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Tracking form submissions is a crucial aspect of marketing success, as it allows organizations to gather valuable data about their audience and their preferences.
By keeping track of the forms submitted, companies can identify which marketing campaigns are most effective, what kind of content resonates with their target audience, and which channels drive the most conversions.
Additionally, tracking form submissions helps organizations to understand the customer journey – from initial contact to conversion – providing insight into areas for improvement.
While there are seemingly infinite ways to track form submissions on your website, I recommend using Google Tag Manager to do the leg work, so that it’s easier to send the right data to publisher platforms (think Google Analytics, Google Ads, Facebook, and LinkedIn).
Why You Should Use Google Tag ManagerGoogle Tag Manager is an essential tool for form tracking as it provides a centralized platform for managing tracking tags and marketing code snippets on a website.
By integrating form tracking with Google Tag Manager, both individuals and businesses can easily track form submissions and gather valuable data without having to manually add code to their websites.
This saves time and reduces the risk of errors that can arise from manual implementation.
Additionally, Google Tag Manager provides a user-friendly interface that allows marketers to create, manage, and implement tracking tags without the need for technical skills.
How To Track Form Submissions In Google Tag ManagerGoogle Tag Manager listens for events on your website, called “triggers,” and runs code snippets with necessary data, called “tags,” when appropriate.
There are a few different triggers that can be used to track forms, including the following, ranked by reliability:
Confirmation Page Views.
Success Message Visibility.
Data Layer Events.
Auto Event Listener.
AJAX Event Listener.
DOM Scraping.
Custom Event Listener.
While all of these triggers work, the one that I’ve seen the most success with is the first: Confirmation Page Views.
Instead of having the form send a signal to Google Tag Manager when someone fills out a form, we can track when a user lands on a confirmation or “thank you” page after filling out that form.
Step 1: Setting Up A Confirmation Page In WordPressIf you’re using WordPress to manage your website content, there are plenty of plugins that you can use to integrate functional and good-looking forms on your website.
My favorite, and the one my agency uses, is Gravity Forms.
If Gravity Forms isn’t for you, there are an endless amount of plugins that can do the job, including WPForms, Ninja Forms, and HubSpot.
Step 2: Setting Up A Trigger In Google Tag ManagerAfter setting up a confirmation page, the next step is to set up a “trigger” in Google Tag Manager.
Make sure that your trigger is listening for a page view event on only your confirmation page (like the configuration shown below).
Step 3: Setting Up A Tag For Google Analytics 4After confirming the right data is getting to Google Tag Manager, using a tool like GTM’s native debugger or GTM’s popular Chrome extension, you can start sending that data to marketing and reporting platforms like Google Analytics.
With everyone switching from Universal Analytics to Google Analytics 4 (GA4), we figured this would be the most helpful example to demonstrate how easy form tracking is in GTM.
Just be sure to use the “Google Analytics: GA4 Event” template tag, choose the right GA4 configuration tag (or type in your GA4 property ID directly) and choose the right event name.
In most cases, “generate_lead” will be the best choice, but there are a ton of other native events in GA4 to choose from.
Step 4: Start Seeing ResultsNow that Google Tag Manager is collecting data and sending it to Google Analytics 4, you should be able to see that data in your GA4 reports (it might take a day or two to see results if you’re checking in real-time).
If you used the “generate_lead” event described above, page views to the confirmation page will automatically be flagged as a conversion.
If not, you might need to mark the event name as a conversion first.
ConclusionWhile the solution above is the most popular and reliable, there are plenty that are well-suited for websites that have more customized forms and website logic.
Be sure to consult a developer if you run into any issues along the way!
More Resources:
Featured Image: G-Stock Studio/Shutterstock
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Google Aims To Improve Search Quality With New Feedback Form
Google has recently overhauled its search spam report form to combat search quality issues.
The updated form is part of Google’s approach to improving user experience by addressing problematic content such as paid links, malicious behavior, and low-quality pages.
An Improved User InterfaceThe redesigned form makes it easier for users to report a broader range of search quality issues.
“Now, you can report spam, paid links, malicious behavior, low quality, and other search quality issues, all in one improved form,” Google announced.
