As the sun sets on the old Analytics interface, version v5 is coming closer to reaching fruition. While the beta version has already been available for users to try out, Google says in a matter of weeks the new version will be activated in all user accounts. You will still be able to switch back to the old version while you get your feet wet with the new interface, but only until January 2012. After January, version v5 will be fully integrated and the old version will be gone. With all the cool new features on the v5 interface, however, we don’t see any need to switch back. Here are a few of our favorite new features:
Visitor Flow
Visitor flow provides a great visual for how visitors navigate your pages and where they drop off. In the drop-down bar, you can choose what flow chart you want to see, whether it be direct traffic, referral traffic or even mobile traffic. This Google Analytics feature also lists the numbers of visitors to each page, how many go on to another page and how many drop off.
Real-Time Tracking
Real-Time Tracking provides a visual breakdown of real-time visitors to your website. You are able to see the number of visitors fluctuate as they enter and exit your website each second. You are also able to see where in the world these visitors are coming from on a map, how many pages they have visited and the amount of time they have spent on the website.
Mobile Tracking
With mobile search becoming more prominent, Google Analytics v5 has added the capability to track mobile devices, as well as iPods and iPads. The Analytics team was even nice enough to provide images for each mobile device, just in case you forget what an iPhone looks like.
Multi-Channel Funnels and Goals Funnels
The multi-channel funnels give you a visual breakdown of what traffic sources preceded a conversion. This is a useful tool which can reveal what is more influential in yielding conversions. Under the ‘Conversions’ tab, you can find funnel visualization and goal flow, which are also unique visual tools which can help track conversions.
Key Differences Between the New and Old Versions
Even with the addition of all these new features, many of the key features of the old Analytics version have been preserved. The overall layout and menu bar have changed slightly since Google has done away with the ‘Dashboard’, ‘Intelligence’ and ‘Goals’ tabs from the old interface and added the ‘Advertising’ and ‘Conversions’ tabs on the new menu.
New tabs have been added along the top, where ‘Home’ will take you to your dashboard and ‘Standard Reporting’ will take you to the familiar reports. ‘Custom Reporting’ allows the option to create your own reports based on customized factors.
In addition to the new features, some of the key features of the older version have been switched around. For instance, the ‘Keywords’ tab, which used to be under ‘Traffic Sources’ in the older version is no longer there. Instead, you can find keyword tracking by going to Traffic Sources > Overview and your keywords are there on the right-hand side.
Even with the new features and alterations to the layout, the new Analytics platform is straight-forward and easily understood. The Analytics team did a great job of providing an enhanced version of the Analytics we love, creating a visual approach to the variables that matter most, like conversions and site navigability. We sure enjoyed experimenting with all the new features on v5 and hope you will too. If you have any questions regarding the changes, or how to use a new feature, contact your SEO Agency.
Submitted by Erica Machin, Titan Growth