So here we are again. Universal Analytics and Google Tag Manager, the dynamic duo, ready to strike again. First, remember to check my previous two tips for UA and GTM use in custom scenarios: Weather as a custom dimension Tracking page load time In this post, I visit the idea of adjusted bounce rate, which I came across a year ago in the Google Analytics blog. Adjusted bounce rate basically refers to tweaking the traditional bounce rate collection method (single engagement hits / total visits) so that visits which only included a single page view would not count towards a bounce, as long as they met some qualitative requirements.

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In Google Analytics, you can monitor your site speed and get a decent overview of what pages are contributing positively and negatively to site speed. The problem with page load time metric is that it’s an average based on a sample. You can modify the sample rate with setSiteSpeedSampleRate(), but for me that’s not bloody well good enough. (UPDATE 28.3.2014: This post is still valid, but an implementation with User Timings is a much smarter way to measure actual page load time.

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There is a new version of this post for GTM V2 here. [Last updated June 2014] I’ve fallen in love with Universal Analytics and Google Tag Manager. Together they form an incredibly powerful tool for marketing professionals. In most cases, I no longer need to post recommendations to my client for yet another page template revision, since with the tag manager in place, I can just add custom code via the admin panel.

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My days as a freewheeling, unrestrained, happy-go-lucky, gung-ho city cowboy are over. As of 31 August 2013, I’m a married man, and for the rest of my life, I will dedicate myself to optimizing my relationship to my beautiful wife. The old ball-and-chain. But before I bury myself in the bosom of our blessèd alliance, I’ll continue to blog about the dark and murky undergrowth of digital marketing that SEO is.

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Dear client, search engine Optimization for you? Or perhaps - donuts? The Web, I’m afraid, Is a pretty sticky maze. And you’re the trapped fly. We tell you we’ll help, But you will not believe us. You are very wise. Everything we do, Everything we claim we do, You can do yourself. But if you let us Approach you humbly, gently, As a team, we’ll rock. We’ll rock Google, check!

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So you’ve spent a whopping amount of money on paid search, SEO, Facebook ads, competitions, link building, and traditional marketing. You’re seeing a crazy influx of visitors to your site. Just as you’re about to call your boss to accept the promotion, you notice a worrying trend: your new visitors are barely making an impression on conversions from online traffic. What’s up with that? All your high-paid consultants told you that a high return of investment is guaranteed, since The Internet is da bomb, everything is cheap, and percentages are always in your favor!

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So it’s been a while, I know. I’ve been enjoying my summer vacation, either swimming in the lush blue waters of Finland’s lakes or in the murky, greenish, (only slightly toxic) chemistry lab reject also known as the Baltic Sea. I’ve also had the pleasure of playing golf only to realize I’m roughly at the same skill level I was at when I first started. I blame the fact I’ve played less than ever before due to some unexpected patellofemoral pain in my right knee (yes, I know it’s called the Runner’s Knee, but if I know words like patellofemoral, I will use them).

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