Will changing the property from http to https in Google Analytics affect main unfiltered view?
-
I set my client up with an unfiltered view in Google Analytics. This is the one with historical data going back for years, so I don't want to do anything that will affect this view. Recently, the website moved from HTTP to HTTPS. There's a setting for the property that will allow me to change the property name to https://EXAMPLE.com and change the default URL to https://EXAMPLE.com. Questions:
1. If I change the property name and the default URL, will this somehow affect my unfiltered view in a way that I'll lose historical data or data moving forward?
2. I have heard that changing the default URL to HTTPS will help me avoid a common problem others have experienced (where they lose the referrer in Google Analytics and a bunch of their sessions go to direct / other). Is this true?
-
Hi, I'm so glad i found this. I have a similar situation. We are changing from http to https.
Just to make sure i understand this correctly. We do not need to change anything in GA. But modifying the property name to https will reinforce what we did?
Thank you. Julie
-
I love the professional passion, Verónica and Paul!
Verónica, Paul's response was more specific to my question about Google Analytics, but I appreciate you bringing up related issues with Google Search Console.
-
It clarifies, thanks! That's the info I needed. I appreciate it.
-
"The wrong name in the 'Property name' field or wrong setting in the http_ or https doesn't affect the data collection in your GA account." _I know - which is why I explained that changing the protocol there to HTTPS won't have any effect on the archive View either, which was the OP primary question.
"...verify all the properties and choose the preferred one" will not have any effect on "help[ing] me avoid a common problem others have experienced" as you state. That problem (Referral visits recorded as Direct in GA) is caused by the referral data being stripped out of the request when it travels from an HTTP site to an HTTPS site. There's nothing in GSC that can have any effect on this - it is entirely controlled by the server headers of the connection request.
There's nothing about Kevin's original question that has anything to do with or can be addressed in Search Console.
P.
-
Hi Paul,
The wrong name in the 'Property name' field or wrong setting in the http or https doesn't affect the data collection in your GA account. The data is collected via UA number in the GA tag for your website regardless of the domain your GA tag is on.
Assuming GA is linked to Google Search Console, where it is essential to verify all the properties and choose the preferred one for getting accurate data, plus this will "help me avoid a common problem others have experienced".
Mª Verónica
-
He's talking about the effect of updating the default URL in the Google Analytics Property Settings, Veronica - nothing to do with Google Search Console.
P.
-
Lemme try that again
1. Updating the protocol in your GA Property settings won't have any harmful effect on your archive view (or any other view).
2. Setting the Property address to HTTPS isn't what's going to determine if the incoming referral data is available - that's been determined before the visits actually arrive by the browser connection and server headers. If the visit to HTTP is coming from HTTPS, the referrer data was stripped out before the request was sent. GA just uses whatever it receives. (My point was, even if you don't set the protocol to HTTPS in your Profile, the referrer data will come through anyway. But getting your GA set to the correct HTTPS address reinforces this, so still a good idea.)
Hope that clarifies?
Paul
-
Hi, Paul. Sorry, I wasn't sure from your response...
1. I understand that "updating the protocol to HTTPS won't have any negative effect on your archival GA view." By this, I think you mean updating the actual website protocol (not making changes in Google Analytics.)
So, within Google Analytics, if I change the property name and the default URL to HTTPS, will this somehow affect my archival view of Google Analytics in a way that I'll lose past data or data moving forward?
2. I think you are saying that if I change the property name and the default URL to HTTPS within Google Analytics, I "should" be able to see the referrer properly and not lose the referrer and a bunch of their sessions to direct / other. Is this right?
-
The short answer, Kevin, is no, updating the protocol to HTTPS won't have any negative effect on your archival GA view.
Just having the visitor connection resolve at the HTTPS address "should" transmit the referrer info fully (it's the browser that determines this, not GA), but always good to back this up by having the GA property properly configured for the HTTPS update.
Little sidenote - since your site is now HTTPS, any referrals it sends to other non-HTTPS sites will get stripped. If it's important to you to have those other sites recognise you sent them traffic (this is important in some partnership/affiliate,/advertiser situations for example) you can add a Meta Referrer tag to your site so that it will send at least some of the referrer info even to a non-HTTPS site. You can select how much info gets passed based on your security sensitivities.
That what you were looking for?
Paul
-
Hi Kevin,
Assuming that you set up a 301 (permanent redirect) from the http to the https:
How to do it?:
https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/6332964?Where?
https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/What properties?:
http://example.com/
https://example.com/
http://www.example.com/
https://www.example.com/After all those were done:
Into this property only: https://example.com/ (Assuming that you prefer the https non www version)
verify the robot texts
upload a sitemap
fetch as google
You will see data starts to be shown and index within a few days.Forgot to mention the bad news on regard a migration to https, due to Google considers the https a new website, it will crawl all as "a new website".
That is great at first, though any failure from old times will appear with "red flags" because the 2017 algorithms will work. I mean broken links, 404s and so, that you didn´t know those were there, will be shown up.
That is why it is highly advisable to perform an SEO audit and fix up all, before a migration.
Although, in many years of SEO practice, only one client came before the migration.
You do NOT change the Analytics code, therefore it will continously showing old data and new data into the same view. Good luck!
Mª Verónica
Got a burning SEO question?
Subscribe to Moz Pro to gain full access to Q&A, answer questions, and ask your own.
Browse Questions
Explore more categories
-
Moz Tools
Chat with the community about the Moz tools.
