Complete Guide to Google Analytics for Facebook
Tracking Facebook ad campaigns in Google Analytics
In order to track the performance of various Facebook ad campaigns in Google Analytics, add following UTM parameters at the end of the destination URL of each Facebook ad:
utm_source
Use this parameter to specify traffic source.
For example: utm_source= facebook
Note: utm_source is a required parameter.
utm_medium
Use this parameter to specify traffic medium.
For example: utm_medium= social
Note: utm_medium is a required parameter.
utm_content
Use this parameter to differentiate various Facebook ads or links that point to the same destination page.
For example: utm_content=ad1
utm_campaign
Use this parameter to specify the name of the Facebook campaign.
For example: utm_campaign= pdf-book-campaign
Note: utm_campaign is a required parameter.
Following is an example of Facebook ad URL which contains UTM parameters:
https://www.optimizesmart.com/book-maths-and-stats-for-web-analytics-conversion-optimization/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_content=ad1&utm_campaign=pdf-book-campaign
Always use Google URL builder to add UTM parameters to the destination URL of your Facebook ads.
Always use Facebook Power Editor to create and manage Facebook ads.
Many people use Facebook boost post to create and publish ads.
While it is easy to create ads via the boost post feature, it lacks many advanced features, like adding UTM parameters to the Ads’ URLs.
Without adding the UTM parameters to the ads’ URLs, you won’t be able to measure the performance of various Facebook ad campaigns in Google Analytics.
Get the E-book (52 Pages)
Get the E-Book (37 Pages)
Understanding how Facebook traffic moves through the checkout process
One of the best ways to analyse Facebook traffic data in Google Analytics, is through filtered view.
If you use filtered view, you will never forget to segment the data and segmenting the data is very important in order to get better understanding of the Facebook traffic.
If you use advanced segment (to filter out Facebook traffic), then you need to consciously remember to use this segment each time, before you begin your analysis. Moreover, Google Analytics does not let you apply advanced segments on the funnel visualization report and multi-channel reports. So you would never know, how Facebook traffic moves through the checkout process or complete a goal conversion.
Create a new view in Google Analytics and apply following filter to it:
This filter will include only the Facebook traffic.
Determining top traffic generating web pages shared on Facebook
You can determine top shared web pages (in terms of driving traffic to your website) on Facebook through ‘Network referrals’ report in Google Analytics. Navigate to Acquisition > Social > Network Referrals in your GA view and then click on the ‘Facebook’ link:
You can now see the website usage data of top shared web pages on Facebook:
Tracking assisted and last click conversions from Facebook
Facebook, just like any other marketing channel, not only helps in completing conversions but also help in assisting conversions. So while evaluating its overall performance as a marketing channel, we need to look beyond the last click. Through ‘social conversions‘ report you can track the overall performance of Facebook by analysing the following metrics:
- Assisted Conversions
- Assisted Conversion Value
- Last Click or Direct Conversions
- Last Click or Direct Conversions Value
- Assisted / Last Click or Direct Conversions
If you are not sure what these metrics mean, then read this article: Google Analytics Attribution Modeling – Beginners Guide
Navigate to Acquisition > Social > Conversions in your GA view and then look at the data row for Facebook:
From the report above we can conclude following:
- Facebook helped in generating 557 conversions of value $28,233.40 in the last one month.
- Facebook directly completed 556 conversions of value $24,890.30 in the last one month.
- The assisted / last click or direct conversions is 1. What that means, Facebook is equally good in both assisting conversions and directly completing conversions.
So for Attribution modelling, the ‘social conversions‘ report in extremely important.
Understanding Facebook users flow
Through ‘Social Users Flow’ report in Google Analytics, you can determine the paths users took through your website, from Facebook. Basically, you can determine how users browsed your website, after finding you on Facebook. This is a good report to understand the behaviour of Facebook users on your website.
