Learn how to get the most out of the Google Analytics “Benchmark” feature

In this article we will cover the following points:
How do I activate the “Compare” feature? And how can I get the most out of it?

In March 2008, Google launched a new feature in Google Analytics: Benchmarking. This feature, which is still in beta, allows us to compare our statistics with those of companies operating in similar markets, comparing the data anonymously.

The data we can compare are the following:

• Our visits and our page views, compared to other pages in our sector and with similar sizes.
• The amount of time visitors spend on our website, compared to the amount they spend on other pages similar to ours, as well as the percentage of visitors who leave the site.
• The number of new visitors we are able to attract, compared to those arriving at other sites.

How do I activate the Comparison feature:

First, you need to tell Google Analytics that you want to share your data anonymously. This will give you the right to access the comparison data. To activate “data sharing” you must log in to your Google Analytics account, and before you go to view the report on that same screen (in the “Google Analytics Settings” screen) look for a link called “Edit account and data sharing settings” (it’s in the top center) and enter.

Once inside, select the “Share my Google Analytics data” box and then activate “Anonymously with Google products and the Comparison service.”

That's it. In a few minutes the new service will be activated...

You can see the results by going to “View Reports” (the dashboard you normally access to see your statistics) and clicking on “Users” in the menu on the left. You will see that in the menu under “Users” you will see a new feature: “Benchmarks (beta)”. Click on this link to access the comparison. You will see the data that Google Analytics compares you with in the form of a grey graph superimposed on your data.

But your work is not finished…

How can I get the most out of it?

Don't settle for the data that Google Analytics offers you by comparing it with other websites of a similar size to yours. You want the comparison to be with companies in your same sector.

Let's see how you should indicate the theme of your website.

You must do the following:

On this same page (the “Comparisons (beta)” page), look for a link called “Open category list” (it is in the upper central area) and click on it. Once inside, select your sector and display the list to select a subsector and, if possible, a further hierarchy. In our case, for example, we would select:

Business –> Advertising and Marketing –> Marketing Services

You'll find that when you select your category, the comparative data graph will fit your chart more closely.

Now you can start analyzing your data by comparing it with what it offers you.

You should get the following:

• Your pageview and user graphs should follow the same pattern as the benchmark graphs. If not, something is up and you need to find out.
• The ratio of page views per user should be the same (or higher). If it is not, set yourself the goal of achieving the same ratio and take actions to make it so. For example: improve the usability of your site, include texts that persuade the user to browse further, include interesting content that can complement the information that the user is looking for on your page, etc.
• The bounce rate or number of users who leave your site should be equal to or lower than the comparison rate. If it isn't, something is wrong: either you are attracting users to your website who are not your target audience and that is why they leave without browsing, or something is wrong with the people who do arrive at your website. Having this high rate can sometimes be indicative of fraud in marketing campaigns (people enter but do not browse... there are companies that pay fake users to do this so they can get rich from the ads they show on their website). Analyze this rate by keyword, by campaign and by any type of segment that you can see from Google Analytics, and find out why it is above average.
• The average time on your site should be equal to or higher than the comparison. If it is not, you again need to review the content, usability and persuasiveness of the texts.
• The number of new visitors should also be equal or higher. If it is not, something is wrong with your website: either you are not carrying out any marketing actions to attract new users, or you need to analyse everything related to attracting new users and traffic sources to see what is wrong.

My recommendation is that you monitor the comparison for a while and take corrective actions so that your data is equal to or greater than it.

Google has published a comprehensive Q&A about this service.

You can read it by clicking here: Questions and Answers about Google Analytics and the Comparison Feature

(http://www.google.com/support/analytics/bin/answer.py?hl=es&answer=87515)