Welcome to the Fathom Blog
News & analysis on digital marketing & analytics
Twitter’s t.co URL Shortener Brings Cleaner Google Analytics Tracking
This news is actually a few weeks old, but in all the hullabaloo around the GA session tracking change and the Panda 2.4 rollout, I never got around to posting about it. But considering my overall analytics nerdiness, I figured I’d get the info out for anyone who missed it.
Visits from links on Twitter have always been notoriously difficult to track with any accuracy in Google Analytics. Links shortened with Bit.ly would get their own attribution, some visits would show as referrals from twitter, others would track as direct traffic, etc. All of that has now changed.
Like a gift from the attribution tracking gods, Twitter has updated their t.co URL shortener to always appear in GA as a referral source. And now all URLs used on twitter are filtered through t.co. All of them!
Now you can track Twitter traffic in Google Analytics with considerably more certainty and accuracy. Just look for t.co as a source in your referral reports, starting on August 17th. It sure will be nice to easily track all of your twitter conversions by looking at a single source, instead of having to look at a few areas, or just flat out guess. You’ve now gained the ability to see the direct value of your Twitter traffic.
Thanks Twitter!
Changes to Internal Links in Google Webmaster Tools (Not Rankings)
Late last week, Google made some tweaks to the way Google Webmaster Tools is reporting links. In a move that has both please and confused webmasters, Google is now considering links from subdomains (as well as non-www and www versions) as internal links instead of external links as they were previously considered.
Webmasters are happy with the change because it means their internal links in Webmaster Tools are just a little bit cleaner and more accurate. Google had the following to say about the change:
Most people think of example.com and www.example.com as the same site these days, so we’re changing it such that now, if you add either example.com or www.example.com as a site, links from both the www and non-www versions of the domain will be categorized as internal links. We’ve also extended this idea to include other subdomains, since many people who own a domain also own its subdomains—so links from cats.example.com or pets.example.com will also be categorized as internal links for www.example.com.
The confusion was caused by an unclear answer as to whether or not this change only had an effect on Webmaster Tools data, or if it affected the ranking algorithm as well. Luckily, in a Google+ post yesterday, Google employee Pierre Far clarified that the change only affects the way data displays in Webmaster Tools. The start of his post was worded in an entertaining manner to be sure:
Dear webmasters: A lot of people have seen the recent announcement about the recent reorganization of backlinks in Webmaster Tools and are saying it’s a reflection of a new way that Google handles links for ranking purposes.
Wrong.
So there you have it. More accurate linking data display in Google Webmaster Tools, and absolutely no effect on rankings due to the change. Have fun reviewing your updated reports!
Facebook Privacy Changes and Sharing Updates
You have surely heard about and experienced Facebook’s privacy and tagging changes over the past few weeks. These updates change privacy settings on user profiles as well as the ways users share content on Facebook.
Privacy Setting Changes
Facebook profile controls can now be edited directly from the user profile rather than navigating through the confusing Privacy Settings page. Each section of the profile has an option to select who can see this information. Users can also preview how their page looks to certain people using the “View Profile As” tool.
Users also now have the ability to review tags before they appear live in the newsfeed. This means if a friend tags you in a photo, check-in or post you will have the ability to approve or reject before the post is made visible to anyone else. To enable this setting visit How Tags Work under your privacy settings.
Options for removing content and tags from your profile are also more robust. When removing content that you have been tagged in you now have the option of removing the content from your profile, removing the tag itself, messaging the photo owner or tagger, and requesting the content get taken down.
Changes to Sharing on Facebook
The Facebook status update now includes options to share your location, who you are with and who you want to see the post. All directly from your status update! Your physical proximity to the location also no longer prevents you from tagging a place. After writing your status update you can:
- Tag who you’re with
- Share where you are
- Choose who sees your post
RIP Facebook Deals
Facebook also announced, although a bit more quietly, that they are ending their Deals feature. Facebook Deals were separate from check-in deals and were more of a Groupon type service. Deals were only currently available near Atlanta, Austin, Dallas, San Diego and San Francisco. Everything indicates check-in deals are safe. A Facebook spokesperson told All Facebook, “We remain committed to building products to help local businesses connect with people, like ads, pages, sponsored stories, and check-in deals.”
Facebook will also remove the Places check-in feed from mobile devices. The location tagging mentioned above will replace this type of check-in. Although I still see the Places icon and activity feed on my iPhone app.
Want to know more? The September 21 Webbed Marketing Webinar will discuss these Facebook changes and more!
What do you think of these changes? Do you like the new privacy settings and tagging options? Do they remind you of another social network? Share your comments and experiences so far!
LinkedIn PPC Advertising
LinkedIn PPC Advertising is another social media pay-per-click platform that allows you to reach your target market by using demographic targeting (similar to Facebook Advertising). LinkedIn’s self-service advertising platform I am referring to is called LinkedIn Direct Ads. Where Facebook Advertising is typically more successful for ‘business-to-consumer’ (B2C) business models, LinkedIn Advertising is usually most successful with ‘business-to-business’ (B2B) business models.
Just like any other social media pay-per-click advertising model, it is very important to have a specific goal in mind before running a campaign. It is also just as important to understand your target market and the characteristics they have in common.
You are able to target any of the following demographics using LinkedIn Direct Ads:
- Company Size
- Job Function
- Industry
- Seniority
- Gender
- Age
- Geography
Obviously, the more granular you get, the fewer potential users you will reach!
The ads themselves are similar to Facebook, where you have text and can use a 50 pixel x 50 pixel image. I’d recommend using the image, as it will help your ads stand out and catch a user’s interest.
It’s important to track your LinkedIn PPC advertising. Since LinkedIn does not provide conversion tracking, make sure you create goals in Google Analytics and append the ads to track the traffic.
If you’re interested in testing out LinkedIn Advertising or other pay-per-click advertising options, contact Fathom today!
WM Spotlight: Steve DiMatteo
This is the second post in our new series on the Webbed Marketing blog, which will feature a WM employee each month. Remember, we’re doing these spotlights so you can really get an in-depth look at our amazing employees and what makes them tick. Check out this month’s WM Spotlight, Steve DiMatteo, and feel free to comment, ask questions, or find him on Twitter (@steve_dimatteo).
- How and when did you get your job at Webbed Marketing?
I got my job at Webbed Marketing in July of 2010 after hearing about an opening for an SEO writer from a friend who knew someone at the company. I submitted my resume, had an interview, and the rest, as they say, is history.
- How has your role with the company progressed/changed since you were hired?
I started off as an SEO writer, working on the SEO content for a number of clients, and my role slowly evolved to include more social media. I still continue to write SEO content, but my role within the company revolves mostly around the social media and PR needs of our clients.
- Would you rather be stuck on a broken ski lift for five hours, or stuck in a broken elevator for 5 hours?
I’ve seen various horror movies that show the extreme cases of how bad either one of those situations can be, ones that involve being eaten by wolves and the presence of the actual devil. But I’ll take being stuck on a broken elevator for five hours, though I know I’ll regret it if it ever happens.
- If you could be any character in fiction, who would you be and why?
Have to go with Indiana Jones on this one, because as a rugged intellectual in reality, I would love to be a rugged intellectual who just happens to go on amazing, action-packed adventures in fiction.
- What is the best thing about your hometown?
I come from Painesville, which is only about 30 minutes east of downtown Cleveland, so it’s proximity to the city is great. But the best thing about my hometown is its small-town feel, in which everybody knows each other. That’s also the backdrop for many horror movies, but my town hasn’t slipped into that territory just yet.
