Separating RTP Segment Data in Google Analytics

[Anonymous]

Hi all,

I am having an issue separating RTP segment data in Google Analytics.

We have connected Marketo RTP and Google Analytics.

We have also created segments in Google Analytics to match the segment data from Marketo's RTP,

such that any data that can be seen for all users in GA, can now be narrowed down to a view just for specific segments. This is great.

The way our segments works is that we would like to nurture the user with RTP.

After committing a certain action, they are segmented to be "early" in the sales cycle,

and then re-segmented after undergoing another specific action to be "late" in the sales cycle.

Those segmented as "early" and subsequently "late", will have belonged to two segments.

Marketo will separate the two. The segment that was determined last will take precedent.

In Google Analytics however, if a user is segmented twice, all behavioral data will apply to both segments.

For example, a user comes to a website and commits an action, leaving her segmented as Segment A.

Narrowing down the view to users in Segment A in Google Analytics will show all of her behavior including behavior before being segmented.

The same user commits an action which also segments her to Segment B.

1) All her behavior as Segment A will now be included when narrowing down the view in GA to Segment B.

2) Any behavior after being re-segmented to Segment B will be added to the view of Segment A and B.

We would like to separate the behaviour conducted as Segment A and Segment B.We would like to do this so we can report that "People early in the sales cycle (Segment A) do xxxxxx, while people later in the sales cycle (Segment B) do yyyyyy".

If anyone has any ideas as to how we can stop Google Analytics from attributing behaviour to all segments, and just focus on the segment to which the user currently belongs, I would really appreciate it!

We are currently considering the following:

1) Redefining the segment conditions in GA.

2) We are sending a Tag with a Custom Variable to determine the segment in Marketo.

We may be able to add some code to that tag to tell GA - "If segment previously exists, delete and replace with new segment" (as opposed to keeping both segments)

Thanks for reading. If you have any ideas that could potentially solve our problem I'd be happy to hear them!

Kind regards,

Luis

[Anonymous · Accepted solution]

This could be achieved using Custom Funnels.
Documentation that goes into Custom Funnel reports in more detail. -> Custom Funnels - Analytics Help

Custom Funnels are only available in Google Analytics premium. (Pricing starts at $150,000/year for GA premium)

As an alternative you could apply a user level custom dimension that defines the section of the funnel the user is in and then filter by that in a custom report with hit and session level dimensions.

Docs on custom dimension scoping -> Custom dimensions & metrics - Analytics Help

Because it would be a user scope dimension it would backfill the session the dimension change occurred on but it would "stick" to the user until they moved to the next section of the funnel and the custom dimension was updated.

As a final note:

Segments define a set of users. They will not filter out the behavioral data on the session and hit scoped data for the set of users defined in the segment. Filter out the behavioral data is done using reporting.

Let me know if you have questions

Or you can contact one of our Google Analytics Certified marketers if you need help with implementation.
http://www.brainbytescreative.com/

[Anonymous]

Thanks for posting your suggestion Scott!

I'll have to ask the end client for permission to play around with the custom dimension settings,

but it looks promising.

The GA manual had the following to say about user-level custom dimensions:

---------------------------------------------------

User-level scope

Lastly, if two user-scoped custom dimension values are set within the same session,
the last value set gets precedence for the current session, and is applied to future sessions for that user.

---------------------------------------------

I'm assuming that means if I set the custom dimension to be the same as the user segment from Marketo RTP (in GA, Event Action is xxxxxx),

if the segment changes the last segment will take precedent. Since I'd like GA to only track user behavior for the latest segment, that would be perfect.

Very much appreciated.

Kind regards,

Luis

[Anonymous]

Correct and it backfills/overrides all the hit level data for that session as well.

So for example user:

No Segment
Segment A
Segment B

Session 1: Website -> Blog -> Exit
Session 2: Website -> Event Triggering Segment A -> Blog -> Other Pages.
Session 3: Email -> Website -> Pages -> Exit

Session 4: Website -> Event Triggering Segement B -> Other Pages
Session 5+: Continued Visits.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the clarification.

Love the premise of your website btw, very focused on getting the prospective client to do one thing only!