This new form introduces a feature for bulk submissions, allowing users to report up to five pages violating the same policy in a single report.
After submitting a report, users will receive a confirmation email from Google, offering help links to additional resources covering Google’s quality policy and directing them to a forum for personalized support.
What Happens After Reporting?When user feedback reaches Google, the company has a system to prioritize and address them.
While urgent problems might be addressed immediately, most issues are resolved when Google updates the algorithm.
Google’s John Mueller previously explained how the reporting system works, stating:
“The web is so gigantic, and ever-changing, and people ask us new questions every day. Because of that, our goal is generally to improve the algorithms that pull together the search results over all and not to tweak things for individual queries. This may take a bit of time, but it makes search better for everyone worldwide for the large number of searches that are done every day.”
He adds, “regardless of the contact method, make it easy for Google to recognize the scale and the scope of the problem.”
The exact timeline for Google’s response to user feedback remains unclear and likely depends on the nature and urgency of the reported issue.
The Larger PictureOverhauling Google’s search spam report form isn’t an isolated move. It comes as part of a more comprehensive effort by the tech giant to improve the quality of search results continually.
Google’s decision to allow bulk submissions of up to five pages suggests the company recognizes the scale of search quality issues and is ready to engage with them more substantially.
The enhanced reporting process can lead to cleaner, more relevant search results for everyone.
In SummaryIn a rapidly evolving digital landscape, Google prioritizes user feedback to enhance search results.
With the redesigned search spam report form, Google has a more streamlined avenue for reporting search quality issues.
The new form is the most recent example of Google’s commitment to maintaining high-quality SERPs.
How To Set Up Meta Pixel (Facebook Pixel) With Gtm
Would you like to track user activity on your website?
Here is an overview of what we’ll cover in this guide:
Setting Up Google Tag ManagerLet’s first put your Google Tag Manager account into preview mode.
If you don’t have a version published yet, it will ask you to publish an empty version first.
This opens Google Tag Assistant on another tab. Here, you will connect the Tag Assistant to your site.
Your site should open on another tab, and the debug information in Tag Assistant will come from this page.
We can confirm that the tab is connected to Tag Assistant if there is a popup at the bottom-right corner of the page.
Since we don’t have any tags or variables yet, nothing will fire, and Tag Assistant will be empty. Going back to our Tag Manager, we are notified that a new container version is available.
Creating a PageView TagThere are different types of Pixels you can deploy on your website. In this guide, we’ll teach you how to set up Meta Pixel for PageView event tracking.
For eCommerce sites, you might want to utilize Meta Pixel’s purchase tracking. To not miss out on important conversion data, check out our guide on Meta Pixel Purchase & Conversion Tracking with GTM.
Go to Tags → New.
Next, we’ll configure our tag. An official Meta Pixel template is absent from the list of templates provided by Google, but there is one from the community gallery.
From here, search for “Facebook” in the search bar and select the Facebook Pixel template.
You can see that the community gallery provides multiple templates that we can use. We have templates for the conversions API, customer support, and the Meta Pixel. These can be helpful to you in the future, but for now, let’s select the Pixel template by Facebook Incubator.
Selecting any template opens a window where you can see details such as a brief description of the template, recent changes, and the specific actions the template wants to perform while executing.
A popup will appear, asking if you want to give the template permission to perform a list of specific actions.
The Facebook Pixel template is now installed on our page, and any time we go back to our tag configurations list, we should find this template under the custom tag templates.
Next, we need to provide our Meta Pixel ID.
Go back to Tag Manager and paste our Pixel ID in the space provided.
Creating a Variable for your Pixel IDBefore proceeding to our other tag configurations, I recommend saving the Pixel ID in a variable.
A variable is a placeholder we can reuse so that we don’t have to remember the Pixel ID value or keep going back to our events manager to copy it.
The next step is to name our variable. To make it easier to know what variable we have, I’ll have the variable typed first in the name, followed by what variable this is. Since our Pixel ID has a constant value, we will have a constant variable type.
I’ll also put the value at the end to know which specific Pixel ID this is, in case I choose to create more Pixels. Feel free also to follow this naming convention.
