Analytics Talks With Semalt

The data on traffic generated from the Google Analytics may be a composition of various elements related to the website configurations. While the data recorded on the Google Analytics is fundamental for business decisions, it is common to retrieve suspicious data especially if the website visitors fluctuate to sudden highs and lows. Michael Brown, the Semalt Customer Success Manager, says that in most cases, ghost and spam referrals constitute a significant portion of the malicious traffic.

The removal of malicious records on the Google Analytics resulted from spam and referrals can be facilitated by using the exclude filters on the console of the Google Analytics tool. This involves appropriate configurations based on IP address filtration, filtration of the host name, or the geographic location of the particular website. However, it is usually challenging when only a portion of the data from a particular place or IP address needs filtration.

To censor traffic information on the Google Analytics that excludes traffic from the computer used by the website owner or when the owner uses a dynamic IP address the solution is the utilization of another piece of data such a custom segment. Traffic information from individual computers filtered on personal machines does not affect data created by other users in the network opposed to Google Analytics filtration based on hostname, IP or geography.

Setting It Up

To create an individual machine based filters to block spam referrals and ghost data generators on the Google analytics without affecting other computers, one needs to set up a cookie on the machine. Using the GA custom segment cookie from a created script that identifies the available Google analytics.

Save the file after copy and pasting, then add it to the favorite editor depending on the server used. Make sure the extension is correct so that the pages of the website open with properness.

Use FTP to upload the saved file to the website server by placing it anywhere on the website. This step might be complicated to some users and requires recommended consultation from experts.

The file should open as an HTML when typed on the browser otherwise its extension needs a change. Go to create a cookie and enter some texts in provided text boxes. Make sure no white spaces or special characters are included in the custom segment. The value entered on the GA custom segment determine the script configuration to pop up a notification of the correctly configured cookie.

After the correct set up of the cookie, go to the GA account to compose an exclude filter. The filter should be able to exclude searched words, and strings typed into the search bar of the filter information according to a value predetermined in the filter pattern.

This mechanism is very portable as it requires the setting of values to a custom segment on the script. Placing the script on the site avails its accessibility on any computer commented on the website. Pointing the browser to the script and submitting the form with the excluded statements facilitates the exclusion. Spam referrals and ghost traffic get filtered on the Google Analytics using the domain specific characters. For application in multiple domain platforms, each domain requires its own script.