Custom Dimensions allow you to bring crucial custom data from a CMS to Google Analytics. This data, collected with Advanced Google Analytics for Joomla, is used to build new reports that help you understand:
– users’ engagement (registered or guests)
– editors’ performance (number of pageviews per author)
– categories’ popularity (pageviews per categories)
– pageviews per year
Custom dimensions are very similar to custom variables, enabling you to group your data in new ways by applying values to hits based on scopes you define. Custom Variables were replaced by Custom Dimensions in Universal Analytics.
Setup Custom Dimensions for Advanced Google Analytics
To use custom dimensions, they must first be defined in your Google Analytics property and to be enabled in Advanced Google Analytics plugin for Joomla.
To define a new custom dimension, log into your Google Analytics account, select the desired property and go to Admin -> Custom Definitions -> Custom Dimensions.
Create the custom dimensions, using New Custom Dimension, like this:
Name: Author, Scope: Hit
Name: Category, Scope: Hit
Name: Year, Scope: Hit
Name: User, Scope: Hit
In Advanced Google Analytics for Joomla the data is collected using: dimension1 for author, dimension2 for category, dimension3 for year, dimension4 for user.
Make sure that each index corresponds to each custom dimension type: index 1 to author, index 2 to category, index 3 to year and index 4 to user. See the image bellow:
After properly defining your custom dimensions go back to your Joomla administration dashboard, select Extensions -> Plugin Manager, search for System – Advanced Google Analytics, enable Custom Dimensions tracking and save the options.
How to Access Custom Dimensions in Google Analytics
To display Custom Dimensions in your Google Analytics account, you need to create a new Custom Report for each dimension.
To create a custom report, log into your Google Analytics account, select the desired property and choose Customization:
– click on New Custom Report
– enter a suggestive title, e.g. Categories
– click on +add metric and select PageViews
– click on +add dimension and select Category
– push Save, to save your Custom Report
As you can see in the above image, once enough data is collected, your custom report will display the stats for the selected dimension.
You can also create a shortcut to your Custom Report using the Shortcut button.
More details about this plugin: Advanced Google Analytics for Joomla.