Google Analytics Summit – the Key Announcements & What They Mean for You

The Google Analytics Partner Summit happened earlier this month. It’s an opportunity for Google Analytics Partners (like MoneySpyder) to meet together next door to the Google campus in Mountain View and get the inside scoop on developments for Google Analytics.

Here are the top three announcements that we think are going to make it easier for every business gain insight and add revenue in the coming months.

1. Migrating to Universal Analytics – Universal Analytics was last year’s big announcement but until now there hasn’t been a way to migrate all your data into the new version. Previously if you wanted to take advantage of Universal Analytics you had to do it without all your existing data.
2. Demographic Segmentation – Previously the demographic section of Google Analytics was limited to location and language. Now it is possible to segment your data by age, gender, and even interests. These insights comes from the data Google uses to target ads on the Google Display Network. You can see what Google thinks about you on your settings page. It's not always totally accurate, however, as we're not into 'Metals and Mining' or 'Maritime Transport' half as much as Google thinks we are.
3. Analytics Academy – Not only are there more how-to videos and tips in Analytics itself, Google have launched the Analytics Academy. The course lasts three weeks and is self taught via online videos and is a must for all newcomers to Analytics.

To get access to the additional features of Universal Analytics and demographic data you will have to make some changes to your tracking code. A simple way to update your code would be to install Google Tag Manager. Tag Manager allows you to make changes to your tracking codes without re-deploying your code or bothering your developers. Get in touch if you want more information on setting this up or any other Analytics quandaries.