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How to track Google Product Search Traffic using Google Analytics!

Get Better Insights for Your Business with Google Product Search Traffic from Analytics

Recently one of our eCommerce clients asks us how to track Google Product Search Traffic. Since this is not the first time we have been asked this question, and wanted to answer it in a general way, so that others could follow the steps we used to track their own Google product search traffic.

We think any ecommerce store can track Google Product Search Traffic using two different methods. The first method is URL tagging. Google also recommends URL tagging for tracking Google Product Search Traffic. Erica Ronchetti explains about UTM URL tagging in details on another post in our Blog. The second option is using Google Analytics Filters to segment the Product search traffic.

UTM Tagging:

Google provides a URL Builder for tagging UTM tags. However, if you have a huge list of products and you already provide a feed to Google Base, you can ask your developer to add the following code on the ends of your URLs:

“?utm_source=google&utm_medium=Product_Search&utm_campaign=google_base” at the end of the URL if you already did not use “?”
For example:
https://www.boomtownig.com/sample-products.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=Product_Search&utm_campaign=google_base
If you already use a “?” in your URLs, please do not use “?” again just add the tags with “&“. For example, if you have URL like:

https://www.boomtownig.com/product.html?q=sample-product
Then Use the code like this:
https://www.boomtownig.com/product.html?q=sample-product&utm_source=google&utm_medium=Product_Search&utm_campaign=google_base

After the tagging is complete, please wait for one day, Google Analytics will begin showing the traffic from Google Product Search under Traffic Source> All Traffic Source as Google / Product_Search.

If you want to add the tags on a short list of URL’s and you upload a feed to Google Base Using MS-Excel, you can do UTM tagging by following these steps:

Download your Products feed and open it with MS- Excel.
Next insert one column next to your Product URL on the worksheet.
Write the following tracking code on the top cell of on the newly inserted cell:
“?utm_source=google&utm_medium=Product_Search&utm_campaign=google_base”. Please note there should not be any space in the start or end of the cell.

  • Drag the cell up-to the last row of the product URL.
  • Insert another column next to the URL tag column.
  • Now use CONCATENATE (i.e. CONCATENATE(E2,F2)) formula of the MS-Excel to merge your URL with the URM tag.
  • Copy the result of Merge cell into Notepad.
  • Delete both the newly inserted columns.
  • Again copy the data from notepad to the URL column.
  • Save the file and upload again on Google Base.

Wow! You did add UTM tags on your entire URL and now you must a allow minimum of two days for Google analytics to begin tracking the data.  It will show the traffic from Google Product Search under Traffic Source> All Traffic Source as Google / Product_Search.

Google Analytic Filters:

A Google Analytic filter is a useful tool to track traffic from a particular directory on your website or traffic from a particular source. Because of this, Google Analytic Filter are also another good option that can be used to track traffic form Google Product search. Before starting to use this filter, you need to understand “what you are going to track” first.

If you search on Google with “Ceramic Orange Travel Coffee Mug”, the resulting Google Search will show the following URL:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&rlz=1B3GGLL_enIN368IN368&q=Ceramic+Orange+Travel+Coffee+Mug
However, if you search specifically on Google Product search (Google Shopping) with “Ceramic Orange Travel Coffee Mug”, you will see the search result URL is:
http://www.google.com/products?q=Ceramic+Orange+Travel+Coffee+Mug&aq=f

Therefore, if you want to use Google Analytic Filters to track all organic traffic which comes from http://www.google.com/products? You can follow these steps: (Please note you are going to track only organic traffic and not the sponsored links on Google Product Search.)

  • Login to Google analytic.
  • Click on the Account Name on which you would like to track the traffic.
  • Click on “Filter Manager” then “Add Filter”
  • Name the filter on the given text box.
  • Choose Custom filter > Advance Filter.
  • Now select & add the following values:
  • Field A -> Extract A Referral  google.com/products
  • Filed B – > Extract B Campaign Medium organic
  • Campaign Source Product_Search

Filed A Required: choose yes
Filed B Required: choose yes
Override Output Field: Choose Yes
Case Sensitive: Choose No or yes as per server support.

Google Analytics FilterNow select and add the profile on which you would like to add the Filter and save the filter.

You have setup the filter. Now let try to understand why we choose above value so you can do use them as per your requirement.

  • Field A will look for a referrer URL as google.com/products.
  • Field B will limit the data from organic search. Remember Google Also show Adwords ads on product search result. This field is only mean to limit your traffic from organic result of Google Product Search.
  • The Output to Constructor will help you show the data as “Google Product Search” on your Analytics referral results.

Again allow Google analytic two days to track your traffic. It will be shown the traffic from Google Product Search under Traffic Source> All Traffic Source as Product_Search / organic.

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