Use Data Or Be Used By Data!

The September 2 issue of Seotistics is here for you!

It's finally September and as the end of the year draws near, companies still miss some key factors.

When auditing websites, you will see that the stuff you want is never there...

so you educate your client(s) and teach them the value of data.

I am here to show you the way.

P.S. My previous issue contains a lot of information on Content Management instead.

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📣📣 Announcements 📣📣

1. I am going to speak at brightonSEO on October 3, Auditorium 2 at 1.30pm GMT!

2. Both my ebook and my course will receive updates soon.

Expect more about GA4 SQL and other nice content for the course ;)

The ebook will get additional content at the end of September.

3. Seotistics is getting cooler and I am also gathering testimonials.

If you want to leave some nice words about me or my Analytics work, you can compile the form below (please, attach your picture):

Leave Me A Testimonial <3

These 2 gentlemen already left their awesome reviews:

Now, let's get started with this issue!

Google Analytics 4

Most use GA4 and that's a good thing for standardization... but a default installation is barely sufficient.

If you want to use Explorations, you need to change the base data retention of 2 months to 14.

The actual value of this tool comes from creating your own dimensions/events/metrics.

To prepare some basic reports, Explorations help a lot.

The example below shows 0 sampling, as you can see from the green tick:

Just checking the Users is pointless except for content auditing.

You want to have stuff like:

Clicks on CTAs
Compiled forms
Better engagement metrics

Betraying GA4

Everyone knows that the GA4 transition wasn't welcomed by many due to the complexity of the tool.

Many competitors like Adobe and Piwik have gained momentum...

but do you really need to switch?

In my opinion, absolutely not.

GA4 is quite simple once you study it and it's still Google's, so you get all the possible integrations.

I have a headache every single time I work with non-GA4 websites.

Google Search Console

You'd be amazed to know how many companies don't have GSC lol

Yes, this is a basic mistake in many traditional industries.

Once you have it ready, you should at least update your sitemap(s).

This is your treasure trove for keyword data and the most reliable way to assess organic performance.

Sure, paid tools will claim they know better but they actually try to replicate search data in inaccurate ways.

P.S. Create multiple properties if you want granularity.

This approach will get you more data but it can lead to complications for bigger websites.

Google Tag Manager

This is going to be your best friend in the long run because you can measure EVERYTHING.

Yes, tracking all you need and maintaining it.

I am not a power user but you can find infinite tutorials online explaining what you need.

Literally, everything.

The Exports To BigQuery

Both GSC and GA4 allow you to export data to BigQuery, I will tell you this until everyone is using this feature.

The thing is, you don't simply get API data but much, much more.

GA4 and its API are very limited and the same goes for GSC.

Here is a comparison for GA4 alone:

I am writing a comprehensive article on the topic since most of you always ask me!

Needless to say, there is no big downside to using it.

If you are dealing with a big website, it's more complex because you are most likely to interfere with an existing data architecture and/or team.

This will be explained separately but feel free to ask if you are impatient.

Still, for actual analysis, BQ is the way to go in 2024 and beyond.

Basic Content Management

Many companies miss the most basic content management:

a list of all the content they drafted/published
a workflow that covers all the processes
accountability (big)
where to store data

Master this and you will always have things to do.

Many start from technical problems but the very first thing to check are the processes.

The workflow below is such an example:

It doesn't make any sense to hunt for GA4 setup mistakes if the system is broken.

My favorite tool to achieve that is Airtable:

Recently, my friend Henedy suggested I try Nocodb, a free alternative:

Whatever you use, just do it and start nurturing good practices.

This makes a big difference when working with data so you don't have to pay someone else in the future.

Ok But What To Store?

The following ALWAYS works:

Author
Date published
Date updated
Notes
Cluster/Group

As you may notice, most of this can also come from the CMS and you don't need to DIY.

The most important details are about the dates and the clusters.

Else, you won't be able to visualize cluster performance over time.

As said multiple times, extra dimensions make your analysis more meaningful and useful overall.

If you want to take your Analytics for SEO skills to the next level, you can check out my course:

[Analytics For SEO Course - v2]

If you want to be guided and start from scratch, this is the course for you!

Some nice updates coming this week, stay tuned!

You will:

✅ Use GSC and GA4 Data to their fullest potential

✅ Learn Python/SQL for your needs

✅ Get a complete blueprint for auditing websites

✅ Learn how to 10x your productivity

✅ Learn BigQuery to work on large websites

I teach you what's needed to go from 0 to a professional Data Analyst.

Even if you leave SEO, the foundations are the same for other jobs!

P.S. (Ab)use the referral system and get additional discounts 👀

Learn Analytics for SEO Now!

The Old Meta Of Content

Content looks simple but it's more than just stitching words together.

Yet, many still get it wrong and mass produce it.

As you can verify yourself by looking at my blog, quality > quantity and this is a must for B2B.

My dear subscribers got my Content Management Handbook and know much more about the topic!

Publishers have gotten away with quantity for decades but now things are gradually changing between AI and videos.

The average workflow looked like this:

Do keyword research
Prepare a list
Write
Rinse and repeat

You still need to do this uh, but you can't stop at listing down articles.

The important thing to do is distribute and repurpose your content!!!

This in exchange means more data points and more opportunities to know your readers.

Copywriting VS Content Marketing

Many get this super wrong, especially out of the Anglosphere.

When companies say they need a copywriter, they often mean content marketer.

When I talk about "content data", I usually mean data for content marketing.

Engagement data and heatmaps are also good allies for improving your copy/CTAs, but not our main topic.

There isn't much to use data for copywriting compared to content marketing...

Documentation (How Boring!)

The most boring part for the majority is to document your findings.

You should always document your data or at least list down some use cases.

I don't have strict rules for documentation as it's not my primary task but I usually include:

Who does what (if needed)
Definitions
Use cases
Traps
Resources

As simple as possible, avoid giving too many details. If needed, they can have their glossary at the end.

If you want some names, here they are:

Confluence
Obsidian
Notion

To be fair, I also use Confluence and Notion for documenting code, they are sooooo good!

Common Sense Pays Off

The reason why I hate complex solutions and most of the stuff we read on social media is that no one will use it.

The majority of companies lack solid foundations, let alone introduce more complexity.

The highest paid skills are for sure abstraction and common sense.

What does it mean? I will tell you in the next issue ;)

Many great projects fail because people don't dare ask the relevant questions or question the status quo.

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