I am reaching out for help on this one. Today Google finally switched off its old Analytics interface. Now, I am sure that the new version will provide many useful tools, but unfortunately the few tools and reports that I did use are now no longer available. Or, if they are available, I cannot work out how to access them.
In a desperate attempt to get some help I posted to Google+, included various people who consider themselves experts in Analytics (although I am not actually sure if they will see my post … ).
Google Analytics Help Needed
In the old version I mostly checked Landing Pages and the percentage of visits to each page. This was my way to quickly spotting any big changes to traffic going to particular pages.
I cannot work out how to show this in the new version. Is there a way?
Also, when I log into Analytics I used to see my dashboard (which had the most important reports at the top). Now when I log in I first see a page that tells me the language of my visitors and some system / demographic data – none of which I use.
Is there a way to create a homepage / dashboard in the new version? I have added various items to my dashboard, but it never shows by default.
Thanks!
#googleanalytics#googleanalyticsupdate
Source: https://plus.google.com/u/0/112594150264603349403/posts/dLK6zdY4NFw
I really did not use much of what there was before. But what I did use provided me with an instant, at a glance, health check for my sites.
My main site has about 20 pages which make up a large part of all landing pages. The top page would receive around 20% of total site traffic (I have been trying to diversify but it insists on being popular!). So if this figure dropped dramatically I would know there was a problem.
I was first alerted to the Google Panda update by using this method. The same reports were used in the long and arduous journey I took to fix my site and recover from Google Panda. Now it is gone.
Content > Overview Shows % Pageviews
Annoyingly, the new version does show me the percentage of pageviews for the top pages viewed. However, what people do after arriving on my site from Google, Yahoo, Bing, Facebook and various other referrals means that this information is not really idea. I want to see percentage of pageviews for the Top Landing Pages, not the most viewed pages.
Update: There is a report for Traffic Sources > Search Engine Optimsation > Landing Pages but this now requires Analytics to be connected to Webmaster Tools. Maybe this is what I need, although if it is using Webmaster Tools data it cannot be providing me with all the data from my site.
There is also a report, Content > Site Content > Landing Pages, but this shows Pages/Visit, Avg. Visit Duration, % New Visits and Bounce Rate – but not % pageviews. I have clicked around in Secondary Dimension and Advanced search in the hope of finding the data I need, butt no joy there.
So, does anyone know a way to show % pageviews for top landing pages, without exporting the data to a spreadsheet and doing the calculations.
Analytics Glove Compartment
Another daft thing is that although you can create a dashboard, it hides away. Surely the dashboard should be the default homepage? It is not a dashboard if it is not visible when you enter Analytics. More a glove compartment. Not so important, that is just an annoyance. The other bit is a show stopper at the moment.
Page Load Slow – Often Hangs
Update – I just went to look at search engine referrals after Search Engine Land talked about Blekko becoming more popular. Another crash / hang / wallop.
Help! Please!
