| Back in November of 2006, our friends at GA Experts posted a method to get detailed PPC keyword data from Google Analytics. This method involved creating a seperate profile and using some intimidating but powerful filters. I really liked and referenced this method because it isolated the changes to a single profile and didn’t involve any updates to the GA tracking code. Obviously I would prefer if this feature came built-in to GA but at least now you could get to some very useful data with very little work. |  |
As Google Analytics was updated over time, the way the filters were using Custom Field 1 was no longer possible and so the profile broke. The smart folks over at ROI Revolution came up with another way to get to the exact PPC keyword data using the User Defined field and adding 2 lines to the GA tracking code. This was a great solution and probably suitable for a lot of people. However, I preferred not having to update the tracking code (this can be very difficult on some client sites), saving the User Defined field for other uses, and also being able to isolate the keyword extraction and concatenation to one profile.
I still see some blogs referring to the original method that doesn’t work anymore so one day I tried playing with the original filters approach and after 2 months of observing the data, it appears to be working correctly. Please follow these screenshots & instructions to give it a try for yourself.
Filter 1 – look at only paid traffic data.
- From your account, click on Filter Manager.
- Click on Add Filter.
- Give it a name such as Data Filter – PPC.
- Filter type is custom filter.
- Select on the Include option.
- The filter field should be Campaign Medium.
- The filter pattern can be cpc|ppc
- Click on Save Changes.
Filter 2 – extract the actual keyword that was typed and concatenate it to the paid keyword that was matched.
- Assuming you are still in the Filter Manager, click on Add Filter.
- Give it a name such as Data Filter – PPC Keywords.
- Filter type is custom filter.
- Select the Advanced option.
- Field A -> Extract A should be set to Referral and the value needs to be (\?|&)(q|p|query)=([^&]*)
- Field B -> Extract B should be set to Campaign Term and the value needs to be (.*)
- Output -> Constructor should be set to Campaign Term and the value needs to be $B1 – ($A3)
- Field A required, Field B required, and Override Output Field all need to be set to Yes.
Please click on the screenshot to view the full version.
Finally create a new profile with a name such as PPC Keywords Data and all your usual settings (default page, search settings, goals, etc). Make sure you apply these two new filters to it.
This method seems to work for Google, Yahoo, and MSN paid traffic. Below is a screenshot with sample results. Let me know if it works for you!
8 Pings to “Update to an Old Favorite – Detailed PPC Keyword Data in Google Analytics”
11 Responses to “Update to an Old Favorite – Detailed PPC Keyword Data in Google Analytics”
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1. Brian Clifton Says:
November 18th, 2008 at 4:22 AMHi Rehan – Just to let you know that the original filter method is working. I have recently implemented it on client sites.
Best regards, Brian
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2. Rehan Asif Says:
November 18th, 2008 at 12:44 PMHi Brian,
Thank you for sharing that with us.
I will try implementing the original method somewhere and post the results. -
3. Ruth Says:
November 22nd, 2008 at 3:24 PMHi Rehan – I tested out your method and it looks to be working well for me. Thanks for the post!
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4. Eddy Says:
January 22nd, 2009 at 4:54 AMRehan, does method of obtaining ’searched keywords’ affect the click data within Analytics? The original filter method used to affect the clicks data.
regards
eddy -
5. Rehan Asif Says:
January 26th, 2009 at 5:52 PMHi Eddy,
Are you talking about the data in this report?
Traffic sources -> Adwords -> Adwords campaigns -> Clicks tab
Please let me know if this is not the report you are talking about.When I compare this report in the “main profile” and the “ppc keywords profile”, the data looks to be the same.
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6. Atiq Says:
March 31st, 2009 at 2:58 AMA few months ago I implemented these advanced (ppc query) filters on about 5 or 6 different Analytics Accounts and found great results.
All of these Analytics accounts were integrated with their respective AdWords Accounts and were showing PPC queries in detail.
However, from 23rd March 2009, these suddenly stopped working. Now there is no PPC visits data all.
AdWords campaigns for these accounts are still running. I CAN see AdWords data inside Analytics accounts in normal profiles. These are the advanced profiles (using filters) that are creating problems.
The new advanced profiles with advanced query filters still showing other (organic, referral) visits but no PPC data, not even simple PPC visits.
It is strange as every thing was normal a week ago.
Any reasons? Help PLEASE.
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7. Rehan Asif Says:
April 1st, 2009 at 3:32 PMHello Atiq,
I checked a few accounts and don’t seem to be having this problem.
Do me a favour and log into Adwords, click on the Analytics tab, and make sure each profile (especially the PPC keywords one) has the Apply Cost Data checkbox as checked.
Also, while you are doing that see if there are any other differences between the profiles.
Let us know what you find. -
8. Atiq Says:
April 15th, 2009 at 10:28 AMHi Rehan
Thanks alot, problem solved. It was Apply Cost Data checkbox that was unchecked.
Once again thanks for your great help. One more issues, this time it is with ecommerce data matching with referal, when transaction is carried out on third party site (WorldPay) that does not allow passing cookies or redirect users after sale completeion.
Complete details are posted on Google Analytics Help Group. No final answer yet. http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/Google+Analytics/thread?tid=2c821eba10078545&fid=2c821eba1007854500046053c9252fff&hl=en
Please help.
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9. Rehan Asif Says:
April 16th, 2009 at 10:51 AMHello Atiq,
Worldpay doesn’t let you put the Google Analytics tracking code on their site, right?
What about Google Adwords code on the thank you page? Is that possible? -
10. Oliver Says:
April 29th, 2009 at 2:35 AMIs their anyway to merge event tracking information with keyword data so that I can see which kewords are driving my subscriptions and Info Requests?
Thanks,
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11. Rehan Asif Says:
April 30th, 2009 at 2:41 PMHi Oliver,
I’m looking in Google Analytics right now and I don’t see a way to go from the keywords report to a list of event/actions/labels.
But you can go from an action like “Video – Play” (in the Event Tracking -> Actions report for me) and segment by keyword to see if certain keywords cause more videos to be played.
Hope that helps.
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