Google Analytics AdSense Integration

[himalayaswater]

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System: The following message was cut out of thread at: http://www.webmasterworld.com/google_adwords/3771326.htm [webmasterworld.com] by engine - 8:43 pm on Oct. 22, 2008 (utc +1)

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Offical google Adsense blog post:

which is why we're excited to announce the integration of one of our personal favorite reporting tools, Google Analytics, with AdSense. We're gradually rolling out this functionality to publishers, and you'll see an invitation link at the top of your 'Overview' and 'Advanced Reports' pages when it's been enabled for your account.

[adsense.blogspot.com...]

[edited by: engine at 7:40 pm (utc) on Oct. 22, 2008]
[edit reason] fixed formatting and link [/edit]

[leadegroot]

Ah, thanks, that makes sense :) It will be beside the Site Search results. Nothing there yet. :(

I do hope the integration worked properly - I'm still seeing a link to set it up in Adsense... (not that seeing things that no longer apply in the Adsense interface surprises me, so I'm not worrying)

[icedowl]

I just set mine up. Sounds like there's a bit of a wait to see the results which is no big deal to me. I have patience. Lots of patience.

[elsewhen]

got the invite: thank you google!

[elsewhen]

I do hope the integration worked properly - I'm still seeing a link to set it up in Adsense.

after setting up the integration, the invite link in adsense changed to "Go to your Google Analytics Account »"

have you seen the integration video provided by google to make sure you did it correctly: [youtube.com...]

[leadegroot]

Hmmm.. well, it hadn't changed the invite link text.
I've run through the process again.
I wonder if I did something wrong last time or they did?

:crosses fingers again:

[farmboy]

If you already use Google Analytics (have the code on your site) then get invited and go through the set-up process to integrate AdSense with Analytics, do you then have to add more code to your pages?

FarmBoy

[leadegroot]

You can leave one site as is (they suggest you choose the one that would be hardest to change) and there is new code for all the others.

The video linked above shows it pretty clearly.

[Lagonda]

Well, there's something wrong...

Yesterday, Adsense URL channel told me I made $20,70 but Analytics told me my site made $17,13.

Did Analytics overslept and missed part of the day?

[netmeg]

I only just set mine up, so I don't have any data yet. But I know for one that my Analytics account uses my time zone (Eastern) and my AdSense uses Pacific time. So possibly time zone differences could account for the discrepancy?

[Lagonda]

Nice. It was only yesterday that I suggested someone to use a brand new powerful tool that could answer all your questions, named Google.

Today, I could use that advice...

[google.com...]

Why do my statistics differ between AdSense and Analytics?

If you see significant discrepancies between the reports in your AdSense account and those in the AdSense section of Analytics, then please keep in mind these important points:

* AdSense reports in Analytics only track AdSense for content ad units, and do not include link units, search boxes, mobile ads, or any other AdSense products.

(...)

Yet, subtracting the link unit channels from the URL channel it still doesn't match. Maybe it's like you suggested, my Analytics account is on GMT and Adsense is on...? (it seems I can't find that information on my account)

Whatever.

[edited by: Lagonda at 3:51 pm (utc) on Dec. 13, 2008]

[netmeg]

I dunno - if you're looking for exact matches, I'm afraid it may not happen. I've been running GA accounts and profiles for myself and clients for several years now - since they first bought Urchin and released it as Google Analytics. I also host my own sites (and my clients') on my own servers, so I have access to all log files, ecommerce transation information, etc. Across maybe 600 profiles total, Google Analytics "loses" 15 to 20% of visits as compared to our log files, and some number of transactions. That's across the board. They've offered to come in and help us figure out why, but we'd have to give them access to information/resources that my clients aren't comfortable with, so we've learned to live with it. I consider Analytics to be a pretty good indicator of trends, but if I wanted spot on accurate information for every visit and every transaction, I'd probably have to pony up for a program that isn't free, and has some kind of support contract attached to it.

YMMV.

[himalayaswater]

Can any one tell me where should I put this code?

<script type="text/javascript">
 window.google_analytics_uacct = "UA-abcyyy-z";
</script>

Do I need to add this before ad block or top of page in <head> and </head> section. This for my vb based forum.

TIA

[OutdoorWebcams]

Maybe it's like you suggested, my Analytics account is on GMT and Adsense is on...?

PST (UTC-8)

[fredw]

himalayaswater: The instructions say "at the top of the page". I put my tags right below the "<body>" tag.

Hooked up Adsense and Analytics yesterday, seeing first small results today! Interesting! A lot new to get into, but just to be able to see ad impressions and clicks by page I think will be invaluable!

[bumpski]

Interesting, I had used Analytics via my Adwords account several years ago. Anyone could have had it anytime they wanted, Adwords is free to sign up. I don't think there's actually a requirement that you run an Ad.

I removed analytic's from my site(s) because I found it had affected performance. Early on the "instructions" had indicated putting the code at the top of the BODY. There were times this could really delay page rendering. A few years later, long after I had removed Analytics I was looking at a site's source code and noticed the Analytics call at the end of the BODY. This, of course, helps make sure Analytics doesn't prevent your pages from rendering if the google analytics server is overloaded.