Navigate to Acquisition > Social > Users flow in your GA view, click on the Facebook white box and then select ‘View only this segment‘:
You can then see the Facebook users flow on your website:
Related Articles
- Facebook Attribution and Conversion Windows Guide
- How to calculate the ROI of your Facebook Marketing Campaigns
- How to set up the Facebook Attribution Tool
- How to Setup Funnels in Facebook Ads Manager
- How to use funnels for your Facebook Ad Campaigns
- How to advertise on Facebook for FREE with unlimited budget
- Secret to Setup Facebook Pixel Tracking Correctly in Google Tag Manager
- Why Facebook and Google Analytics data do not match
- Learn to correctly track Facebook Referral traffic in Google Analytics
- Learn to set up Facebook Pixel Tracking via Google Tag Manager
- Tracking Website Sales in Facebook via Google Tag Manager
- Understanding Facebook Referral traffic in Google Analytics
- Open Graph Protocol for Facebook Explained with Examples
- Tracking Facebook ‘Likes’ and ‘Unlikes’ in Google Analytics
- Introduction to Attribution Models in Facebook
Do you know the difference between Digital Analytics and Google Analytics?
99.99% of course creators themselves don’t know the difference between Digital analytics, Google Analytics (GA) and Google Tag Manager (GTM).
So they are teaching GA and GTM in the name of teaching Digital analytics.
They just copy each other. Monkey see, monkey do.
But Digital analytics is not about GA, GTM.
It is about analyzing and interpreting data, setting up goals, strategies and KPIs.
It’s about creating strategic roadmap for your business.
Digital Analytics is the core skill. Google Analytics is just a tool used to implement ‘Digital Analytics’.
You can also implement ‘Digital analytics’ via other tools like ‘adobe analytics’, ‘kissmetrics’ etc.
Using Google Analytics without the good understanding of ‘Digital analytics’ is like driving around in a car, in a big city without understanding the traffic rules and road signs.
You are either likely to end up somewhere other than your destination or you get involved in an accident.
You learn data analysis and interpretation from Digital analytics and not from Google Analytics.
The direction in which your analysis will move, will determine the direction in which your marketing campaigns and eventually your company will move to get the highest possible return on investment.
You get that direction from ‘Digital analytics’ and not from ‘Google Analytics’.
You learn to set up KPIs, strategies and measurement framework for your business from ‘Digital analytics’ and not from ‘Google Analytics’.
So if you are taking a course only on 'Google Analytics’, you are learning to use one of the tools of ‘Digital analytics’. You are not learning the ‘Digital analytics’ itself.
Since any person can learn to use Google Analytics in couple of weeks, you do no get any competitive advantage in the marketplace just by knowing GA.
You need to know lot more than GA in order to work in digital analytics and marketing field.
So what I have done, if you are interested, is I have put together a completely free training that will teach you exactly how I have been able to leverage digital analytics to generate floods of news sales and customers and how you can literally copy what I have done to get similar results.
Here what You'll Learn On This FREE Web Class!
1) The number 1 reason why most marketers and business owners are not able to scale their advertising and maximise sales.
2) Why you won’t get any competitive advantage in the marketplace just by knowing Google Analytics.
3) The number 1 reason why conversion optimization is not working for your business.
4) How to advertise on any marketing platform for FREE with an unlimited budget.
5) How to learn and master digital analytics in record time.
My best selling books on Digital Analytics and Conversion Optimization
Maths and Stats for Web Analytics and Conversion Optimization
This expert guide will teach you how to leverage the knowledge of maths and statistics in order to accurately interpret data and take actions, which can quickly improve the bottom-line of your online business.
Master the Essentials of Email Marketing Analytics
This book focuses solely on the ‘analytics’ that power your email marketing optimization program and will help you dramatically reduce your cost per acquisition and increase marketing ROI by tracking the performance of the various KPIs and metrics used for email marketing.
Attribution Modelling in Google Analytics and Beyond
Attribution modelling is the process of determining the most effective marketing channels for investment. This book has been written to help you implement attribution modelling. It will teach you how to leverage the knowledge of attribution modelling in order to allocate marketing budget and understand buying behaviour.
Attribution Modelling in Google Ads and Facebook
This book has been written to help you implement attribution modelling in Google Ads (Google AdWords) and Facebook. It will teach you, how to leverage the knowledge of attribution modelling in order to understand the customer purchasing journey and determine the most effective marketing channels for investment.