Scroll through the list and select Constant.
The two curly brackets enclosing the variable name indicate that we are using a variable.
Next time you create a new Meta Pixel or tag that requires your Pixel ID, you can simply select this variable.
We can now proceed to the remaining configurations. Since the PageView option is selected by default, we won’t have to change anything in the event name. Let’s learn how to apply a trigger.
Applying a TriggerSince we are making a PageView tag, we need this tag to fire on all pages when they are opened. There are a few pre-configured options, and the trigger for all pages is one of them.
Now, all we have to do is name our tag. Like before, the tag name should start with the tool, in this case, Facebook, then event, and lastly the type of event, which is PageView.
Here, we can see that our PageView event has fired successfully.
Great, our Meta Pixel seems to be deploying properly while in preview mode.
Now, the final step on how to set up Meta Pixel is to test and debug it to ensure it is deployed successfully.
TestingA helpful tool that can aid us in testing our Meta Pixel is the Facebook Pixel Helper extension. Installing this extension on Google Chrome can provide information about your Pixel, what events are sent to it, and if something went wrong or was not deployed correctly.
Here, we’ll see details like the setup method, URL called, load time, and Pixel location. We can also see that it has a green check mark, which indicates that the PageView event has been fired correctly.
You will also see that microdata was automatically detected. Meta Pixel has the functionality to go onto the page, scan it, and find any kind of special information on the page itself. This data is not something we can manipulate, but something that Meta tracks automatically.
So, our Facebook Pixel Helper shows us that we have fired our tag correctly and everything should be working. However, we still need to verify if it sends data to Meta.
Testing Browser EventsWe should look at our events manager and test our browser events.
This will set a cookie to your website that lets it send data over to Meta. Our site will also open in another tab. However, this tab will not be connected to our Tag Assistant. Since our tag is not yet published, the PageView event will not show in the events manager.
If we open the Facebook Pixel Helper extension in this tab, we can also see that there is no Pixel being deployed and nothing could be tracked.
Since the cookie is now set on our browser, we can close this tab and go back to the tab connected to our Tag Assistant.
After refreshing the page, we can see that the Facebook Pixel Helper extension detects Pixels being deployed, as indicated by our extension being colored and a green box showing the number of events detected.
If we go back to our events manager, we can see that the PageView event is now being sent over to Meta.
Great; everything works properly! Let’s submit a live version to deploy this Pixel on all the browsers and all the users coming live to our website.
PublishingThis action opens a new window where we can configure our submission. We can provide a name for this version as well as a description.
Now, our PageView tag should be live on our website. We can now exit ourTag Assistant so that our site will no longer be connected to it.
Reload our website on a tab and open our Facebook Pixel Helper extension to see if the PageView event is sending properly.
Now, for our final check, go back to our events manager where we should see another PageView event.
We have now successfully deployed our PageView event tracking for our Meta Pixel.
FAQ How do I publish the Meta Pixel changes made in Google Tag Manager?To publish the changes made in Google Tag Manager, follow these steps:
How can I verify if the Meta Pixel is successfully deployed?You can verify if the Meta Pixel is successfully deployed by using the Facebook Pixel Helper extension. It will show if the Pixel is firing correctly and sending events. Additionally, you can check the Events Manager to ensure that the events are being tracked and received by Meta.
What should I do if the Meta Pixel is not working correctly? SummaryThose are the steps on how to set up Meta Pixel using Google Tag Manager. We went through creating a PageView tag, creating a variable for the Pixel ID, and testing our tag using the Facebook Pixel Helper extension and the events manager.
This guide is part of our Meta Pixel Tracking course over at MeasureMasters. If you want to do more with your Meta Pixel, such as how to set up custom events, attach dynamic data to your events, and more, then check out the membership.
Not ready to invest in the membership yet? Check out our complete training guide for Meta Pixel Tracking with Google Tag Manager. Here, you’ll learn three ways of installing Meta Pixels.
Our Summary Of Google Analytics Updates 2011
A reminder of the latest changes to Google Analytics for non-specialists
This update page is intended to help anyone who uses Google Analytics, but not day-in day-out! It’s also a reminder for me when giving training courses to highlight what’s new.
