Comments on: Advanced Statistics Tracking for SEO, PPC, and Other Such Insanity http://www.slightlyshadyseo.com/index.php/advanced-statistics-tracking-for-seo-ppc-and-other-such-insanity/ Blackhat is Back, Baby. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 13:39:26 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Andy http://www.slightlyshadyseo.com/index.php/advanced-statistics-tracking-for-seo-ppc-and-other-such-insanity/#comment-2802 Andy Mon, 07 Jul 2008 11:05:24 +0000 http://www.slightlyshadyseo.com/index.php/advanced-statistics-tracking-for-seo-ppc-and-other-such-insanity/#comment-2802 ?Shady, thanks for posting this. I've been coding my own various marketing scripts this year and was thinking about a centralized affiliate link redirect/tracking script when I realized it is good to hide as much info as possible from the final destination site. The metrics that you listed go beyond what I was thinking of so I got some ideas for future things to add i.e. the timing related metrics. I like your idea for the on-the-fly tracking variables without having to login and set things up. Just getting into the idea of using PPC and wanting to start out winning rather than spending a lot of money learning from mistakes. ?Shady,

thanks for posting this.

I’ve been coding my own various marketing scripts this year and was thinking about a centralized affiliate link redirect/tracking script when I realized it is good to hide as much info as possible from the final destination site.

The metrics that you listed go beyond what I was thinking of so I got some ideas for future things to add i.e. the timing related metrics.

I like your idea for the on-the-fly tracking variables without having to login and set things up.

Just getting into the idea of using PPC and wanting to start out winning rather than spending a lot of money learning from mistakes.

]]> By: RMD http://www.slightlyshadyseo.com/index.php/advanced-statistics-tracking-for-seo-ppc-and-other-such-insanity/#comment-2364 RMD Sat, 17 May 2008 15:04:08 +0000 http://www.slightlyshadyseo.com/index.php/advanced-statistics-tracking-for-seo-ppc-and-other-such-insanity/#comment-2364 Just wanted to ditto John's mention of Piwik: a viable, graphic alternative to GA or AWStats. Campaign/partner tracking, customize dashboard, API calls, works with OpenAds + a ton more. It's not perfect, but it's getting there. Just wanted to ditto John’s mention of Piwik: a viable, graphic alternative to GA or AWStats. Campaign/partner tracking, customize dashboard, API calls, works with OpenAds + a ton more. It’s not perfect, but it’s getting there.

]]> By: John http://www.slightlyshadyseo.com/index.php/advanced-statistics-tracking-for-seo-ppc-and-other-such-insanity/#comment-2101 John Tue, 22 Apr 2008 02:06:44 +0000 http://www.slightlyshadyseo.com/index.php/advanced-statistics-tracking-for-seo-ppc-and-other-such-insanity/#comment-2101 We've been working on an in-house solution, on and off for around a year now. Just saw this yesterday though: http://piwik.org. Its an open source analytics tool. We’ve been working on an in-house solution, on and off for around a year now. Just saw this yesterday though: http://piwik.org. Its an open source analytics tool.

]]> By: Ryan Kauffman http://www.slightlyshadyseo.com/index.php/advanced-statistics-tracking-for-seo-ppc-and-other-such-insanity/#comment-2100 Ryan Kauffman Tue, 22 Apr 2008 00:12:02 +0000 http://www.slightlyshadyseo.com/index.php/advanced-statistics-tracking-for-seo-ppc-and-other-such-insanity/#comment-2100 <blockquote>... hackers do exist, and get into things much more complicated/secure than a tracking system. Why steal credit card numbers when you can steal 100k+/month campaigns, and not have it be traceable?</blockquote> novel idea... :-x

… hackers do exist, and get into things much more complicated/secure than a tracking system. Why steal credit card numbers when you can steal 100k+/month campaigns, and not have it be traceable?

novel idea… :-x

]]> By: Justin Rumpf http://www.slightlyshadyseo.com/index.php/advanced-statistics-tracking-for-seo-ppc-and-other-such-insanity/#comment-2098 Justin Rumpf Mon, 21 Apr 2008 19:43:38 +0000 http://www.slightlyshadyseo.com/index.php/advanced-statistics-tracking-for-seo-ppc-and-other-such-insanity/#comment-2098 I posted a Free Keyword tracking program I built in asp.net if anyone would like to download. I think it tracks most things listed here, but may need some I posted a Free Keyword tracking program I built in asp.net if anyone would like to download. I think it tracks most things listed here, but may need some

]]> By: Google Search Sucks http://www.slightlyshadyseo.com/index.php/advanced-statistics-tracking-for-seo-ppc-and-other-such-insanity/#comment-2096 Google Search Sucks Mon, 21 Apr 2008 17:40:41 +0000 http://www.slightlyshadyseo.com/index.php/advanced-statistics-tracking-for-seo-ppc-and-other-such-insanity/#comment-2096 Great point, the analytics that exist today are very limited. Problem is many of use don't have the skill to create our own analytics. You should create something out of hte box, I would wager there would be many people who would pay for the code/service. Great point, the analytics that exist today are very limited. Problem is many of use don’t have the skill to create our own analytics.

