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Ever wonder how your websites' data in your analytics reports would be affected based on the placement of your analytics code on the page? Eric Enge and his team at Stone Temple Consulting have begun answering this question by testing the placement of the same analytics code within the top and bottom of a web page.

 

"With the help of Dennis Mortensen and the IndexTools team, we setup a more disciplined test. In this test, we placed Javascript both at the top and the bottom of the web pages for two sites (Tool Parts Direct and City Town Info).

The scripts were basically identical, except they fed their data into 2 different IndexTools accounts. This allowed us to more accurately measure the impact of placement on counting of visitors to the site. While we implemented the two scripts site wide, we focused our analysis on the Page Views to the home page."

It is a well known fact that data quality from web analytics isn't the greatest and can be very far off from 100%. Additionally, it should be trends that analysts should focus in order to gain a sense of the entire picture for you business' strategy.

 

Suggested Action(s)

"Our suggestion would be that if your page load is normally pretty snappy (total page load time of under 3 or 4 seconds), then keep your Javascript at the bottom, and remove any risk related to analytics vendor downtime. The small loss of data you see in this scenario should not be a significant factor in the value of your analytics data.

But, if your page load time is a bit slower (4 seconds or more), you may want to consider placing your analytics Javascript at the top of your web page. Your data loss will be larger, and also the nature of the lost data may start to differ."


Manoj Jasra is currently a Sr. Analyst at Shaw Communications Inc. Prior to Shaw, Manoj was the Director of Technology and Sr. Strategist at Enquiro Search Solutions. He has been in the Search Marketing Industry since 2002, since then, his learning in marketing and business strategies as they relate to online has led him to become an expert in Search Marketing/Web Analytics, providing consultation and implementation strategies for clients. Manoj frequently writes in his blog about the latest in the Web Analytics and SEM Industry.

Comments (3)

wow, nice info u got there.
I'm studying IT courses, n found that the suggestion u gave is useful. thx again for the info =D

It makes no different for me whether I use the analytics script at the top or bottom of my page. The results is the same. :-/

I am suprised that when you implemented the code on top and bottom that they didn't cancel each other out at least part of the time.

Most tracking systems have a one tag gets credit system and the last one seen gets credit. If you had 2 on the page the last one would always get credit unless the page wasn't allowed to fully load and then the top one would get credit.

Also, if you place tags in tables or within the body code that usually messes up the tracking too.

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Manoj Jasra has been in the search marketing industry since 2002 with Enquiro Search Solutions, where his technical background in programming and software made him a key member in the development of several proprietary industry tools.

Since then, his learning in marketing and business strategies as they relate to online has led him to become a resident expert on Search Marketing/Web Analytics.

Manoj also authors the blog, Web Analytics World, which features Manoj's insight on the Search Marketing and Web Analytics Industry.

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Enquiro offers a complete solution for your business needs - everything from Organic SEM & SEO to managing your Sponsored SEM strategies (PPC). Enquiro also provides in-house research to help you build stronger Search Engine Marketing relationships through usability resolutions with your target market - leveraging technology to bridge the disconnect between intent and lead.

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Manoj Jasra is currently a Sr. Analyst at Shaw Communications Inc. Prior to Shaw, Manoj was the Director of Technology and Sr. Strategist at Enquiro Search Solutions. He has been in the Search Marketing Industry since 2002, since then, his learning in marketing and business strategies as they relate to online has led him to become an expert in Search Marketing/Web Analytics, providing consultation and implementation strategies for clients. Manoj frequently writes in his blog about the latest in the Web Analytics and SEM Industry.

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