I subscribe to the Google Analytics Blog feed to keep up-to-date and other related ones like Webmaster Tools. There are quite a few detailed posts from Google about Analytics that won’t make so much difference to most users and are more for interest of GA specialists working on it all the time.
So in this summary we alert you to what we see as the major changes that every marketer using Google Analytics to review their digital marketing needs to know about – there’s been a lot of them in 2011. Many thanks to the analysts like Dan Barker, Helen Birch and Tim Leighton Boyce who have written tutorials on how to apply these new features which often don’t have any tutorials from Google when they’re introduced.
More guidance on how to deal with “not provided” missing search queries – 24th November updateAnother short update on this since it’s going to effect the accuracy of your analysis. There are two posts we recommend:
New analytics search queries update – 11th November updateImportance: [rating=4]
Google giveth with one hand and take away with the others – although many loved the new search queries feature from earlier in October there is a furore amongst SEOs that Google will not be sending natural search query information from logged in users to any analytics package. Although this is estimated to be sub 10% it will make approaches like gap analysis less accurate. Much of the annoyance is based around the queries still being available for paid Adwords users. Bit of a storm in a tea cup or not? Hopefully Google will revert on this decision.
There is discussion across many forums about the impact on smaller sites, but one of the best summaries of the impact on major sites is this from the bigmouthmedia blog. Note this is for Google US at the moment and there is no announcement from Google when it will be rolled out further.
“Not provided” refers to when the individual search keywords can’t be viewed in analytics although they are still registered as natural search visits. It clearly makes techniques like backlink analysis less meaningful although relative differences in phrases are still relevant.
Site flow visualisation feature – 19th OctoberImportance: [rating=4]
Yet another new feature in the new version of Google Analytics has been announced. It’s a more sophisticated version of the navigation summary. It shows page flow and flow between goals/funnel steps. It’s not rolled out yet, but Dan Barker has said he will do a summary when he explores it once it does:
You can see it enables you to review customer journeys and these can be segmented for more insight.
New analytics search queries update – 4th OctoberImportance: [rating=4]
Our update by Dan Barker explained how this feature, previously seen in Google Webmaster Tools can help you work out which natural keyphrases and landing pages give the most opportunity to improve natural search.
Google Real Time – 29th September 2011Importance: [rating=4]
At the same time as GA Premium, a major new feature was also introduced. GA Real Time is a new set of reports showing the source, content used and select keywords for current / active users on the site within the last 30 minutes.
This report opens new opportunities – read this review of 5 applications by Helen Birch.
Premium (paid version) of Google Analytics announced – 29th September 2011Importance: [rating=2]
The cost of GA Premium (stated at $150K minimum) means that it won’t be relevant for most businesses except corporates looking for support from Google Account managers and improvements to sampling.
Change to reporting of visit length – 11 Aug 2011 – ALERT – may change number of reported visits significantly?Importance: [rating=4]
On Thursday 11th last week Google Analytics notified a change it described as “a small change in how sessions are calculated in Google Analytics”. They said it should only give changes to visits of around 1%.
We’re alerting this to you in case you see larger changes when reviewing your analytics or differences between GA and other tracking systems.
For the record, the change seems to have been made to accomodate the new multi-channel features (media attribution path to purchase funnels). Since when any traffic source value for the user changes this is counted as a new visit.
The main basis for a session ending i.e. 30 minutes elapsed between page view remains.
You can read the announcement details here.
Launch of Google Analytics social plugin engagement for social media sharing analysisImportance: [rating=5]
With the launch of Google+ there wasn’t so much attention given to this release which enables you to report on Google+ shares and also Facebook and Twitter using data obtained from their APIs using the social media plugin. This is a big enhancement since the lack of reporting of social media reporting without event tracking was a weakness in Google Analytics.
Read more about social engagement reports and implementation.
The new release also enables you to see the impact of Google+1 within Analytics.
Multichannel funnels rolled out – June 2011Importance: [rating=5]
A great introduction by Tim Leighton Boyce explains how you can apply this to understand multiple customer touchpoints before conversion. Previously, this has required separate, more sophisticated systems.
