Analytics Plays

Check Your Site for Proper Google Analytics Tagging

In a recent audit, we found that many USDA web pages were using multiple sets of Google Analytics (GA) tags—three, four, even eight sets of GA tags on each page. Having too many sets of GA tags on your pages will significantly slow down your site (and potentially hurt your search engine optimization). Having too many GA tags will also make your analytics less accurate: Some users will leave your page before the tags finish loading, resulting in undercounts of your user sessions and other inaccuracies.
 

How to Audit Your Website Using Google Analytics Tags

If you discover additional Google Analytics tags:

1. Contact the person or team that manages your site content or your site’s webmaster.
2. Work with them to determine who owns the Google Analytics accounts outside of the DAP, USDA Official, and the specific agency’s optional code.
3. Contact these account owners to inform them that their code will be removed and work with them to understand their needs.
4. If you decide, after discussing with the account owners, that they do need to access analytics data, work with them to give them proper permissions within the USDA Official or the agency’s specific Google Analytics accounts.
    

Additional Resources

• Nielsen Norman Group: Three Uses for Analytics in User-Experience Practice 
• Google Analytics for Beginners
• Tag Assistant (by Google) browser extension 
• Getting Started with Analytics
   

Implement Digital Analytics Program (DAP) Code

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) memorandum on Policies for Federal Agency Public Websites and Digital Services requires federal agencies to implement the DAP javascript code on all public-facing federal websites. While this program is mandated, it does provide many benefits to the agencies that participate:

• No-cost, government-wide web analytics tool
• Training
• Ongoing help desk and data reporting support: dap@support.digitalgov.gov
• A public window into some DAP data
• Digital metrics guidance and best practices  
   

Once you have verified that your site does not contain the DAP Google Analytics Code, it’s time to move forward with registering and implementation.
 

Registration:

1. Define a DAP point of contact on your team. The POC must be a .gov user (typically, a Product Owner or Program Manager).
2. GSA will send the agency point of contact a short sign-up form to register their agency and work with them to implement the common page tag code.
3. GSA will provide implementation support, access to training, and other resources to agency points of contact.
4. If you don’t have an identified point of contact, send an email to: dap@support.digitalgov.gov 
    

Implementation:

1. DAP implementation instructions
2. Your web manager will place code in the header of all your site’s web pages that “calls" the DAP code, which is hosted at a central location 
    

Confirm Implementation:

Using Google’s Chrome Browser, you can use the Tag Assistant (by Google) browser extension to confirm the presence of the DAP Google Analytics Code.

Additional Resources

• analytics.usa.gov: a public window into some DAP data
• Digital.gov: YouTube Playlist of Digital Analytics Help/Training Videos 
• Digital.gov: Common Questions about DAP (FAQ) 
• Digital.gov: Incorporating the Digital Analytics Program Tool Into Your Agency’s Metric Program
• DAP: Digital Metrics Guidance and Best Practice
   

Implement USDA Official Code

USDA requires that your site have the Official USDA Google Analytics code. This code helps track usage across the agency and provides an important, birds-eye view of key metrics to leadership.

Once you have verified that your site does not contain the USDA Google Analytics Code, it’s time to move forward with implementing the code.
 

How to Implement the USDA Official Google Analytics Code

The process of adding USDA’s official department-wide Google Analytics code to your website’s pages is similar to the way your agency adds the government-wide DAP Google Analytics code. Please email oc-web@usda.gov for specific guidance and instructions.
 

Confirm Implementation

Using Google’s Chrome Browser, you can use the Tag Assistant (by Google) browser extension to confirm the presence of the USDA Official Google Analytics code.

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This page was last updated July 31, 2019.