions users should be cognizant of when determining which method to employ on their Google Analytics account. (more…)

Simulating Google’s quality score, Microsoft has unveiled an identically named metric of questionable value to advertising efforts.  Most marketers are intimately familiar with Google’s quality score and the impact it has on SEM campaigns.  While the exact formula behind Google’s quality score is intentionally nebulous, the constituent factors are clearly stated (CPC): (more…)

Search engines spend considerable resources developing relevance algorithms, since a search engine that fails at this quickly becomes irrelevant.  Google Search, through its intimate relationship with Google Analytics, has an unfair advantage in the search market due to the aggregate information available exclusively to Google.  If you don’t believe this, please continue reading.  (Please note that all statements made in this blog entry are the opinion of the author and don’t represent the opinions of Rise Interactive or any related interests.) (more…)