Google Analytics Gets New Access Controls
Is your website Search Engine Optimized? Does it have a good volume of inbound traffic? Does it have a good conversion rate? Most website owners rely on Google Analytics for an unbiased report on the efficiency of the website.
Recently Google Analytics announced new access control tools that will give users greater report-customization controls. Read on to know more…
Overall changes
Earlier you could opt for a simple report select advanced reporting with administrator control.
Some of the dynamics were restricted in the viewer option. With the enhanced access controls, the difference will be noticed in:
- Permission levels – The access is set at the ownership level rather than the profile level,
- Managing the account – Any user can view, manage and edit the access levels in a group.
Enhanced interface
The previous version of Google Analytics had simple navigation buttons like Home and Standard Reporting. The third option was Custom Reporting for a more detailed and comprehensive analysis. Now there are two tabs:
- Reporting – The tabs that were earlier under Home are now under Reporting; that is Real Time, Dashboards, Intelligence Events and Shortcuts. Real Time will generate a standard report. The other three now come under “My Stuff” and provide more customized reporting. Google AdWords that was a separate entity earlier is now under Traffic Source option.
- Customization – With the new access features you can customize the depth of your report as well as the layout. Users now have the freedom to set and generate reports that have richer text. You can incorporate GEO maps, tables, widgets and bars on your report. In fact, you can automate the settings so that every report has all the preset elements. The GEO maps widget will give country-specific information. The bars widget provides analysis in the form of graphs.
The enhancements bring a new dynamism to Google Analytics reporting and add aesthetic value to the reports as well. The dashboard can now be emailed, exported, shared and segmented.
In a scenario where many people are involved in implementing changes based on the report, the ease of sharing the report is a great boon. This facility was absent in the full administrative control option earlier.
How do the changes affect user permissions?
Permissions on who can read and access the user accounts are made easier by the new system. This is how users inherit accessibility of their Google Analytics accounts:
- There is a distinct hierarchy for permissions. The property account gives access to parent account vis-à-vis access control. Individual users branch out from the parent account.
- Individual access can be controlled by the administrator of the parent account at property level and profile level; that means the control moves upwards and downwards.
- Each user again has the power to view and edit the reporting statuses.
A property in this context refers to a website, a blog or a mobile app (if accessed on a mobile device) that has access to your Google Analytics account.
Here’s an example: One user in the property account may have permission to only view and edit access. Another member of the same group may have full administrative control of the parent account. A third may have access to liberalize or restrict permissions to other users in the group, besides view and edit.
Migration
The changes in Google Analytics access controls will be implemented in a phased manner over some weeks so that millions of current users will not face difficulties. Those who have full administrator control will have property level access. The view-only option will also remain the same for those users. But property administrators will now have greater control in customizing access for the other profiles in their group.
Heather Protz, a freelance writer for USAheadlines.com – offers full home security to help protect your family, assets from burglary and other crimes. adt security reviews
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