Google Website Optimizer allows users to test different versions of site content. This allows you to determine what will best attract website visitors and lead them to convert to an end goal. A/B Testing and Multivariate Testing are the type of tests that help measure this in Google Website Optimizer. Using A/B Testing, the variation is built using a different page while the variation will be on the same page when using Multivariate Testing.
The variation should be created by varying an element from the original so that the optimizer test results can give the best option to proceed with. The changes that you perform should be completely focussed on taking the visitor to the conversion page. A variation that directly influences leading visitors to the conversion page will ensure 100% data accuracy in result.
I’m not going to speak here about the set up process of Google Website Optimizer. For that you can refer DJ’s earlier post for complete website optimizer test set up.
The purpose of this article is to help you understand how to best determine your goals using Google Website Optimizer.
Figuring Out The Right Conversion Page?
Irrespective of the test type, (A/B or multi variate) the result is always concluded with the number of conversions arriving from original and variation elements. Identifying the right conversion page is pivotal in GWO test implementation. If you are choosing the wrong conversion page, you may end up with finalizing a poor landing page as per the test result.
Pick a High Volume Conversion Goal
Some typical conversion goals include ”adding an item to a shopping cart”, “clicking product details page”, “thanks page” etc. Beware that if you use a conversion goal that doesn’t occur often, it will take much longer to find the most effective content. Also worth nothing that your conversion page doesn’t have to be an actual website page, and can instead be an action such as ‘clickable text’ or ‘form submit button.’
Counting a Conversion When a Link is Clicked
Conversions are counted when a simple html link is clicked. You will be able to count file downloads or leads sent to other sites without placing scripts on other sites. To do this, you have to add modified conversion code after your <HEAD> tag. Also the conversion link should be tagged with a script. You can tag multiple links on the page if you like, but Website Optimizer will not differentiate between them. A click on any of the tagged links will count as a conversion. Here is a guide to track conversion when a link is clicked.
Counting a Conversion When a Form is Submitted
Filling out a contact form or news letter sign up can be set as a conversion. Modify the form code by adding a conversion script, so that it will trigger the conversion script when the  forms ‘on submit’ event is executed. In this case, your conversion page is the page with which the form exists, even if your form’s action leads to another page. Here is the guide to track conversion when a form is submitted.
Good article Elan. I think it explains the importance of why you need to have your conversion metrics set right such that you get a good result. I thought it was good to have a form on most pages for a good conversion, but what suprises me is that even links can be used as a metric for conversion.
That in itself says you must have a well written and emphatic content with appropriate links that helps you get converted!
Thanks Elan, time for me to change some contents on my website
Informative read Elan. Thanks for the vivid explanation. Now I understood the basics of Google website optimizer. Coming to landing pages, to a certain extent this would be a better choice to decide which variation page (A or B) is converting.
Great guide, and many thanks for taking the time to publish it; I’m positive otheres benefited as well. It really opened my eyes with some new perspectives that I hadn’t thought of before.
I was not aware that clicks can be used as a metric for conversion. Now I can implement this in my website for tracking conversion. Thanks for the informative tips.