New Google Analytics version 5 – Now available to All Users – 20th April 2011Importance: [rating=5]
To see the new interface just log-on and select “New Version”:
If you get confused by the new report menus checkout this handy Report Finder from Google for the New version.
For an in-depth review of the new capabilities, see our detailed analysis on 10 key features in the Google Analytics Beta from Dan Barker or my recommendations below for organisations using GA on when and how they should switch.
It’s also worth checking the Google Analytics Blog which has a series of posts on the new features, so far covering:
Custom Reports
Dashboards
Events Goals – see my summary on the many options for marketers to use these.
Google Analytics version 5 Beta announced – 17th March 2011Importance: [rating=5]
I’ll give my first impressions here and review the implications for marketers, but Dan Barker has a detailed analysis on 10 features in the Google Analytics Beta to consider.
Marketing implications – what we think you need to know about the new Google Analytics
1. Should we sign-up for the Beta?
Note that although we signed up we weren’t notified by email – we spotted a “New version” link at the top of Google Analytics, so keep an eye out for that
If you work for a smaller organisation and have many other plates to juggle I recommend you wait until the full release since the software mainly offers usability improvements and it won’t transform your sales
2. Application workflow. Google’s design team has considered the user journeys and have made some features more prominent to encourage usage – as i’ve been doing in my workshops for Econsultancy:
Google Analytics Intelligence – this is a great feature to save time – read my recommendations on this.
Custom reports – See my presentation – slides 24-7 on the types of custom reports to develop
Advanced Segments – I’m a huge fan of these and rightly these have been made more prominent – if you’re not using these, your really missing out on the opportunity to understand site visitor behaviour and change results.
3. Menu changes for accessing reports. As this screengrab from Dan’s post shows, these are dramatically different. So in a larger company, there is a need for retraining to understand these. The changes do seem logical and simplify, but i have heard some Beta users saying they have reverted to the previous version.
4. Dashboard gadgets and widgets. Apart from the changes to the menus, the second biggest difference is the addition of widgets and gadgets to help develop custom dashboard widgets. This was a strength of other web analytics tools like Yahoo! Web Analytics, Core metrics and Omniture. Now this deficiency has been addressed, this makes Google Analytics more suitable for enterprise use. However, the data can’t be filtered I think as it can in the other tools for a specific segment or condition so this remains a limitation.
5. Data / report type changes. You may be wondering whether there are new types of data or reports. There are no new data types I believe, just re-labelling of reports. The data that is available is the same, although Google have announced separately that they have dropped the connection speed feature.
Currently, there are no Benchmark reports in the Beta. Google have announced separately that they are improving these. It seems there was no time to include them in this version of the Beta, so we will let you know how these change.
6. Guidance on using the reports to improve marketing results. As someone who trains on using Google Analytics reports to get better results, I was interested to see whether this type of guidance would be built in. Well, no changes here, you still have to know the right questions to ask and where to go to find the answers. So I’m pleased there are still opportunities to help through training and consulting.
Overall though it will be much quicker and clearer to identify opportunities and problems, so the new release is a major step forward!
Integration with Google Webmaster Tools- February 7th 2011
Importance: [rating=1]
Marketing implications: This is a small evolution in capability, but I mention it as it shows the trend to integrating different data sources.
Recommended link: Announcement of Google Analytics Google Webmaster Tools Link
Earn Yields Via Smart Contracts With Yieldflow
While the blockchain space is built on the foundations of anonymity and decentralization, a lot of projects and services in the space are still entirely centralized. The bear market and subsequent issues with liquidity left many investors facing grave losses. Many companies and regulators did not face any liability due to the centralized nature of these agencies.
Decentralization of the blockchain space helps in the prevention of this scenario while also letting users regain control over their assets. While it offers a lucrative opportunity for users the decentralized space is technically complex and includes the risk of errors and loss of assets. Additionally, there is an upsurge of cryptocurrency projects that can be challenging for users to determine.
What is YieldFlow?
YieldFlow is a DeFi platform that offers a solution by removing technical complexity for users and helping them earn a passive income on their cryptocurrency investments. The platform is built on top of the Ethereum blockchain and makes use of smart contracts that would automate investment processes while also distributing rewards.
