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Custom variables allow you to get more details and tailored results Google Analytics, allowing you to define additional segments to apply to your visitors other than the ones already provided by Analytics.
Custom variables are taught as part of our Advanced Google Analytics Training course. If you are new to Analytics and think custom variables are a bit out of your depth then our beginners’ Google Analytics course may be better suited to your needs. Many of our delegates benefit for attending both the courses in tandem to get a complete picture of how to use Analytics and what it can do for their marketing campaigns.
We also offer our Google Analytics courses as part of an SEO package. Books with your choice of SEO, Social Media, Content Marketing, WordPress and Email Marketing courses to create your own custom 5 day training package and save over £500.
What is interesting to Google Analytics specialists is that Custom Variables allow you to set session level segments, which will stick to the visitor while they are active on the site, and page level segments, which correspond to pageviews and events on the site.
This allows you to get much more detailed with the information you’re gathering and storing in the custom variable. For example, you could separate different sections of the site by using the page level scope, or you could track if a visitor has completed a particular action during their session with the session level scope.
The different levels of interaction that can be used to find out more about your users behaviour are:
Examples of when custom variables would be useful include:
Limitations of custom variables:
To add custom variables you simply need to add some a new line to your existing GA tracking code.
var_gaq = _gaq | | [];
_gaq.push(['_setaccount','UA-xxxxxxxx-x']);
_gaq.push(['._setCustomVar,INDEX, NAME, VALUE, OPT_SCOPE']);
gaq.push(['_trackPageview']);
Those parameters are set as followed:
Here’s an example of custom variables in Google Analytics given by our trainer Nikki at BrightonSEO.
avangelist says:
disappointingly this barely got touched on during the session I attended. nice to see this has been added but would have been great from the start
28. 3. 2012 at 3:35 pm
Craig Charley says:
Hi avangelist,
Custom variables are still touched on relatively lightly on the course because they don’t apply to all users. Often the coverage depends on the group as we try to teach the most relevant material to our delegates. We do also offer tailored courses if there are particular elements you wish to concentrate on. As I’m sure you noticed we do cover a lot in the one day!
Thanks for your feedback.
28. 3. 2012 at 4:23 pm