Himanshu Sharma
Digital Marketing Consultant and Founder of Optimizesmart.com
Tracking Facebook ad campaigns in Google Analytics
In order to track the performance of various Facebook ad campaigns in Google Analytics, add following UTM parameters at the end of the destination URL of each Facebook ad:
utm_source
Use this parameter to specify traffic source.
For example: utm_source= facebook
Note: utm_source is a required parameter.
utm_medium
Use this parameter to specify traffic medium.
For example: utm_medium= social
Note: utm_medium is a required parameter.
utm_content
Use this parameter to differentiate various Facebook ads or links that point to the same destination page.
For example: utm_content=ad1
utm_campaign
Use this parameter to specify the name of the Facebook campaign.
For example: utm_campaign= pdf-book-campaign
Note: utm_campaign is a required parameter.
Following is an example of Facebook ad URL which contains UTM parameters:
https://www.optimizesmart.com/book-maths-and-stats-for-web-analytics-conversion-optimization/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_content=ad1&utm_campaign=pdf-book-campaign
Always use Google URL builder to add UTM parameters to the destination URL of your Facebook ads.
Always use Facebook Power Editor to create and manage Facebook ads.
Many people use Facebook boost post to create and publish ads.
While it is easy to create ads via the boost post feature, it lacks many advanced features, like adding UTM parameters to the Ads’ URLs.
Without adding the UTM parameters to the ads’ URLs, you won’t be able to measure the performance of various Facebook ad campaigns in Google Analytics.
Get the E-book (52 Pages)
Get the E-Book (37 Pages)
Understanding how Facebook traffic moves through the checkout process
One of the best ways to analyse Facebook traffic data in Google Analytics, is through filtered view.
If you use filtered view, you will never forget to segment the data and segmenting the data is very important in order to get better understanding of the Facebook traffic.
If you use advanced segment (to filter out Facebook traffic), then you need to consciously remember to use this segment each time, before you begin your analysis. Moreover, Google Analytics does not let you apply advanced segments on the funnel visualization report and multi-channel reports. So you would never know, how Facebook traffic moves through the checkout process or complete a goal conversion.
Create a new view in Google Analytics and apply following filter to it:
This filter will include only the Facebook traffic.
Determining top traffic generating web pages shared on Facebook
You can determine top shared web pages (in terms of driving traffic to your website) on Facebook through ‘Network referrals’ report in Google Analytics. Navigate to Acquisition > Social > Network Referrals in your GA view and then click on the ‘Facebook’ link:
You can now see the website usage data of top shared web pages on Facebook:
Tracking assisted and last click conversions from Facebook
Facebook, just like any other marketing channel, not only helps in completing conversions but also help in assisting conversions. So while evaluating its overall performance as a marketing channel, we need to look beyond the last click. Through ‘social conversions‘ report you can track the overall performance of Facebook by analysing the following metrics:
- Assisted Conversions
- Assisted Conversion Value
- Last Click or Direct Conversions
- Last Click or Direct Conversions Value
- Assisted / Last Click or Direct Conversions
If you are not sure what these metrics mean, then read this article: Google Analytics Attribution Modeling – Beginners Guide
Navigate to Acquisition > Social > Conversions in your GA view and then look at the data row for Facebook:
From the report above we can conclude following:
- Facebook helped in generating 557 conversions of value $28,233.40 in the last one month.
- Facebook directly completed 556 conversions of value $24,890.30 in the last one month.
- The assisted / last click or direct conversions is 1. What that means, Facebook is equally good in both assisting conversions and directly completing conversions.
So for Attribution modelling, the ‘social conversions‘ report in extremely important.
Understanding Facebook users flow
Through ‘Social Users Flow’ report in Google Analytics, you can determine the paths users took through your website, from Facebook. Basically, you can determine how users browsed your website, after finding you on Facebook. This is a good report to understand the behaviour of Facebook users on your website.
