Semalt Expert Specifies Filters You Need For Applying On Google Analytics

The application of filters on a Google Analytics account is important to ensure that reporting data does not get skewed by unwanted data. Some of these filters include: Excluding IP addresses, Excluding referral spam, Display of changing how data, URLs being shown in lowercase letters and filtering only internal traffic. It is recommended that you have turned on views for unfiltered data, test, and master.

One of the leading experts from Semalt, Jack Miller, provides in the article detailed instructions on how to apply filters on Google Analytics.

Hostname Filter

This is useful because it enables the filtering of only the referral spam and adding the data that involves the actual visitation of a website by the user.

How to set it up

First, visit the Admin section and choose the appropriate view.
Second, select the Filters option and click on the Add filters option.
Third, name the filter.
Fourth, select custom for the filter type option.
Fifth, select hostname on the filter option.
Lastly, add the following link:
'www\.EXAMPLE\.com|EXAMPLE\.com|translate\.googleusercontent\.com|webcache\.googleusercontent\.com'

Screen Resolution Filter

It is advisable to include a screen resolution filter to the hostname so that certain types of crawling spam can be blocked out.

How to set it up

First, visit the Admin section and choose the appropriate view.
Second, select the Filters option and click on the Add filters option.
Third, name the filter.
Fourth, select custom for the filter type option and then select the exclude option.
Fifth, under filter field select screen resolution.
Sixth, add "^$not set$$".

Excluding IP Addresses

It is important in filtering out internal data. Find out your IP address on Google by searching "what's my IP address?"

How to Set It Up

First, visit the Admin section and choose the appropriate view.
Second, select the Filters option and click on the Add filters option.
Third, name the filter.
Fourth, select predefined for the filter type option.
Fifth, select 'exclude', 'traffic from the IP addresses', 'that are equal to'.
Then enter the IP address which you wish to have traffic blocked.

Display of Changing How Data Filter

How to Set It Up

First, visit the Admin section and choose the appropriate view.
Second, select the Filters option and click on the Add filters option.
Third, name the filter.
Fourth, select custom for the filter type option and then select the Advanced option.
On 'Field A -> extract A' select 'Campaign term' and type '(.not provided.)'.
On 'Field B -> extract B' select 'Request URI' and type '(.*)'.
On 'Output to -> constructor' select 'Campaign term' and type 'np - $B1'.
Select the parts 'Field A required', 'Field B required' and 'Override output field'.

Filter Internal Traffic Only

How to set it up

First, visit the Admin section and choose the appropriate view.
Second, select the Filters option and click on the Add filters option.
Third, name the filter.
Fourth, select predefined for the filter type option.
Fifth, select 'include only', 'traffic from the IP addresses', 'that are equal to'.
Then enter the IP address which you wish to have traffic blocked.

Display All URLs in Lowercase

How to Set It Up

First, visit the Admin section and choose the appropriate view.
Second, select the Filters option and click on the Add filters option.
Third, name the filter.
Fourth, select custom for the filter type option and then select lowercase.
On the filter field select Request URL

Search and Replace www.filter

How to set it up

First, visit the Admin section and choose the appropriate view.
Second, select the Filters option and click on the Add filters option.
Third, name the filter.
Fourth, select custom for the filter type option and then select search and replace.
On the filter field option select hostname.
On search string enter "^example\.com$".
And on the replace string enter www.example.com.