Home > SEO/SEM Overview  >Web Statistics Overview  >

Making the most from your Web-Stat traffic analysis software

Derek Stockley explains how to gain the maximum benefits from the Web-Stat traffic monitoring software.

Fine tuning your use of the software

Thank you for your sign up for the 30 day free trial or purchase of the Web-Stat Traffic Analysis software. To review the reasons for using Web-Stat, see: Website Statistics and Website Statistics Package.

Web-Stat have provided the information you need to quickly implement the system.

You choose the pages you wish to monitor. For your existing pages, you can manually install the javascript on each page or you can use an HTML editor to do a "find and replace" action (just like you do with a word processor).

For new pages, you can include the javascript in the web page template you have. This means that you do not need to worry about it again.

In the paid services, take advantage of the uptime monitoring service. I have the "premium" service.

Web-Stat can check your site every 15 minutes or so to ensure your website is online. This is your independent assurance that your web host is meeting your requirements. (If your web host already provides this service, it is still beneficial to use both services.)

Remember, you choose the pages you wish to monitor. This means that you get real visitor figures. For example, your web host website statistics will count every visitor, not just "real" ones. For example, my web host counts the visits to the "website up test page" it uses plus the one Web-Stat uses. Web-Stat doesn’t because I have not added the javascript to the test pages. I only monitor "real" pages.

Monitoring individual keywords and visitor behaviour

You can now monitor what web visitors are doing on your site/s at the macro (big picture) level and the micro level.

Web-Stat provides a variety of reports. On the macro level, I use the "All-in-one" report. This report provides information about visitor numbers, referrers, keywords, etc. - it takes two or three minutes to review all the key information to know what is happening. If you want more information, there are links to more detailed reports.

I have learnt a lot from what I call the micro reports, particularly the "last 100 visitors" and the "last 100 referrers". I find the 100 file size useful, although I can access more if I wish.

The "last 100 visitors" gives you information about all visitors, including "direct access" visitors. Direct access visitors have normally been to your site previously and have "bookmarked" it in some way.

Although both reports are very useful, I slightly prefer the "last 100 referrers" report because it only lists referrers - search engines or other sites that link to your site. This report shows the actual keyword phrase used, the landing page, the trail of pages visited and other information.

Using visitor information

Web-Stat gives you the option to name each page. Instead of reporting on "yoursite.com/product-a.html" you can assign a name e.g. "PRODUCT A". This makes the page stand out. I use this page naming convention for key pages or for pages used in campaigns, e.g. "PRODUCT A GOOG LP". I see instantly that a visitor has gone to my Google Adwords landing page for Product A. The page you are now reading is called 'WEBSTAT AFTER SIGNING'.

The information provided by these detailed reports gives me information I need to adjust my web pages to achieve the desired result.

For example, I wanted to achieve a high SERP (search engine result page) listing for the term "management guru". When I use Google, derekstockley.com.au is listed in the top results worldwide, see: Google.com search for management guru.

Google brings the most visitors by far (Web-Stat tells me the exact percentages). When I do the "management guru" search here in Australia, Google tells me I am in the top five in the world and that I am competing against over 20 million other pages to achieve this high ranking.

Web-Stat has helped me to improve my search engine results for the keyword phrases I have targeted. In the key phrases I monitor, I am where I want to be. In fact, I successfully compete against far bigger organisations.

Web-Stat also helps me to understand why a visitor does not convert. I run training programs - some course information pages rank well worldwide, not just in Australia. The detail available, for example that the visitor was from the United States, explains why the visitor did not enrol in my course here in Melbourne, Australia!

Thank you again for choosing Web-Stat. Used properly, I am confident that you will quickly recoup the small monthly fee.

If you need to review, see: Web-Stat Traffic Monitoring Software. If you signed up for the free trial, remember you can convert to the full service at any time within the 30 days.

If you now wish to sign up, see Web-Stat Registration.

SEO training is explained at: Search Engine Optimization Training.

This page was last reviewed on 10 February 2007.