-
SEO Tactics
Discuss the SEO process with fellow marketers
-
Community
Discuss industry events, jobs, and news!
-
Digital Marketing
Chat about tactics outside of SEO
-
Research & Trends
Dive into research and trends in the search industry.
-
Support
Connect on product support and feature requests.
Related Questions
-
Why am i seeing google.inc in analytics as direct traffic? Bug?
Recently i have seen two clients sites see a spike in direct traffic coming from google.inc. Is this a bot/bug which i should filter out. Just a bit confused why google.inc has visited our clients site 676 times! Any insight would be great.
Reporting & Analytics | | BlueWren1 -
Will my Google sub domain filter work
Bon Pormeriggio from cloudy hot sticky & Humid Wetherby UK 😉 I have three sub domains which are reporting all the same stat traffic. Phase 1 is complete in that sub domain tracking has been configured in the analytics code for: http://en.lewispr.be/
Reporting & Analytics | | Nightwing
http://fr.lewispr.be/
http://nl.lewispr.be/ But now i want to get traffic just from http://www.en.lewispr.be/ (Previously all three subdomains reported exactly the dame data). But its this stage I just want to double check. Ive set up a filter correcly as illustrated here:
http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc53/zymurgy_bucket/check-en-sub-domain-tracking_zps1b24f8af.jpg Will what ive done give me just traffic arriving at http://www.en.lewispr.be/ and not continue the problem of all three sub domains reporting exactly the same traffic?
Grazie tanto,
David0 -
Google Analytics: Multi channel funnel
Hi 🙂 I have a little problem. In Multi-channel Funnel Overview I see 50 conversions from Paid Search (screenshot 1). But when I click on Assisted Conversion and then choose Paid Search, I see 31 Assisted Conversions and 32 Last Interaction Conversion. (screenshot 2) So my question is - why the number of converstions in overview (50) is different than number in Assisted Conversions (assisted or last interaction conversion, or both together)? Probably, the answer is so simply, but I can found out it! 🙂 thanks a lot. X6UihL7.png lCNsw4T.png
Reporting & Analytics | | visibilitysk0 -
Google Analytics Title tag vs landing page visitors numbers
Hi folks, Just wondering if anyone has any ideas as to why im getting different results in Google analytics. I'm using the Content Efficiency Analysis Report from http://www.kaushik.net which is absolutely awesome. When I search via my title tag I get 920 Unique Visitors over the month but when I search via the landing page URL with the same title tag I get 28. Any ideas to why their should be such a difference. I've also noticed that on that page i'm also getting a Rel Cononical TRUE using a site crawl. Any ideas are much appreciated
Reporting & Analytics | | acs1110 -
"It appears there's a problem with our connection to your Google Analytics ...
account. Please go to your Settings page to update your connection." I set up a GA account for our website (www.edao.biz) prior to creating the SEO campaign. When I set up the campaign it told me there was a problem. I tried to fix the connection using the Settings page and it created a second account - however, it still cannot connect to it. In the GA account, it shows that I have granted access to pro.seomoz.org. I did not setup a 2-step verification with GA; don't think that's the issue. Should I blow both GA accounts away and try again? I don't think it's working correctly, and I would really like to be able to see the analytics for our site. I did see that in the GA account I had checked [v] Share my Google Analytics data... [v ] with other Google products only. - What should be the proper setting? (BTW I'm a bit lost with the new GA, I still go to the old interface (though ugly, it shows more links and info)) Thank you, Ingrid
Reporting & Analytics | | IngridWood0 -
Looking for a solid educational piece for continuing education for our staff on Google analytics.
Particularly, the updates that have been made in the last few months with the new interface. Any suggestions? Book and course are of interest.
Reporting & Analytics | | DavidWolf580 -
Analytics/Google Keyword comparison
Hi I'm trying to establish a methodology to best show the gap between potential and realised organic keyword traffic. To obtain potential keyword traffic I'm using the Google Adwords keyword tool to derive local monthly search volumes for exact keyword matches. However, I'm confused as to which is the best way of getting a comparable metric from Google Analytics (GA). I was using custom reports and the 'organic searches' metric. However, this provides different values to a standard report selecting non-paid search in the default advanced segments. What is the best report/metric in GA to use for both organic and paid search volumes that would be comparable to the Google Adwords keyword tool. Also, I'm having problems getting my kids to eat their greens, any advice! 😉 Thanks Neil
Reporting & Analytics | | mccormackmorrison0 -
Does Google Analytics use your data against you?
I couldn't find this question answered anywhere in Q&A, so I apologize if it's a duplicate of another post. I heard, about a year ago on either Web Pro World, or Warrior Forum that Google uses your visitor data in your Google Analytic account to rank your site. Someone said that when they took out the Google code, their site went from the third to the first page within 48 hours. That was then verified over the next couple of weeks by others. Their thought was that regardless of the optimized page and incoming link, if the site wasn't getting visitors, then it would be penalized. Since Google has the data, they would be able to use it. I then started using another, paid, solution - getclicky.com. While I like clicky, there is some info Google has that clicky doesn't, everyone integrates with Google analytics - like SEOmoz, and I'm paying a monthly fee. Now that I'm a part of a community of experts, what do you think? Have you noticed Google ranking you based on your analytics data? Has anyone experienced this, or heard about it before? Because I'd like to go back to using Google analytics. Thanks!
Reporting & Analytics | | DallasBonsai0