Track replies & new thread clicks/submits in Google Analytics
Mod Version: 1.00, by tpearl5
| vB Version: 4.1.x | Rating:  (2 votes - 5.00 average) |
Installs: 13 |
| Released: 15 Dec 2011 | Last Update: 15 Dec 2011 | Downloads: 93 |
 Not Supported
 Uses Plugins
Template Edits
Auto-Template
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With the following template modifications you'll be able to track replies to threads and new threads in Google Analytics. I've included the edits to track clicks on reply & thread buttons and actual form submits. You'll also be able to track how many people are using quick reply & clicking on 'go advanced'.
Why is this better then vbulletin's system?
With reply / new thread data in Google Analytics you'll be able to track not only how many posts your users are making over time, but you can also base that data on secondary dimensions, like where they are coming from before they submit a post, what keyword they searched for before making a post (if they came from a search engine), what threads got the most replies, or what state had the most new threads. The list goes on.
Why tracking clicks is useful
By tracking clicks on reply / new thread links you'll be able to see how many people, including guests, wanted to write something. With these template mods you'll also be able to see where they were clicking on 'reply to thread' or 'post new thread' (top or bottom of the page) or 'go advanced'. By comparing the difference between clicks and submits, then correlating with new account registers, you'll gain some new insight as to what your visitors are doing. Not to mention you can also view secondary dimensions.
Installation
I've included a file for the template modification system.
For TMS
Manual
Download the txt file and make the edits manually. DO NOT install the product file, it won't do anything.
If you do not want click data
If you do not want to track click data on reply / new thread links simply set the template edits in TMS that have the word 'click' in them to not active. If you're editing manually, just don't edit the templates that have 'click' as the second variable in the analytics tracking string. For example '_gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'Reply', 'Click', 'Top']);' is a click tracking code.
A note on the difference in data
Keep in mind that you will more than likely see a difference between vBulletin data and Google Analytics data. This can be caused by a number of factors, including users that don't have javascript enabled, spam posting bots, or users clicking on a something more than once.
I will post some screen shots of what this looks like in analytics after I gather some more data myself. You will find the report under Content > Events (or if using the old version Content > Event Tracking)
Why is this better then vbulletin's system?
With reply / new thread data in Google Analytics you'll be able to track not only how many posts your users are making over time, but you can also base that data on secondary dimensions, like where they are coming from before they submit a post, what keyword they searched for before making a post (if they came from a search engine), what threads got the most replies, or what state had the most new threads. The list goes on.
Why tracking clicks is useful
By tracking clicks on reply / new thread links you'll be able to see how many people, including guests, wanted to write something. With these template mods you'll also be able to see where they were clicking on 'reply to thread' or 'post new thread' (top or bottom of the page) or 'go advanced'. By comparing the difference between clicks and submits, then correlating with new account registers, you'll gain some new insight as to what your visitors are doing. Not to mention you can also view secondary dimensions.
Installation
I've included a file for the template modification system.
For TMS
- install the product file (makes a place to house the template edits)
- import the xml file for the template edits
Manual
Download the txt file and make the edits manually. DO NOT install the product file, it won't do anything.
If you do not want click data
If you do not want to track click data on reply / new thread links simply set the template edits in TMS that have the word 'click' in them to not active. If you're editing manually, just don't edit the templates that have 'click' as the second variable in the analytics tracking string. For example '_gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'Reply', 'Click', 'Top']);' is a click tracking code.
A note on the difference in data
Keep in mind that you will more than likely see a difference between vBulletin data and Google Analytics data. This can be caused by a number of factors, including users that don't have javascript enabled, spam posting bots, or users clicking on a something more than once.
I will post some screen shots of what this looks like in analytics after I gather some more data myself. You will find the report under Content > Events (or if using the old version Content > Event Tracking)
Download
templateedits-post_analytics.xml (7.4 KB, 32 downloads)
templateedits-post_analytics.txt (8.3 KB, 88 downloads) product-post_analytics.xml (1.3 KB, 35 downloads)