Google Analytics- tracking between two domains

[Heidi9771]

I was wondering if you ever dealt with the following using Google Analytics to track purchases from AdWords campaigns. We are having problems tracking purchases back to keywords in the following situation...

Specifically, a scenario that involves driving visitors to one domain via AdWords, and then tracking these visitor's purchase transactions that do occur on a separate domain entirely. By the way, we drive them to the first domain with the goal to have them register for a download. The purchase process usually happens after on the second domain...sometimes hours, sometimes weeks.

In addition to modifying the codes per google's instructions for this type of set up, we’ve changed the links from the first site to the second site to “use _link.”

Any insight would be appreciated!

Thanks,
Heidi

[edited by: tedster at 11:35 pm (utc) on April 7, 2008]
[edit reason] no spcific domains, per TOS [/edit]

[Fiveniner]

Hi Heidi,

If I am reading this correctly, you would like to do cross domain tracking on GA. From what I know, you would need to implement the _link, _setDomainName() &_setAllowLinker() commands. (http://code.google.com/apis/analytics/docs/gaJSApiDomainDirectory.html)

One thing you would need to have the same analytics code/profile on both domains else Google wouldn't be able to track the traffic for the 2nd domain.

[Heidi9771]

Hi Fiveniner,
Thanks for responding...we had implented those things, and are still having the issue...I wonder if there is something with the the fact that the _link() method passes the cookies from site #1 to another via URL parameters (HTTP GET). It also changes the document.location and redirects the user to the new URL....

[garryb]

I have got google analytics and I have noticed recently that the number of visitors does not update until late in the afternoon. The pageviews are updated every morning... anyone else have a similar problem?

[travelin cat]

Garryb, I've noticed over the past couple of days that Absolute Unique Visitors have been zero, all else is normal.

As far as the original poster, we are about to implement cross domain tracking very similar to what you are talking about. I will come back to update you about our progress.

[anylund]

Hi Heidi,

you are using the new version of the tracking code?

Check out this help page:
[google.com...]

[Heidi9771]

travelin cat, I would be very interested to see if your tracking works once you have implemented, and what you have done.

anylund, yes we are using the new version of the code, and had added the modifications.