The platform aims to create a unique framework for decentralized services in the crypto space that enables true decentralization. The platform also plans to implement new pairings and technologies in order to make sure the users get maximum security, profitability, and anonymity.
YieldFlow reduces friction when the interaction between complex smart contract systems takes place, making the onboarding process simple and smooth for every user regardless of their prior blockchain and Web3 knowledge.
Lending, staking, and liquidity pools
Users and investors can lend their idle crypto tokens to other users through lending pools with the help of smart contracts. The platform offers lending tools through Aave using Synthetix and Tether. As borrowers need to provide collateral on Aave in order to take a loan, the lenders get an extra level of protection.
YieldFlow supports staking for various cryptocurrencies letting users avail a steady stream of passive income while also contributing their crypto funds to the platform’s staking pools. This will then be used for validating transactions on the blockchain. The current APYs offered range between 4.5% to 10.87% including staking for coins like Fantom, Aave, and Sandbox.
The platform has 11 liquidity pools that let investors deposit their funds including LINK-ETH, MATIC-ETH, PEPE-ETH, WBTC-ETH, SHIB-ETH, USDT-ETH, MANA-ETH, SAND-ETH, HEX-ETH, BAT-ETH and OCEAN-ETH. By providing liquidity to decentralized exchanges like Uniswap via YieldFlow, users can earn from 10-100% APY per year depending on the coin pair.
Offering a high level of security
Unlike centralized projects that store user information, YieldFlow does not store any user information or assets.
YieldFlow lets users create an account through Web3 login keeping their information anonymous and secure. Users only interact with smart contracts that are verified and audited through third parties and deal only with assets. Additionally, user assets are not shown on their public wallet address as the contract keeps them safe.
The platform guarantees complete anonymity and does not store, track or record any information and does not offer fiat getaways, and uses only cryptocurrencies, thereby omitting the need for KYC.
Tokenomics
$YFlow is the governance token of the YieldFlow protocol and gives holders an equal weight of proposal power depending on the number of tokens in their wallet. The token can also be staked in LP-staking or single-asset staking wherein stakers will earn yield in $YFlow in each staking pool. They will also have various options in the staking terms according to lockup periods with longer lockup periods resulting in higher yields.
The token will also be paired against ETH on Uniswap in order to create the first liquid AMM market with deep liquidity. The $YFlow Single Staking Contract or YSSC would be used to stake the tokens and generate yield. The users who stake their tokens will get fee reductions and the yield generated from the YF protocol smart contracts. The yield generated will vary depending on the lockup period with 3 options including a 6-month lock, 12-month lock, and no lockup staking options.
Final word
Investment opportunities offered by YieldFlow include liquidity provision, yield farming, and staking. Users also get to earn rewards by staking their tokens to earn interest, participating in yield farming, and providing liquidity to various pools.
The platform’s focus on risk mitigation and insurance coverage makes it stand apart from other DeFi platforms making it an attractive option for those looking to earn a passive income on their crypto investments.
For more information on YieldFlow, please check out their official website.
The Truth About Seo And Call Tracking
There has been a great deal of discussion about SEO and call tracking lately. Several local marketers have written articles decrying call tracking, saying that it hurts SEO. Other local marketing experts have written rebuttals, stating clearly that call tracking does not hurt SEO when it is deployed correctly.
Our goal is this article to summarize a few of the arguments.
What is Call Tracking?
Call tracking is a way for online marketers to track which sources, campaigns, and keywords generate phone calls. Hundreds of thousands of marketers across the U.S. and Canada use call tracking to close the loop on their marketing ROI calculations. Some of the biggest companies in the world use call tracking to measure the effectiveness of their PPC campaigns, SEO efforts, and retargeting. These companies value call data significantly. They spend a lot of money on it.
Marketing agencies also use call tracking. They use it as a way to prove their worth to their clients. It is especially popular among agencies that do PPC and SEO work.
Call tracking is, right now, a $1B industry. It is mainstream.
What is the Truth?
