Analytics Unpacked

I have things to say about Active Users in Google Analytics. Time for a new post.

The most popular post on my blog in Q2: What does 'Email' mean in Google Analytics, and why are those numbers so small?

Check email ☑️ Paddling-pool repair ☑️ Training course follow-up - in progress

Google Ads has flagged Eventbrite is a 'compromised site' and has disapproved all my ads for events. Has anyone else seen this? Seems to have happened on 7th July 26.

Tip: there are Google Analytics apps for Android and IOS. They’re pretty good.

If you can get to Cambridge (UK) this looks great ⬇️

Google Analytics tip: don't drag and drop in the explorations area. It's easier to click and select the dimension instead.

If you run your own business, or are thinking of getting started, the Being Freelance podcast is full of useful, honest, advice: www.beingfreelance.com (This is not an advert, I'm just a grateful listener)

Training without travel ⬇️

Confused by Google Analytics? Join my Zoom course and get your questions answered. Booking for July and August is now open.

If you're crunching your website stats for May, remember it was a 31-day month. So traffic growth of 3% is built in. That's before you even consider the impact of the UK school holidays in early April.

Working on a tailored course for a new client. Trying to explain how to drag and drop variables in Google Analytics Explorations. This should not be difficult [sigh].

In recent years I've been trying out a greener approach for holidays abroad: go where the railways lead. Just back from my second attempt: a weekend in Lille. Great place.

Great news. This will make things much simpler.

Testing Google Analytics' definition of 'active users'. Because I have a niggling doubt and I like to be thorough.

You can change the cookie consent tool used on your website. It may save you money, or improve the user experience.

From yesterday ➡️ Four cookie consent tools you could use with Google Analytics

I hope Zak Polanski remembers to send Wes Streeting some flowers.

New blog: Four cookie consent tools you could use with Google Analytics

A brilliant analysis of current UK charity usage of X and Bluesky ⬇️

What does 'Email' mean in Google Analytics, and why are those numbers so small? www.analyticsunpacked.com/2025/01/what...

“Air pollution fell substantially as Paris restricted car traffic and made way for parks, people-streets and bike-lanes.” Better for the climate, better for health, better for livability and quality of life. Common sense. Such a no-brainer, it’s remarkable that more cities HAVEN’T done the same.

May I politely point out that today is an exceptional day for solar power generation in the United Kingdom. It’s not always like this, I’m very aware of that, but when it is this sunny all day, it means we have to pay for less imported gas. It’s not that hard to understand.

AI pop-ups are the new cookie-pop-ups. Log into a service... look for the close button to get rid of the AI wizard. And repeat.

In June Google are changing the way consent works if you use Google Analytics and Google Ads. Details here:

Includes answers to questions such as: Should I care about events? Is 'active users' a misleading number? What is the most important Google Analytics report?

Confused by Google Analytics? Join my Zoom course and get your questions answered. Booking for June is now open.

Google renaming Looker Studio back to Data Studio is clearly because I've been too stubborn to call it Looker Studio this whole time right?

How a dodgy marketing company secretly attached Facebook's Like Button to ordinary links on websites. A rare, and fascinating, expose of the world of black-hat marketing: darknetdiaries.com/episode/171/

Business as usual feels absurd and difficult at the moment. Nevertheless, I have tiny amount of influence over global events and I still have bills to pay.

❗❗ FT exclusive: A broker for Pete Hegseth, the US defence secretary, attempted to make a big investment in major defence companies in the weeks leading up to the US-Israeli attack on Iran, according to three people familiar with the matter www.ft.com/content/744e...

I tend to avoid asking for online reviews, because I'm aware how easy it is to fake them. A stat in this article is making me reconsider. Which are quoted as saying that 89% of people use reviews before making a buying decision. www.theguardian.com/business/202...

Dave’s been to a conference and now he’s an SEO expert

I don't think AI is going to take our jobs. Rather, I think the hype about AI is going to take our jobs, or at least make them worse. And when the hype fails, the economic pain will hurt us again. Views?

I'd worked with Google Analytics for 10 years before I realised this.🤦‍♂️

Time for a mid-campaign review [braces].

I forgot to say 🤦‍♂️... I take a low-carbon approach: ➡️Choosing public transport, or bicycle, for business travel ➡️Avoiding flying for business ➡️Using reconditioned equipment - at least 50% of my purchases are pre-loved ➡️Optimising my website to gain an A-grade from the Website Carbon Calculator

In case you missed it earlier:

Confused by Google Analytics? Join my Zoom course and get your questions answered. Learn more:

Hoping that Labour realise today is a great day to talk about all their work on renewables.

Discovered these folks recently. They do great work.

20 ways to use Google Analytics 6: Look at the traffic that arrives through your socials. Which channels are performing well? Are there any surprises?

If you're compiling an analytics report for February, remember the impact of the shorter month. By default February will get 10% less traffic than January and March.

A website, but someone is following you around, bopping you periodically on the head with a long hollow cardboard tube.

Signs you have problems with your Google Analytics account (when you have a large email list) #7:

Ah, a new Google Ads hurdle: verification. What are the chances that Google have thought about Sole Traders in the UK?

Me to a friend last week: “The AI bubble is going to burst. It’s best to pick an avenue that survives because it has real-world value.”

NEW: “CBS Evening News” producer Alicia Hastey sends a bombshell farewell note: Stories are “evaluated not just on their journalistic merit but on whether they conform to a shifting set of ideological expectations.”

Signs you have problems with your Google Analytics account #6: