Whitepapers & Recommended Book Reading

Written by Brian Clifton (PhD), our in-house whitepapers discuss in detail matters such as different data collection methodologies used in web analytics (logfiles v pagetags), the use of 1st v 3rd party cookies, plus the wider relevance of Search Engine Marketing, both SEO and paid advertising, in relation to web analytics.

Free Whitepapers (PDF)

• Web Analytics Accuracy (updated, February 2008)
• Web Analytics Data Sources (updated November 2007)
• How Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) Works (updated September 2007)

Books for Web Analytics & Conversion Marketing:

• Advanced Web Metrics with Google Analytics
  by Brian Clifton
  Amazon says: "Google insider and web metrics expert Brian Clifton reveals the information you need to get a true picture of your site's impact and stay competitive using Google Analytics. "
  
  Brian Clifton says: "The content covers the whole spectrum of web analytics using Google Analytics - from initial measurement planning considerations, to GA best practice implementation, advanced configuration, hacks (workarounds), KPIs and real world usage, including analyst tasks such as identifying poor performing pages and funnel optimisation."
  Book launch post.


• Web Analytics: An Hour a Day
  by Avinash Kaushik
  Amazon says: "Web analytics expert Avinash Kaushik, in his thought-provoking style, debunks leading myths and leads you on a path to gaining actionable insights from your analytics efforts."
  
• Actionable Web Analytics: Using Data to Make Smart Business Decisions
  by Jason Burby and Shane Atchison
  Amazon says: "This book is about the why, not just the how, of web analytics and the rules for developing a "culture of analysis" inside your organization."
  
• Call to Action: Secret Formulas to Improve Online Results
  by Bryan Eisenberg, Jeffrey Eisenberg, Lisa T. Davis
  Amazon says: "An overview of the principles and tactics of conversion rate marketing."
  GA-Experts says: "The original persuasion architecture theory"
• Web Metrics: Proven Methods for Measuring Web Site Success
  by Jim Sterne
  Amazon says: "Why you should measure, how to measure and then what to do with the results. From the highly respected Web Analytics guru."
  GA-Experts says: "One of the first detailed books on web analytics. Still highly relevant today"
• Web Analytics Demystified: A Marketer's Guide to Understanding How Your Web Site Affects Your Business
  (Avaliable from Amazon US Only) by Eric T Peterson
  Amazon says: "Peterson collates a whole range of existing material and presents it as a practical and comprehensive guide for website operators."
  GA-Experts says: "One of the original comprehensive guides, covering everything from basic definitions through to complex analysis systems, how to set them up and how to intepret the results."

Books for Search Engine Marketing:

• Waiting For Your Cat to Bark: Persuading Customers When They Ignore Marketing
  by Bryan Eisenberg, Jeffrey Eisenberg, Lisa T. Davis
  Amazon says: "How emerging media have undermined the effectiveness of prevailing mass marketing models"
• Search Engine Marketing, Inc.: Driving Search Traffic to Your Company's Web Site>
  by Bill Hunt, Mike Moran
  Amazon says: "A comprehensive explanation of search engine marketing"
  GA-Experts says: "The ABC's of search engine marketing. An excellent resource from beginner to expert, covering SEO PPC & analytics"
• Winning Results with Google Adwords
  by Andrew E. Goodman
  Amazon says: "How to create a profitable ad campaign using online marketing, paid search, targeting, and leveraged branding."

Books for Usability and Google Search:

• Don't Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability
  by Steve Krug
  GA-Experts says: "The website usability bible. A very simple but elegant introduction to the fundamentals of website design, accessibility& usability If only all books were this easy to read and this insightful"
• Google Power
  by Chris Sherman
  Amazon says:Learn to push the search engine to its limits and extract the best content from Google without having to learn complicated code
  GA-Experts says:"An excellent resource for using the Google search engine. Even people that work at Google have found some useful tips!"