Call tracking, when used correctly does not hurt SEO. That’s the truth. Even most ardent call tracking opponents admit that.
The correct way to use call tracking is to use call tracking DNI. This doesn’t hurt SEO. We’ll discuss more about this later in the article.
The problem is that the call tracking industry has traditionally done a very poor job of educating marketers about what correct use of call tracking actually is.
Why Do Some Say Call Tracking Hurts SEO?
Because of NAP.
Google makes it very clear that Name Address and Phone number (NAP) have to be consistent across all online directories. Having different phone numbers in a ton of different places confuses Google’s algorithms and will hurt your SEO. This is why a few local marketers have written articles criticizing call tracking.
They’re right about one thing. Call tracking numbers should not be used in various directory listings across the web. That will hurt your SEO. This is common knowledge (or should be).
However, far too often articles attacking call tracking will lump all uses of call tracking (on-site Dynamic Number Insertion, primarily) together with the erroneous use of call tracking in directories.
And, admittedly, some call tracking companies have not operated with care in this area. They have placed call tracking numbers all over directories without worrying about the consequences for their clients. This is bad business and bad for the industry.
Experts That Warn of Call Tracking Admit It Doesn’t Hurt SEO if Used Correctly
Adam Steele is one of the foremost local marketing experts on the web. He is the Founder of Nightlite Media, a Vancouver-based SEO firm. He wrote an article recently that discussed call tracking and SEO in great detail, this was after the barrage of call tracking and SEO articles on both sides of the debate.
“The solution [to call tracking and SEO] is quite well documented.
As long as precaution is made to make certain your tracking number doesn’t get scraped by Google, or some other authority, tracking numbers are totally fine.
Historically, and I think this is where a lot of this anger from marketers [about call tracking] stems from, companies in the call tracking industry…have abused these numbers without any regard for NAP or the SMB.
Call tracking companies need to educate. Tracking numbers are awesome. I use them all the time, especially in local lead gen. Naturally it is an incredible way to measure my campaign results.”
Other widely known agencies and experts confirm that call tracking doesn’t hurt SEO and recommend that businesses use it.
He says that marketers can use call tracking on their website. They would “…have more control and might see some interesting value to using call tracking numbers.”
He also says that an entirely safe and acceptable technique would be to “….use a Javascript to display a tracking number to the user, that guarantees that the Google bot and search from Google always see your local number.”
He later says he has participated in discussions with other SEO experts and “…confirms that this [using call tracking DNI] is acceptable.”
Entire state marketing associations, and other respected groups, confirm and endorse that call tracking is fine when if it is used correctly.
The list of sources confirming that call tracking does not hurt SEO when used correctly is too long to include here. Suffice it to say that call tracking is mainstream and when deployed correctly; it DOES NOT hurt SEO.
Ways to Correctly Use Call Tracking
One of the best articles regarding how to correctly use call tracking was written recently by the Minnesota Search Association. I STRONGLY recommend that you read this article. They lay out 5 specific ways to ensure that call tracking does not harm your SEO. At the risk of being repetitive, I won’t go into the details and methods they discuss. But I will mention one more method that ensures call tracking is safe, Dynamic Number Insertion.
Dynamic Number Insertion is a call tracking method that actually virtually displays a unique phone number on a website based on the source or keyword of the visitor. This is done via a snippet of Javascript. The default number on the site stays hard-coded and does not change. Thus, NAP is not impacted and SEO is not harmed. This is the predominant method companies use to gather call tracking data. It is a failsafe way to gather critical call tracking metrics without harming SEO.
It is worth nothing that this dynamic Javascript method is the same method that A/B testing companies like chúng tôi use to split-test sites. It is also the same method by which dynamic content and ad generation is accomplished. These things don’t hurt SEO. Why would call tracking?
The bottom line is this: local marketers and call tracking companies need to deal with this nuanced issue in a nuanced way. If a call tracking company says that call tracking numbers NEVER hurt SEO, they are wrong. If a local marketer says that call tracking numbers ALWAYS or even MOSTLY hurt SEO, they are wrong.
Using call tracking numbers on directories is bad. Using call tracking DNI on your site is good.
Featured Image: Deposit Photos
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