Google Analytics Reporting Troubleshooting

Introduction

• Presenter: Krista Seiden
• Series: Final video in a Google Analytics reporting series
• Topics: Troubleshooting common issues and questions in Google Analytics

Validating Data

• Implementation: Use Google Tag Manager's built-in preview mode to test tags.
• Google Analytics Real-time Report:
  • Check for active traffic on the site.
  • Verify specific events and promotions are firing correctly.
  • Observe traffic sources and effectiveness of new campaigns.

Undefined Values in Reports

• Not Set Values:

  • Indicates a setup issue preventing proper data flow.
  • Usually requires checking event and page tracking implementations.

• Other Row:

  • Occurs when table rows exceed limit and less common values are grouped together.
  • Tips to reduce "Other" rows:
    • Avoid high cardinality data (e.g., user IDs, client IDs).
    • Use built-in user ID feature instead of custom dimensions.
    • Prefer standard reports when possible.

Data Discrepancies and Trend Oscillations

• Data Spikes:

  • Analyze spikes using the report snapshot.
  • Use acquisition data to trace the source (e.g., direct traffic, organic search).

• Exploratory Analysis:

  • Open reports in Explore mode for detailed analysis.
  • Add dimensions (e.g., country, device type, OS) to validate traffic legitimacy.
  • Create segments of suspicious traffic for exclusion in analysis.

• Expected vs. Unexpected Trends:

  • Understand your business patterns (e.g., weekday vs. weekend sales).
  • Use anomaly detection to identify unexpected spikes or dips.

Conclusion

• Covered Topics: Validating data, interpreting values, addressing data spikes or dips, and comparing data.
• Resources: Help center, Analytics Academy courses on Skillshop, Discord community.
• Future Content: Comment on Youtube for future video topics or join the Discord server for community support.