Navigate to Acquisition > Social > Users flow in your GA view, click on the Facebook white box and then select ‘View only this segment‘:
You can then see the Facebook users flow on your website:
Related Articles
- Facebook Attribution and Conversion Windows Guide
- How to calculate the ROI of your Facebook Marketing Campaigns
- How to set up the Facebook Attribution Tool
- How to Setup Funnels in Facebook Ads Manager
- How to use funnels for your Facebook Ad Campaigns
- How to advertise on Facebook for FREE with unlimited budget
- Secret to Setup Facebook Pixel Tracking Correctly in Google Tag Manager
- Why Facebook and Google Analytics data do not match
- Learn to correctly track Facebook Referral traffic in Google Analytics
- Learn to set up Facebook Pixel Tracking via Google Tag Manager
- Tracking Website Sales in Facebook via Google Tag Manager
- Understanding Facebook Referral traffic in Google Analytics
- Open Graph Protocol for Facebook Explained with Examples
- Tracking Facebook ‘Likes’ and ‘Unlikes’ in Google Analytics
- Introduction to Attribution Models in Facebook
Do you know the difference between Digital Analytics and Google Analytics?
99.99% of course creators themselves don’t know the difference between Digital analytics, Google Analytics (GA) and Google Tag Manager (GTM).So they are teaching GA and GTM in the name of teaching Digital analytics.
They just copy each other. Monkey see, monkey do.
But Digital analytics is not about GA, GTM.
It is about analyzing and interpreting data, setting up goals, strategies and KPIs.
It’s about creating strategic roadmap for your business.
Digital Analytics is the core skill. Google Analytics is just a tool used to implement ‘Digital Analytics’.You can also implement ‘Digital analytics’ via other tools like ‘adobe analytics’, ‘kissmetrics’ etc.
Using Google Analytics without the good understanding of ‘Digital analytics’ is like driving around in a car, in a big city without understanding the traffic rules and road signs.
You are either likely to end up somewhere other than your destination or you get involved in an accident.
You learn data analysis and interpretation from Digital analytics and not from Google Analytics.The direction in which your analysis will move, will determine the direction in which your marketing campaigns and eventually your company will move to get the highest possible return on investment.
You get that direction from ‘Digital analytics’ and not from ‘Google Analytics’.
You learn to set up KPIs, strategies and measurement framework for your business from ‘Digital analytics’ and not from ‘Google Analytics’.So if you are taking a course only on 'Google Analytics’, you are learning to use one of the tools of ‘Digital analytics’. You are not learning the ‘Digital analytics’ itself.
Since any person can learn to use Google Analytics in couple of weeks, you do no get any competitive advantage in the marketplace just by knowing GA.
You need to know lot more than GA in order to work in digital analytics and marketing field.
So what I have done, if you are interested, is I have put together a completely free training that will teach you exactly how I have been able to leverage digital analytics to generate floods of news sales and customers and how you can literally copy what I have done to get similar results.
Here what You'll Learn On This FREE Web Class!
1) The number 1 reason why most marketers and business owners are not able to scale their advertising and maximise sales.
2) Why you won’t get any competitive advantage in the marketplace just by knowing Google Analytics.
3) The number 1 reason why conversion optimization is not working for your business.
4) How to advertise on any marketing platform for FREE with an unlimited budget.
5) How to learn and master digital analytics in record time.
My best selling books on Digital Analytics and Conversion Optimization
Maths and Stats for Web Analytics and Conversion Optimization
This expert guide will teach you how to leverage the knowledge of maths and statistics in order to accurately interpret data and take actions, which can quickly improve the bottom-line of your online business.
Master the Essentials of Email Marketing Analytics
This book focuses solely on the ‘analytics’ that power your email marketing optimization program and will help you dramatically reduce your cost per acquisition and increase marketing ROI by tracking the performance of the various KPIs and metrics used for email marketing.
Attribution Modelling in Google Analytics and Beyond
Attribution modelling is the process of determining the most effective marketing channels for investment. This book has been written to help you implement attribution modelling. It will teach you how to leverage the knowledge of attribution modelling in order to allocate marketing budget and understand buying behaviour.
Attribution Modelling in Google Ads and Facebook
This book has been written to help you implement attribution modelling in Google Ads (Google AdWords) and Facebook. It will teach you, how to leverage the knowledge of attribution modelling in order to understand the customer purchasing journey and determine the most effective marketing channels for investment.
Himanshu Sharma
Digital Marketing Consultant and Founder of Optimizesmart.com