Chapter 2

Sorting It All Out

In This Chapter

Aggregating data: The incoming data fire hose, keeping it from eating you alive

Finding the right service

Using metrics with search engines

Dealing with daily metrics

Adjusting on the go: Shift on the fly listening

You’re probably thinking to yourself “How the heck am I going to keep all of these incoming data sets and metrics organized?” Fortunately, tools and techniques can help you sort it all out and keep you from feeling overwhelmed.

For one thing, making metrics a part of your daily routine is one of the most important things you can do to stay on top of the wave of information that will be coming your way. After you’ve gotten some experience with the different metrics, you discover which ones are important for you to track closely and which you can put on the back burner. Until then, think of checking your incoming metrics data the same way you do e-mail: a task you do two or three times a day, but not something you pay attention to all day long.

Focus and goals play an important role in how you filter your metrics results as well. Every metric tells a different story, and you’ll want to give each story different importance at different times depending on what you hope to achieve. “General knowledge about a keyword or brand” is going to be a very different data set than “influence in topics like cottage cheese and raisins.”

Whether your goal is to march web visitors down your sales funnel with precision, find new employee prospects that exhibit a great knowledge of your field, handle customer issues with aplomb, or increase your brand’s reach, metrics can help. However, each of these goals requires its own set of metrics, its own method of tracking those metrics, and its own adjustment schedule. This chapter shows you how it all works.