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Google Analytics: Definitions

Average visit duration

The average amount of time that a patron spends on our site, expressed in minutes.  

Average visit duration needs to be evaluated in context with other data.  For example, the library website's average visit duration can be smaller than expected because patrons tend to land on the website and then immediately go to an external site, like LibGuides or the databases.

More information on Average Visit Duration from the Google Analytics Help Center.

Bounce rate

The percentage of visits that last only one page before exiting the site.  

Like average visit duration, this measure needs to be taken in context with other data.  For example, the bounce rate tends to be high on the library website because patrons frequently come to the website and then go to LibGuides, LibAnswers or the databases.  Since the primary purpose of many of these pages is to direct patrons to external content, a high bounce rate is a good thing.

More on Bounce Rate from the Google Analytics Help Center.

Conversion

The number of times a pre-defined goal has been completed.

More on Conversions from the Google Analytics Help Center.

Entry page

The first page a patron sees when they come to the site.

Exit page

The last page a person used before they left the site.

Goal

A measure of how well the site performs its objectives.  Goals are set by us, not Google.  

Keyword

Words which patrons type into a search engine to reach the website.

New visitors

The number of people who visit the site for the first time.

Pageviews

The number of times a page loads in a browser.

Referral

Sites which direct traffic to our site.  For example, the myWalden portal is frequently listed in our website referral reports because there is a link to the Walden Library on the portal page.

Returning visitors

The number of people who have visited the site at least once before.

Source

Websites which directed traffic to our site.

Unique visitors

How many unique people accessed the website within the given timeframe. 

More about the Unique Visitors metric from the Google Analytics Help Center.

Visits

The number of times people accessed the website within the given time frame.