What’s Google Analytics Ask Intelligence?
This is an extract from TWIS SEO News & Updates 21 July 2017.
Read about the ins and outs of Google Analytics Ask Intelligence and whether or not this new feature is fantastic, or a distracting plaything.
If you would like to discuss ways to implement and set up Google Analytics, please feel free to contact me.
#Google #GoogleAnalytics #AskIntelligence #KnowYourNumbers
Google Analytics Ask Intelligence: Ask a Question, Get an Answer
Analytics Ask Intelligence Summary:
- Google Analytics Ask Intelligence has a nifty new feature – plain language questions and answers.
- You can ask (type) a question in plain English and get the data / chart presented back to you.
- The new ask a question, get an answer feature is being rolled out currently, and only works in English for the moment.
- It looks easy enough, but you will need to ask your questions in a fairly structured way, which could be useful and frustrating in equal measure.
- This is fun but the jury is out on whether this will help drive traffic, conversions and revenue.
Actions to take:
- Log into Google Analytics and follow these instructions from Google to see if you can access Ask Intelligence.
- If you can access it, read the “what questions you can ask” guide and give it a whirl.
- If you can’t (and this feature is being rolled out), then you’ll just have to wait for the full joys of Ask Intelligence to be revealed to you. In the meantime, you’ll just have to access data via the old way of clicking links.
- If you don’t even have Google Analytics, use this Basic Goal Setting and Monitoring Guide to help you get started and set it up.
- Contact me if you would help installing Google Analytics and testing this feature.
Discussion:
I’m a little unsure if this is a Feature or a Gimmick. At the moment, I’m leaning to gimmick. This Ask Intelligence feature would be useful for asking occasional or one-off questions, but if you ask the same question regularly, then you really should set up a report, or a dashboard, or a shortcut.
I’m also getting a little bit disenchanted with Google’s rollouts. Many features are announced 4-12 weeks before they hit most accounts, which means they have been forgotten about by the time they are released to most users. Of course, Google releases them to power users quickly, but even some larger accounts have not got these yet. Google needs to make roll-out happen to all within 1-2 weeks of the announcement. Any more and its too long.
I’m also concerned that this is a solution in search of a problem using Google’s great language processing technologies to return data from natural language queries. But, like many things, if your UX is sorted and easy intelligible, then search shouldn’t be needed – and there shouldn’t be any need for Ask Analytics Intelligence.
More info:
Mobile First is NOT Mobile Friendly
TL;DR
- Google Analytics Ask Intelligence is a new feature.
- You can ask a question (in a certain way) and get an answer.
- Might be useful, might be a gimmick. Time will tell.
- Read The State of SEO in mid-2017.
- Read about how Google’s Mobile First Index is not Mobile Friendly.
Thanks for reading. If you would like to discuss what implementing Google Analytics properly mean for your web property, please feel free to contact me.
