Advanced Web Metrics - book reviews, 2e

Isn't social media fantastic...? It amazes me that in a period of just the past few years an author can now publish a Google Analytics book and have readers submitting their feedback/reviews in an instant. No more figuring out how to setup a website or manage a blog to get your views across - just submit your review at Amazon, Barnes & Noble etc., tweet it, and interact with the author direct! Writers are so much more accessible now...

This is a sample collection of book reviews and personal comments that people have sent me for Advanced Web Metrics with Google Analytics. It has been flattering to know that so many people have enjoyed the read and gained knowledge from this book. As anyone who has tried writing a book will appreciate, such an endevour is not done for the money, but for the love and passion of the subject itself - knowledge transfer is what I have attempted to acheive.

The first edition of the Google Analytics book has been around much longer, hence I include a link here if you wish to see what people said about the first one... Also, checkout my list of other reading material i.e. web analytics books that have influenced me.

If you have written a review, please let me know () so that I can post a link to it from here.

    Latest Quotes:

    Taken from the article: Online Marketing Starts and Ends with Analytics...

    "Learning Google Analytics is mostly a mental challenge. You can set the tool up on any web site in a few minutes so the learning opportunity is right in front of you. However, really squeezing a lot out of the tool takes some tenacity - the product is deep and wide and takes time to learn. I recently have been touting a book that I think does a superb job of teaching online marketing professionals what they need to know about Google Analytics; the book is "Advanced Web Metrics with Google Analytics" by Brian Clifton. The book walks through how to use all the advanced capabilities of Google Analytics in the real world - how you apply the techniques to SEO, paid search, video marketing, etc. I love that the book is so focused on real world situations and not academic theories. I am such a fan of the book that I already have pre-ordered the updated edition that comes out in March of this year. The book is not for beginners, it covers advanced techniques for people who are serious about their analytical skills."
    - Ken McDonald (US)

    "ABSOLUTE NECESSITY for anyone who uses Google Analytics. It took me about 3 months to do all of the exercises in this book. It was not an easy slog through, but TOTALLY WORTH IT ! This book will turn you into a Google Analytics wizard."
    - Mark Harmon (US)

    "If you really want to understand how GA works, and how to get developers to do what you want them to do this resource is fantastic."
    - Joey Dorrington, Online Strategy Solutions (Australia)

    Amazon Reviews

    "Lately I have read a lot of books about Web analytics, in particular about Googe Analytics. This book is the most accurate, sharp, useful I have ever read."
    - Leonardo Bellini (Milan, Italy)

    "This book is superb, not only is it a great reference book, but it also has great advice on how to analyse reports and also covers the more complicated issues involving Google Analytics. Don't waste time searching on Google Help, you really are best off buying this and saving yourself a lot of time!"
    - David Whitehouse, Bronco (UK)

    "RECOMMENDED READING list for Universities and professional qualifications" - Nigel Bradley (UK)

    "Excellent book for both beginners and advanced Analytics users" - Daniel Waisberg (Israel)

    "Fantastic book! I suggest to buy it" - Maria Roberta Grova (Italy)

    "Extremely useful" - J. Whitehead (Australia)

    "It has helped change the way I look at website traffic and data"- H Shopping

    "Google users will find this a winner."- Midwest Book Review (Oregon, USA)

    "Excellent guide, well written" - Kimball Conley (UK)

    Online Reviews

    • Search Engine Land conducted a very informative interview around the book launch.
    • Les Faber based in Canada was the first to comment on the preview chapters (18th Jan)
    • Closely followed by Nikki Rae (UK) of Fresh Egg (19th Jan 2010)
    • Daniel Waisberg (Israel) was the first Amazon.com reviewer
    • Sakis Rizos wrote the first Greek review of the book – isn’t Google Translate fantastic…
    • David Whitehouse (UK) of Bronco fame, threw down the SEO gauntlet at SES London in Feb – though they don’t really have a chance ;)
    • Brian May (Columbus, Ohio Area) kindly updated his initial assessment of the first edition to include the new one
    • Sara Andersson and Petra Snickars (Sweden) provided their strategic input on integrating search marketing, web analytics and my book.
    • Dave Chaffey (UK) provided his experienced thoughts with a first-look review.
    • Shelby Thayer (US) from Trending Upward added her inside knowledge and thoughts.
    • Jesper Astrom (Sweden) liked the KPI (success metrics) and section devoted to upper management.