When I re-reviewed the instructions on the Adwords site, sure enough they had been revised; saying put the call at the end of your pages. There was never any notice to Adwords users, that I was aware of, about this design change, OOPs!

So my guess is, call at the top of the page more accurate data, but your pages may render more slowly. Bottom of the page call and your pages will render faster but Analytics accuracy will probably degrade some.

This link at Adwords says place the code at page bottom before /body
[google.com...]

I don't know how many sites I've gone to (including Google!) and hit the back button because I see:
"WAITING for google-analytics.com" in the status bar.

And now Google has added code which causes yet another DNS call to the magical doubleclick.net. If that domain does not respond then Google code does something else; default back to the old call? Here's the new call to doubleclick.net we all seem to have inherited this new javascript call:
[googleads.g.doubleclick.net...]
So yet another javascript call, Google is apparently dumping Adsense onto Double Click, Hmmm. Google also calls two other javascripts these days, to serve the ads with the scroll buttons, ridiculous.

Websites keep getting SSSSLLLLOOOWWWWWEEEERRRR and Slower. 50 CSS files, Analytics, multiple javascripts, graphics galore, broadband communications just doesn't cut it anymore, IMO. I'll have to get fiber optics.

If you'd like to keep making money with Adsense you might want to carefully consider the performance hit you'll take from analytics.

I didn't realize till today the performance hit from Google's change to calling doubleclick.net to serve ads. No wonder earnings are down!

[farmboy]

OK, in Analytics there's a link called "Edit AdSense linking settings". Here's where you do it.

WebWalla, Where exactly did you find that link - I haven't been able to find it?

FarmBoy

[Lagonda]

@farmboy

Analytics Settings -> in the desired website profile click last column (Actions) Edit -> click Edit once again in the "Main Website Profile Information" bar -> check last option

[WebWalla]

Alternatively, just click "Analytics Settings" at the top left, then you can see the "Edit AdSense linking settings" link at the top of the screen.

Click this link to go through the setup steps again.

[edited by: WebWalla at 1:43 pm (utc) on Dec. 16, 2008]

[jetteroheller]

I just got yesterday my invitation and started.

One of my domains could be assigned as the master account, no further changes necessary.

At all the others, I have to insert one line of Javascript.

Since I have December 17th a deadline to bring my bilance 2007 to the Austrian IRS, it was not possible to change all my other domains.

So today, I see in Google Analytics only data for the one domain, where it was not necessary to change anything.

The other domains report 0 impressions.

Can not wait until my boring bilance is finished and I can change all my domains for AdSense in Analytics.

Really, thats the best christmas gift from Google ever!

[swa66]

Got my invite earlier today. (I'm in Europe)

[youfoundjake]

woot, got mine today, should be interesting...

[wyweb]

I dunno - if you're looking for exact matches, I'm afraid it may not happen.

@ netmeg

wish I could add more to this.. My limited exxperience with analytics has shown pretty much the same, albeit on a slightly smaller scale... or more.. Or less I guess...

Keep the code in the head and you'll see better results...

Put it in the footer and the discrepency is in time outs. Sonething like that...

They told you they'd fix it or what? I understand client condfidentiality but did they give you an inkling of an inkling? Or an inklng...

Or what?

Just curious...

[dibbern2]

Dumb me, I somehow got the idea that there would be something extra in the info from going the Analytics AdSense route. I already have an Analytics account through my AdWords account.

No difference in the data as far as I can see.

[farmboy]

No difference in the data as far as I can see.

I've been thinking along the same lines.

I don't know what I'm getting with Analytics that I'm not getting with my own site statistics.

And I don't know what I'm getting with AdSense/Analytics that I couldn't get with channels.

Maybe I'm overlooking something.

FarmBoy

[jetteroheller]

[url]And I don't know what I'm getting with AdSense/Analytics that I couldn't get with channels.[/url]

I had been running out of URL channels 2006

So I can now see, what pages contribute to my revenues.

[jetteroheller]

How long does it take?

As I got the invitation on Monday, I had no time (deadline for my bilance 2007), so only the default domain started working.

All other domains need this

<script>
javascript=window.google_analytics_uacct = "UA-#*$!xx-nn";
</script>

I started rolling this out, 3 hours ago.

But I still see no AdSense data in Analytics from the first domain updated, about 3 hours ago.

[farmboy]

I had been running out of URL channels 2006

So I can now see, what pages contribute to my revenues

Maybe this is being offered to everyone, at least in part, as a substitute for providing more channels?

FarmBoy

[Lagonda]

This integration is useful when ads aren't custom inserted, with corresponding channels created, such as in forums, blogs or any other site using a CMS.

If you create a site page by page you can insert an ad and link it to a channel. That way you know which page is more profitable.
But if you use a CMS with ads always in the same spots, you can't create channels for all those pages.

[edited by: Lagonda at 11:36 pm (utc) on Dec. 17, 2008]

[farmboy]

With channels, I can assign channels and tell if my skyscraper ads are outperforming my rectangle ads.

I can tell if my color scheme 1 ads are outperforming my color scheme 2 ads.

Can I do that with Analytics?

FarmBoy

[dibbern2]

Can I do that with Analytics?

Nope (I think). So what are we gaining? I had already set up Analytics in profiles that corresponded to my channels.