Google Analytics and Remarketing

[feemish]

I am using Sellerdeck 14.0.1 with the built in Google Analytics.

I am investigating remarketing
I have enabled 'Remarketing' and 'Advertising Reporting Features' in
Analytics : Tracking info : Data Collection

However whenever I try and build an audience, the list is empty. Even if I choose 'ALL Visitors'
The 'Remarketing TAG' says;
"We haven't detected the Google Analytics remarketing functionality on your website"

Google Analytics is working in all other respects.
Has anyone else done this and got it to work?

[fergusw]

Hi Mark,
Your site does not appear to have the up-to-date async version of Google analytics (i.e. Universal Analytics)
https://support.google.com/tagassistant/answer/3059154?ref_topic=2947092#update_async

This is the main difference we can see between the many sites we undertake remarketing for, and your website.
Google Analytics gives you lots of help in how to upgrade your analytics as well as the new async tracking code you will need.
Hope this helps.

[feemish]

Thanks very much for the pointer Fergus.

The Google Analytics code I use is the code out of the box with version 14.0.1.

Is it out of date then?

<actinic:block if="%3cactinic%3avariable%20name%3d%22IsGoogleAnalyticsEnabled%22%20%2f%3e%20%3d%3d%20true" >
<script type="text/javascript">
<!--
	var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");
	document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript">
<!--
	var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("<actinic:variable name="GoogleAnalyticsNumber" />");
	pageTracker._initData();
	pageTracker._trackPageview(<actinic:block if="%3cactinic%3avariable%20name%3d%22PageType%22%20%2f%3e%20%3d%3d%20%22Receipt%22">"/receipt.html"</actinic:block>);
//-->
</script>
</actinic:block>

So I have to find the new async version of Google analytics, and replace the above in the Google Analytics layout code eh?

[fergusw]

Hi Mark,

Something like that. Yes.

The async version would look something like:

<script>
  (function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){i['GoogleAnalyticsObject']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){
  (i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),
  m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)
  })(window,document,'script','https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js','ga');

  ga('create', 'UA-99999999', 'auto');
  ga('send', 'pageview');

</script>

so you're on the right track. Asynchronous/universal analytics is a slightly different beast to the original tracking, however Sellerdeck 2016 has the updated async code by default in the overall layout just before the closing </body> tag:


[from 2016]

<actinic:block if="%3cactinic%3avariable%20name%3d%22IsGoogleAnalyticsEnabled%22%20%2f%3e%20%3d%3d%20true" >
<actinic:block if="%3cactinic%3avariable%20name%3d%22UseUniversalAnalytics%22%20%2f%3e%20%3d%3d%20true" >    
<!-- Google Analytics -->
<script>
(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){i['GoogleAnalyticsObject']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){
(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),
m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)
})(window,document,'script','//www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js','ga');

ga('create', '<actinic:variable name="GoogleAnalyticsNumber" />', 'auto');  // Replace with your property ID.
ga('send', 'pageview');

</script>
<!-- End Google Analytics -->
</actinic:block>
<actinic:block if="%3cactinic%3avariable%20name%3d%22UseUniversalAnalytics%22%20%2f%3e%20%3d%3d%20false" >
<script type="text/javascript">
<!--
    var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");
    document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript">
<!--
    var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("<actinic:variable name="GoogleAnalyticsNumber" />");
    pageTracker._initData();
    pageTracker._trackPageview(<actinic:block if="%3cactinic%3avariable%20name%3d%22PageType%22%20%2f%3e%20%3d%3d%20%22Receipt%22">"/receipt.html"</actinic:block>);
//-->
</script>
</actinic:block>
</actinic:block>

NB: The 2016 code cannot simply be copy/pasted into Sellerdeck 2014 as 2016 uses a UseUniversalAnalytics variable which does not exist in 2014.