    Praise From Industry Experts

    Web analytics has become an essential part of every online marketer's toolkit. But you can't just rely on the flood of data alone-you need to interpret it, and in many cases, fine-tune reports to accurately reflect your own goals and objectives. The second edition of Brian Clifton's Advanced Web Metrics with Google Analytics is a comprehensive roadmap to helping you get the most from your metrics-an indispensable guide to helping you take your online marketing campaigns to the next level.

    -Chris Sherman, Executive Editor, Search Engine Land

    The field of web analytics has evolved very quickly both in terms of the tools as well as best practices. Fortunately, Brian Clifton has done the hard work for us in updating his excellent first book so this second one is the must-read for anyone looking to get the most value out of Google Analytics and web analytics more broadly.

    -Ashley Friedlein, CEO, Econsultancy

    Advanced Web Metrics is a unique book that combines high-level management advice and nitty-gritty detail in an easy to understand and, above all, useful way. It's great for web managers, analytics specialists, and marketers alike.

    -Dan Drury, Director, Bowen Craggs & Co., and Author of the Financial Times Index of Corporate Website Effectiveness

    If you're looking for a practical, tactical guide in how to implement and think about web marketing optimization, look no further. Brian Clifton spells it out by industry, by job function, by Key Performance Indicator, and more.

    Brian has been studying and consulting on web optimization since the inception of online marketing. He provides an in-the-trenches look at making the most of a free but powerful tool that every web owner should get to know. This is the hands-on guide to what you need to know that answers questions like:

    So what do I do with all this web data? How do I use all these reports? How do I measure the impact of promotion codes and discounted pricing? How can I make sure I'm going to earn my bonus?

    -Jim Sterne, Founding Director and Chairman of the Web Analytics Association

    In a time when companies are aggressively trying to do more with less, Brian delivers an arsenal of real-world examples and techniques for wringing more opportunities from our website and marketing campaigns. Guarantee your future employment-buy, read, and implement all of the techniques of this outstanding book.

    -Bill Hunt, Coauthor, Search Engine Marketing Inc.

    If you are in search of an excellent, in-depth guide to traffic conversion, look no further. Brian explains how to make informed decisions based on how visitors interact with your content. I strongly recommend this book to anyone who is serious about improving their bottom line through data-driven decisions rather than guess work.

    -Hessam Lavi, Former Search Quality Team Lead, Google

    Brian worked for Google, and there are few people I know who know more about Google Analytics (GA). His book is typically thorough and has many great examples of how to get the best out of the tool. What I liked most, however, was the fact that a lot of the principles and practical ideas could be applied to any analytics tool, not just GA.

    The biggest challenge with analytics is that there is a fundamental lack of process to get people involved and interested in how analytics can help them achieve their business goals. Brian addresses this with a simple KPI process that could be implemented in any business. In short, good stuff!

    -Steve Jackson, Director of Business Insights at Kwantic, and Author of Cult of Analytics

    Brian is one of the most knowledgeable people in the field of web analytics. He has poured his years of experience working with various clients into this book. It provides you with everything you need to know about Google Analytics and is an invaluable resource for all those who want to drive actionable insights from web analytics data.

    -Anil Batra, Vice President of Search & Analytics, POP

    Brian shares his great experience of web analytics in a book that offers clear configuration steps to leverage Google Analytics to the max while providing supportive information to convey the concepts. The combination of hands-on examples and learning scenarios offers the best of both world. It's a must-read to get beyond basic metrics and achieve online optimization.

    -Stephan Hamel, CEO and Lead Consultant, immeria.net, and Director, Web Analytics Association

    This book has it all! It explains what a marketer needs to understand and guide an internal analytics team (or implement it themselves), and it advances you beyond just collecting data by showing real-world examples of analysis and its application. Use the book as your guide to improving your results and business. You can't lose!

    -Sara Anderrson, CEO and Senior Strategist, Search Integration AB, and Chairperson, Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization (SEMPO), Scandinavia

    Brian highlights which are the most important things to get right in setup and how to exploit the most important, yet underused, Google Analytics features like goals, funnels, advanced segmentation, and event tracking.

    -Dr. Dave Chaffey, Digital Marketing Author and Strategy Consultant at Marketing Insights Limited

Copyright Brian Clifton