Google Analytics - The Map Overlay

The Map Overlay is the first tab, or option, after the Visitors Overview. This visual report enables you to measure traffic volume (visits, pageviews), but as well visitor quality (pageviews per visit, conversion rates, per visit value, etc) metrics by geographic region. The default view is by continent, but can be narrowed right down to city level. Of course, the location data is based on the visitors' IP address, therefore it's really the location of the ISP:

 

The first thing you want to do when you see the map is click on it, it can't be helped! This is actually the simplest way of drilling down. Clicking at the current view level will take you to the next, in this order: Continent > Sub Continent Region > Country > City.

 

Geographical Metrics

The default metric is simply Visits. However, by clicking on the Visits button at the top right of the map, you can change the geographical display to anyone of the following:

• Pages/Visit
• Avg. Time on Site
• New Visits
• Bounce Rate
• Goal1 Conversion Rate
• Goal2 Conversion Rate
• Goal3 Conversion Rate
• Goal4 Conversion Rate
• Conversion Rate
• Per Visit Goal Value

Segmenting Visitors

Once you've chosen the geographical region you'd like to report on, you can segment the visitors by the following metrics:

• Source
• Medium
• Campaign
• Keyword
• Ad Content
• Visitor Type
• Landing Page
• Language
• Browser
• Operating System
• Screen Colors
• Screen Resolution
• Flash Version
• Java Support
• Network Location
• Hostname
• Connection Speed
• User Defined Value

These segments will look familiar if you've been through the rest of the Analytics suite. They are all independent reports available throughout. However, segmenting them within Map Overlay will give you that report, but specific to the region you've chosen.

How can you use this segmentation functionality? Well, a very simple and yet very useful example is that you could navigate to Country level, and choose the "keyword" level. I could compare the top traffic-driving keywords for Canada vs. the US (regional searchers may use slightly different spellings, or completely different terms for the same thing - like "window washers" instead of "window cleaners"). This is invaluable data for forming your SEO strategy, the anchor texts you'll use for link acquisition, the heading and content that you'll place on your site, etc.

Another segmentation strategy comes in handy if you're running location-based PPC campaigns, perhaps through AdWords. You can obtain a quick snapshot of which ads/campaigns are most effective in which regions by segmenting on the Ad Content filter, and adjust your keyword spend accordingly.

Segmenting by geography is such a powerful tool!

Goal Conversions by Region

The default display in the chart at the bottom of the page is Site Usage. This provides your overall standard traffic stat, and then sorted by region at the specified level. This gives you a quick view of which region is providing the most traffic and interaction with your site, with these five metrics:

• Visits
• Pages/Visit
• Avg. Time on Site
• % New Visits
• Bounce Rate

While this is interesting, the far more useful report is the Goal Conversion report, because this tells you which region is providing the most conversion, or value. Click the Goal Conversion tab at the top left of the table to switch:

Within seconds you can easily determine who your most valuable visitors are, or at least where they're coming from. This can help you hone your advertising campaigns - put more resources where there's more return!

All in all, the Map Overlay report is one of the most fun. Besides the deep level of segmentation and insight it provides you, it's really quite fun to just click on! But seriously though, this is one of the more powerful tools in the application for online marketers.