You should create something out of hte box, I would wager there would be many people who would pay for the code/service.

]]> By: Eric B http://www.slightlyshadyseo.com/index.php/advanced-statistics-tracking-for-seo-ppc-and-other-such-insanity/#comment-2095 Eric B Mon, 21 Apr 2008 17:38:20 +0000 http://www.slightlyshadyseo.com/index.php/advanced-statistics-tracking-for-seo-ppc-and-other-such-insanity/#comment-2095 For PPC: For tracking purposes, get a domain you'll use only for that. Just one of those cheap .info ones since no one will see it. Put that for your destination URL in adwords and then have it redirect to your real site. So, http://tracker.info/?blah=blah&blah=keyword&blah=whatever else&a=10 Create a little front end so you can add landing pages easily and quickly. Then store each visit in a DB and pass just the visit id to your landing page so it can reference it. So, http://landingpage.com/?v=[visit_id] Then on the landing page you can look up the info you stored from the tracking page for that visitor, and then pass that visit_id along as a subid. Now, you know exactly how that specific visitor got to your page and what they ended up doing. For PPC:
For tracking purposes, get a domain you’ll use only for that. Just one of those cheap .info ones since no one will see it. Put that for your destination URL in adwords and then have it redirect to your real site.

So, http://tracker.info/?blah=blah&blah=keyword&blah=whatever else&a=10

Create a little front end so you can add landing pages easily and quickly. Then store each visit in a DB and pass just the visit id to your landing page so it can reference it. So, http://landingpage.com/?v=visit_id

Then on the landing page you can look up the info you stored from the tracking page for that visitor, and then pass that visit_id along as a subid. Now, you know exactly how that specific visitor got to your page and what they ended up doing.

]]> By: Tob http://www.slightlyshadyseo.com/index.php/advanced-statistics-tracking-for-seo-ppc-and-other-such-insanity/#comment-2094 Tob Mon, 21 Apr 2008 17:35:33 +0000 http://www.slightlyshadyseo.com/index.php/advanced-statistics-tracking-for-seo-ppc-and-other-such-insanity/#comment-2094 This is great. I've done this in the past and had an almost automated system for cutting poorly performing keywords / adgroups. My beef here is, on the Google Content Network there isn't an accurate way of tracking what urls your visitors are coming from - unless you parse it out of the referrer which is sketchy at best. Have you had any experience here or any thoughts? This is great. I’ve done this in the past and had an almost automated system for cutting poorly performing keywords / adgroups.

My beef here is, on the Google Content Network there isn’t an accurate way of tracking what urls your visitors are coming from – unless you parse it out of the referrer which is sketchy at best.

Have you had any experience here or any thoughts?

]]> By: Josh Testone http://www.slightlyshadyseo.com/index.php/advanced-statistics-tracking-for-seo-ppc-and-other-such-insanity/#comment-2093 Josh Testone Mon, 21 Apr 2008 16:52:14 +0000 http://www.slightlyshadyseo.com/index.php/advanced-statistics-tracking-for-seo-ppc-and-other-such-insanity/#comment-2093 Well Put... The only think I would add to this is come up with a list of ways you would want to view your data (reports) and make sure you code your system to be compatible with those needed reports. I cant tell you how many times I have wanted to view something a certain way and had to go back and add a field to a table, update queries/sql, etc. Happy coding! Well Put… The only think I would add to this is come up with a list of ways you would want to view your data (reports) and make sure you code your system to be compatible with those needed reports. I cant tell you how many times I have wanted to view something a certain way and had to go back and add a field to a table, update queries/sql, etc.

Happy coding!

]]> By: Gabriel http://www.slightlyshadyseo.com/index.php/advanced-statistics-tracking-for-seo-ppc-and-other-such-insanity/#comment-2092 Gabriel Mon, 21 Apr 2008 16:40:34 +0000 http://www.slightlyshadyseo.com/index.php/advanced-statistics-tracking-for-seo-ppc-and-other-such-insanity/#comment-2092 Nice Article! One question though: If you're using phrase match in AdWords you can just get the phrase as keyword right? (Not the actual phrase) - or does this only count for broad? Like when bidding on "apple tree" the {keyword} variable always holds "apple tree" never "green apple tree" or any other phrase variants. Greets Gabriel Nice Article!

One question though: If you’re using phrase match in AdWords you can just get the phrase as keyword right? (Not the actual phrase) – or does this only count for broad?

Like when bidding on “apple tree” the {keyword} variable always holds “apple tree” never “green apple tree” or any other phrase variants.

Greets
Gabriel

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