Analytics and redirects

[ozchris]

Has anyone got experience in Google Analytics and redirects?

Our original site was .com, and we also have .com.au, redirected to the main site, with a permanent 301.

As the majority of our AdWords advertising is in Australia, our display and destination urls are the .com.au, and the user gets automatically redirected after clicking.

Last night I turned on Google Analytics.

I noticed the PPC stats aren't coming through.
So we are missing the benefit of comparing organic and PPC stats.

According the the help screen http://adwords.google.com/support/bi...y?answer=43179 it is because the tracking code is getting dropped in the redirect from .com.au to the .com

We don't want to add a delay, as per the help screen, to let the tracking code execute before the redirect, as we actually want the tracking code to be associated with the .com, so that it appears on the Analytics reports.

If we display the .com.au, but have the destination URL as the .com, Google will pause our ads, saying the destination and display url are different.

This is a simple example, with just .com and .com.au.

However with future clients who buy additional meaningful domains for use in AdWords, this will be an issue. They will have to work hard to convince Google to let them keep their ads.

We have one client whose main domain is his name, for which he is famous in one field. But for the sake of another branch of his business, he has an additional keyword-rich domain name, 301-redirected, which gets really stunning CTRs, proving the worth of this approach. He doesn't yet run Analytics, but I want to recommend it to him, although this redirect sounds like it will be a show-stopper.

As a subscriber to Perry Marshalls newsletter, he now recommends that instead of redirects, a site should have multiple domain names, with the DNS for each domain pointing to the same site. Otherwise ads get paused.

However wouldn't that stuff up the Analytics stats as well?

Is the solution to have one Analytics account for each domain name? ie one for .com.au and one for .com? Although all the other non-Adwords traffic is going to the .com, so again we would lose the comparison data.

And what would the impact be on duplication? Surely Google would treat the two domain names as duplicate sites, and one would be kept out of the index?
Or is that something that can be nominated through the Webmaster tools section.

love to hear feedback.

ta chris

[incrediblehelp]

Does G analytics even monitor redirects or spidering? Since it is javascript based tracking I dont think it does.

[Eddy Tan]

I have not tried Google Analytics before but I suspect your situation got to do with setting tracking codes for the two domains. Googles Help center should have an entry on mulple domains.

I worked with ClickTracks and it supports multiple domains and Adwords without all the work on tracking codes. No misses. Just logfiles They now automate campaigns reports using Adwords or overture. No need to log on to Google. The reports come out on the scheduled hour. They even have an Agency license for you to make money.

[khurramali]

The reason why google checks the displayed and destination url is to deter people from displaying another websites url while taking the customer to another url, either the competition website or in a bid to collect credit card information for fraud.

It is only logical, I think you should contact google if you can't find any info on google about multiple domains, I am sure they will understand your situation and give you a break.

[deepsand]

I had same problem re. Display URL & Destination URL being different. I pointed out to Goggle that:

1) Both were owned by the same entity;
2) The Display URL re-directed to the Destination URL; and,
3) The purpose of the Display URL was for brand recognition.

After waiting a more than reasonable period for a reply, I re-addressed the issue, adding a curt note re. common courtesies and their failure to extend such to their clients.

They never did reply, but, they did re-activate the ads in question!

As the AdWords system in presently down, I cannot confirm this, but I seem to recall that Analytics does/did provide for your stipulating a list of multiple URLs to be tracked.

[Tubby]

no answers here but,

'If we display the .com.au, but have the destination URL as the .com, Google will pause our ads, saying the destination and display url are different. '

I never knew this. .

So thank you for the question. .

[ptstefa]

Hi, i am using G/A for at least 1 year and at this time i have 15 sites register on my G/A account. I have one site with 4 parked domains. My main Domain is www.Rethimno.gr and the other 3 crete.gr, eRethymno.gr, and Retimno.eu show to the same site. I had 4 diferent accounts, one of each domain but at the end i took the same data...

So with one site with many domains use one tracking code and you will see the other domains as refferal domains in yous statistics.

Sorry for my bad english...i am from Greece

[AussieWebmaster]

A more advanced method would be to have the redirect parse and add the tracking code to the new redirect - it can be done - talk with your coders.

[ozchris]

I'll talk to the guy who does our redirects and see if he can pass the parameters.

For interest,

I sent an email to AW support, and had a dialogue going for 2-3 days explaining our problem. She eventually said we could have the display url as .com.au and the destination as .com. I had her statement in the email saying all was approved.

Lo and behold, today another eager AW support person cancelled our ads saying the destination and display were different.

The left hand and the right hand don't know what they're doing......

[deepsand]

Originally Posted by ozchris

I'll talk to the guy who does our redirects and see if he can pass the parameters.

For interest,

I sent an email to AW support, and had a dialogue going for 2-3 days explaining our problem. She eventually said we could have the display url as .com.au and the destination as .com. I had her statement in the email saying all was approved.

Lo and behold, today another eager AW support person cancelled our ads saying the destination and display were different.

The left hand and the right hand don't know what they're doing......

Actually, like the "editors" at Overture, now that Yahoo thoroughly screwed up the "editorial process," they all use their feet.

Based on my experiences with Google AdWords, you were lucky to have even received a reply, let alone be able to carry on a dialogue.

[brian.mark]

Originally Posted by deepsand

Based on my experiences with Google AdWords, you were lucky to have even received a reply, let alone be able to carry on a dialogue.

Funny... I had a rep actually call and ask me what they could do to assist me in our campaigns today. I had a conversation.

Brian.

[deepsand]

Originally Posted by brian.mark

Funny... I had a rep actually call and ask me what they could do to assist me in our campaigns today. I had a conversation.

Brian.

Google or Yahoo?

If Google, do you have a phone no. to share?

[brian.mark]

It was Google, but I only have a number to our account rep. If you don't have a rep, that'd be the problem.

Brian.