How To Set Up A Google Content Experiment

Google has discontinued it’s Website Optimizer service and now combined it into it’s normal Analytics program. Part of this move has actually made setting up an experiment easier, but as always when something’s new it appears more difficult to start with.

Here’s a step by step guide to setting up a Google Content Experiment (previously a website optimizer experiement):

Step #A:

Once logged into Google Analytics select the “Content Tab” and under the “Content Tab” select “Experiments”.

Step #B:

Once clicking experiments you will be taken to a page that says “All Experiments” at the top of this page click the “Create Experiment” button.

Step #C:

Input The URL for the page that you wish to experiment with, this is called the “Control” URL.

Step #D:

Once you have put in the URL you will be taken to a 4 step process which Google uses to set up a Content Experiment.

Step #1: Choose Experiment Pages

In this step you will need to name your experiment. It’s best to name it something descriptive so you can see the experiment and immediately know what you are testing.

Once you have input the name then you need to input the original page that you are split testing. Put in the URL of the page and name the page, generally you would name this Control.

The final part of the first step is to add in the variations that you are testing, so if you are testing 3 variations you would add in 3, if you are testing one variation then add in one.

It’s important when naming the variation that you use a name which signals the change that you have made. For example you may name one “Red Headline” and another “Blue Headline”.

Once you have completed these fields then you hit the “next” button to get to the next step.

Step #2: Set Experiment Options

This step is where things are different from the original website optimizer, as no longer do you set a conversion page and add code to it, you just set a goal page.

The first option that you need to set is the “goal” which is the base that the visitor will reach in order to track the “conversion”. So in a sales environment this may be the thank you page.

Once you set the goal page then you can choose how many visitors see the test, most website owners will leave it at the default 100%. You can also turn on email reminders.

Then you click the “Next Step” button

Step #3: Add And Check Experiment Code

The next step is to add the experiment code to your website so you can activate the experiment. You have two choices here, you can either do it yourself or you can have your webmaster add it.

Adding the code is as sample as pasting the code from google just under thetag on your website. The code only needs to add to the “Control Page” and no other page.

Then Click the “Next Step” Button

Google will then check to make sure your pages are set up properly, if they are then you can move to the fourth and final step. If they are not set up properly then follow the instructions from Google to fix this.

Step #4: Review Experiment

The final step is to review the experiment and set it live!

Step #E:

Once you have completed Google’s 4 steps your experiment is live, make sure you check it from time to time and ensure that all tracking is working and watch which page will get the best result.

Samuel Junghenn

Samuel Junghenn is the owner of Think Big Online, a leading website design and development firm based in Sydney Australia. He is well known for his expertise in social media and search engine optimization, helping everyday business owners getting exceptional results.

  

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