Google Analytics Question

May 21, 2007 9:56 AM

What does "Direct" in Google Analytics mean?

I use Google Analytics to measure which web sites are sending traffic to my web site. I am using banner ads and search engines to send traffic. When I view traffic sources, I see many of the sites I have ads on...I also see this column called, "direct." Can someone please tell me what that means? I think it could be people who enter the URL directly into their browser--but on my last campaign, I had 3,000 people under "direct." They couldn't have all entered it into their browser.

If I am using ads in email, or ads on certain websites, is it possible that they are also coming up in the "direct" category.

I would very much appreciate your advice. Thank you!

posted by quiverandquill to Computers & Internet (4 answers total)

Clicking a link in an email (using an old-school actual mail client, not webmail) will not set the 'referer' header, and will appear just like direct hits.

Same goes for cutting and pasting the URL from somewhere else.

I think Urchin has some sort of tracking code you can add to the URL (...&source=spamv3-ish)
posted by you at 10:05 AM on May 21, 2007

'Direct' is when a hit does not include a refer (like 'you' stated). Some people elect to disable refers in their browser, in which case your source will be direct. Using the tracking URL can be more effective in these cases.
posted by SirStan at 10:06 AM on May 21, 2007

You'll want to use this:

Google Analytics URL Builder.
posted by bofe at 1:19 PM on May 21, 2007

Sorry I wasn't more specific. This allows you to tell Google Analytics your specific sources -- if it's from e-mail, banner, or CPC . Just put a unique source with each one, and specify the medium.

Good luck!
posted by bofe at 1:22 PM on May 21, 2007