You could try the following;

<actinic:block if="%3cactinic%3avariable%20name%3d%22IsGoogleAnalyticsEnabled%22%20%2f%3e%20%3d%3d%20true" >
<!-- Google Analytics -->
<script>
(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){i['GoogleAnalyticsObject']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){
(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),
m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)
})(window,document,'script','//www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js','ga');

ga('create', '<actinic:variable name="GoogleAnalyticsNumber" />', 'auto');  // Replace with your property ID.
ga('send', 'pageview');

</script>
<!-- End Google Analytics -->
</actinic:block>

[feemish]

Thanks very much for this info Fergus!

[feemish]

That code seems to be working ok, but I get an error message on the remarketing tag;

'Couldnt find any Custom Parameters'

Tag doesnt include the custom parameter "ecomm_prodid"

I understand this is needed if you want to remarket a specific item. Is it essential for any remarketing?

[chickenhouseman]

you can create audiences from the page url or text in the url - that's how i've always done mine - i've never had much luck with re marketing but i can see the audiences.

[feemish]

Since I replaced the old analytics code (V14) with the new async code that Fergus supplied above, no more goals (conversions) are being recorded.

My goal was set as /receipt.html and worked ok with the old code.

Any idea why no conversions are being recorded with the new code?

I notice that in the old code the 'receipt.html' page had some kind of block around it... Why was that.. and does the new async code at the end of this post need something similar?

[fergusw]

Hi Mark,

The 'reciept.html' code assigns an html page name to the generic cgi-bin file which gives Google something to record against.

You could try simply replacing a line in the 2016 code with the equivalent:

e.g.
replace

ga('send', 'pageview');

with

ga('send', 'pageview'<actinic:block if="%3cactinic%3avariable%20name%3d%22PageType%22%20%2f%3e%20%3d%3d%20%22Receipt%22">, '/receipt.html'</actinic:block>);

[feemish]

Thanks Fergus, I'll try that.

Should this code be in the <HEAD> of the document now? OR will it still be ok where it is?

[feemish]

I made the changes regarding receipt.html suggested by Fergus two posts up, and I spotted a couple of conversions a little while later.. however... since changing to the async version, my conversions have nose dived.

Some conversions are registering which is odd... but my conversions on my adwords and google shopping accounts have dropped dramatically.

I can only think that the conversion registering code is no longer working properly, because it would seem to be too much of a coincidence that at the same time I made the change that conversions suddenly dropped off.

[feemish]

I just check in Google Analytics...
Please see attached Google Analytics screenshot, showing that goal completions are being recorded but not Ecommerce Conversions(?)

The goal is linked to my Adwords account, which also shows the dramatic drop in conversions (though not zero as in attached) Any ideas?

Perhaps the Async version of Google analytics just doesnt work with Sellerdeck 14?

[fergusw]

Hi Mark,
Sellerdeck 2016 has, by default, Google's async analytics installed across the site. This includes much of the analytics tracking code required to correctly record ecommerce transactions, with changes to the Google analytics tracking code prevalent in a few layouts used within the receipt page in sellerdeck.

If you want to use Google async (which it appears you have decided to do) I'd recommend you download and install a 30-day trial of 2016 and compare the code used in layouts in the receipt page for ecommerce tracking with that in 2014.
Compare:
"Google Analytics Tracking Code"
"Google Analytics Order Transmission"
"Google Analytics Transaction Details"

layouts, all used in the receipt page to transmit the order details to Google Analytics and therefore the conversion data etc.

NB: The 2016 code cannot simply be copy/pasted into Sellerdeck 2014 as 2016 uses a UseUniversalAnalytics variable which does not exist in 2014.

We used to offer the upgrade to Universal analytics as a service, however we are now recommending upgrades to 2016 to include this by default.
Hope this helps point you in the right direction.

[feemish]

Hi Fergus,

Thanks again for this advice.

Before I try and make those changes do you think the lack of Ecommerce data would be responsible for the drop of conversions in Adwords. I use a goal set up in Analytics (receipt.html) which I have imported into Adwords. It is registering some conversions but there has been a big drop. Do you think this could be a coincidence or is it possibly related to the lack of Ecommerce Conversions and the missing new async code on my receipt page.

[fergusw]

Hi Mark,
Adwords conversion tracking usually requires additional tracking code to be added, over and above the GA tracking. Is there a chance you removed it by accident when adding in the new async code?