How The Yandex.Metrica’s Counter Works

Yandex.Metrica is a functional web analytics tool from Yandex. With the help of this free service, you can analyze user behavior on the platform, website traffic, compare traffic indicators for different segments. To work with Yandex.Metrica, it is enough to have a Yandex account and a website with an inserted JS code.

A service such as Yandex.Metrica is mainly needed by commercial sites, since it allows you to qualitatively evaluate the effectiveness of advertising, site usability, traffic sources and conversions. The service is the equivalent of Google Analytics, which is not available to everyone in the current situation, but Yandex.Metrica is gaining popularity and expanding its functionality, which attracts new users.

The ultimate goal of any commerce is to generate cash flow. In offline and online business, there is such a thing as a "targeted action", that is, the action of a visitor on a commercial platform. Clicking a button, copying an email address, a message, an application, etc. are web analytics goals that lead a website visitor to a product.

Goals in Yandex.Metrica

In Yandex.Metrica, you can select different goals, for example:

• automatic goals (goals that the system includes by default, based on the settings of the counters);
• the number of views (the involvement of site visitors in the content and the depth of interest are assessed);
• visits to pages (the most versatile goal, tracks button clicks and transitions to internal and external pages);
• JavaScript event (this goal allows you to track events on the site that do not change the page URL, for example, clicking on buttons, filling out a form, etc.);
• a composite goal (a goal that counts the number of steps to the target action, for example, page views and subsequent form completion);
• click on a phone number;
• click on an email address;
• sending a contact form (tracking all or a specific completed form);
• switch to messenger;
• downloading files (tracking downloads of files of various types, such as, for example, a price list, promotional materials, product catalog, etc.);
• site search (useful for sites that have an internal search, for example, online stores or information portals);
• clicking on a button (tracking clicks on any clickable elements of the Internet platform);
• transition to the social network;
• return from the payment system (important: return from the payment system does not always mean making a payment).

This distinction of goals is made for the convenience of analytics, for example, an application, a call, an order are conversion goals and are used to evaluate the effectiveness of key indicators. Return from the payment system, download, click on the number are retargeting goals and are needed to select audiences in retargeting campaigns.

Yandex.Metrica Counter

A special code included in the content of web pages is called a counter; after it is connected, Yandex.Metrica automatically creates a data store associated with it. When site visitors interact with pages, the counter is executed and transmits interaction data to Yandex.Metrica.

The counter code consists of JavaScript and HTML codes and is installed on all pages of the site. If the page is loaded by the browser, JavaScript code is executed by default, in case of any prohibitions on the use of JavaScript code, HTML code will be executed. If the page is loaded not by a browser, but, for example, by a robot, the execution code is chosen arbitrarily.

When the JavaScript code of the counter is executed, the amount of information retrieved increases, since this code has access to the sources of transition to the page, information about the page title, URL, screen and browser window parameters, extensions, various types of user interaction with the page, and the code also measures page loading parameters and collects data on the achievement of goals.

HTML code does not work so extensively, in this case, information about the visit is extracted by the Yandex.Metrica server from the HTTP request (visitor IP address, page address, browser information, OS and cookie data).

The browser itself does not have information about the visitor to the page, for example, what is his gender and age, location, interests. The Yandex.Metrica counter is just what is needed for the information resource of the platform, collecting the maximum possible amount of data about a potential buyer.

Data Processing in Yandex.Metrica

After the Metrica’s counter has collected a certain amount of data on the page visitor, they are processed by the service, forming statistical objects - data levels according to the type of interaction with the page. There are three types of statistical objects in Yandex.Metrica:

• page view, page load, file load, external transition;
• visit;
• visitor.

Each object type is characterized by a set of attributes that can be the same or different. For example, a statistical object of any type can be characterized by the operating system, but the page attribute will be, for example, the address of the external page from which the transition was made, the visit attribute will be the duration, the visitor attribute will be the date of the visit.

After collecting information about statistical objects, metrics are formed in the system - a series of average indicators based on attribute values. Metrics allow you to find out indicators according to specified conditions, form a sample by groups, or, conversely, segment data by separately specified attribute values. Grouping and segmentation of indicators Metrics can be used simultaneously or separately.

Additional Metrica settings can be edited in the "Summary" tab, they include currency selection, visitor visit timeout, modification of the Metrica counter code.

Yandex.Metrica and SEO Reports

After installing the counter and configuring all the parameters, data on visits to the site will be transferred to reports that will be displayed on the "Summary" panel. Reports are divided into standard (the most important analytical data), my reports (manually configured reports for your purposes), favorites (reports added on the spot), scheduled reports (reports generated by the required dates).

Based on the analysis formulated in the reports, it is possible to adjust the site's SEO: promotion, optimization of advertising campaigns, page design correction, site usability, navigation and content. Also, Metrica data is useful when working with auxiliary external tools, such as advertising platforms or end-to-end analytics tools.

In general, Yandex.Metrica is a universal tool for tracking and web-based analysis of data on how visitors interact with a site. Competent analytics will help not only to understand problem areas, but also to correct further work, which in the future should lead to an increase in business profits.

Yandex.Metrica and Security of Confidential Company Data

To maintain the confidentiality of personal data, the Terms of Use for the Yandex.Metrica service prohibit the transfer of identification information to Metrica. Personal identification data includes full name, passport data, address data and phone numbers, tax, medical information and passwords. But how, for example, to protect data if Yandex.Metrica works with important information, the leakage of which is fatal for the company?

In this case, you need to use a third-party software solution that can track the activity of employees. Such solutions include DLP-system. For example, Falcongaze's DLP SecureTower is a system that helps prevent sensitive data from leaking out of a company. You get full control of all employee communication channels and data transfer protocols. All actions on employees' computers are analyzed and, in case of violation, a report is automatically sent to the company's security service or management.

Most popular instant messengers and social networks are also controlled. The system automatically analyzes messages, sent files and images, voice messages and calls for the presence of confidential information. SecureTower can be used in the company's local network, in networks with complex architecture, in geographically distributed offices, and in mobile workplaces.

Thus, Yandex.Metrica is an excellent web analytics tool for any business, but do not forget about the security of personal and company data, it is best to implement a reliable DLP system in your organization and not worry about leaks.