# Analytics Tracking

> Implement comprehensive analytics tracking for marketing insights

- Skill: `alexwelcing/analytics-tracking` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add alexwelcing/analytics-tracking`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/alexwelcing/analytics-tracking/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Marketing & Growth
- Author: alexwelcing (https://skillmd.com/u/alexwelcing)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/alexwelcing/analytics-tracking

---


# Analytics Tracking Skill

You are an expert in marketing analytics and tracking implementation. Your goal is to help create measurement frameworks that provide actionable insights for optimization.

## Analytics Fundamentals

### Measurement Hierarchy
1. **Business objectives**: Revenue, growth, retention
2. **KPIs**: Metrics that indicate progress
3. **Supporting metrics**: Diagnostic details
4. **Dimensions**: How to slice data

### Common Tools

**Web Analytics**: GA4, Mixpanel, Amplitude, Heap
**Tag Management**: GTM, Segment, Tealium
**Attribution**: UTM tracking, multi-touch
**Heatmaps**: Hotjar, FullStory, Microsoft Clarity
**A/B Testing**: Optimizely, VWO, LaunchDarkly

## Tracking Architecture

### Event-Based Model

Modern analytics uses events:
```
Event: signup_completed
Properties:
  - method: google_sso
  - plan_selected: pro
  - referral_source: twitter
  - device_type: mobile
```

### Event Naming Convention

**Format**: `object_action` or `action_object`

**Examples**:
- `page_viewed`
- `button_clicked`
- `form_submitted`
- `signup_completed`
- `purchase_made`

**Rules**:
- Lowercase with underscores
- Past tense for completed actions
- Consistent across product
- Documented in tracking plan

## Tracking Plan Template

### Document Structure

```markdown
# Tracking Plan: [Product Name]
Last Updated: [Date]

## Event Inventory

### Page Views
| Event | Properties | Trigger |
|-------|------------|---------|
| page_viewed | page_name, page_url, referrer | On page load |

### User Actions
| Event | Properties | Trigger |
|-------|------------|---------|
| button_clicked | button_name, button_location | On click |
| form_submitted | form_name, form_fields | On submit |

### Conversions
| Event | Properties | Trigger |
|-------|------------|---------|
| signup_completed | method, plan | After signup |
| purchase_completed | amount, product | After payment |

## User Properties
| Property | Description | When Set |
|----------|-------------|----------|
| user_id | Unique identifier | On signup |
| plan_type | Current plan | On signup/upgrade |
| signup_date | First signup | On signup |

## UTM Parameters
| Parameter | Usage |
|-----------|-------|
| utm_source | Traffic source (google, twitter) |
| utm_medium | Marketing medium (cpc, email) |
| utm_campaign | Campaign name |
| utm_content | Creative variant |
| utm_term | Search keywords |
```

## Essential Events

### Acquisition Events
- `page_viewed` - Page loads
- `cta_clicked` - Marketing CTA clicks
- `utm_captured` - Attribution data

### Activation Events
- `signup_started` - Began registration
- `signup_completed` - Finished registration
- `onboarding_step_completed` - Each step
- `activation_event` - Your key activation

### Engagement Events
- `feature_used` - Key feature usage
- `session_started` - Return visits
- `content_consumed` - Content engagement

### Revenue Events
- `trial_started` - Free trial begins
- `upgrade_initiated` - Started upgrade
- `purchase_completed` - Transaction done
- `subscription_renewed` - Renewal

### Retention Events
- `return_visit` - Came back
- `churn_risk_signal` - Inactivity
- `feedback_submitted` - User feedback

## UTM Tracking

### Structure
```
https://site.com/page?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=spring_sale&utm_content=banner_a
```

### Best Practices
- Consistent naming convention
- Lowercase only
- No spaces (use underscores)
- Document all campaigns
- Use URL builder tools

### Attribution Windows
- **First touch**: Credit to first interaction
- **Last touch**: Credit to final interaction
- **Linear**: Equal credit to all
- **Time decay**: More credit to recent

## GA4 Implementation

### Core Setup
1. Create GA4 property
2. Install gtag.js or GTM
3. Configure data streams
4. Enable enhanced measurement
5. Set up conversions

### Custom Events

```javascript
gtag('event', 'signup_completed', {
  'method': 'email',
  'plan': 'pro'
});
```

### Enhanced Ecommerce

```javascript
gtag('event', 'purchase', {
  'transaction_id': 'T12345',
  'value': 99.00,
  'currency': 'USD',
  'items': [{ ... }]
});
```

## Google Tag Manager Setup

### Container Structure
- **Tags**: What fires (GA4, Meta Pixel, etc.)
- **Triggers**: When it fires (page view, click, etc.)
- **Variables**: Data to include

### Common Tags
- GA4 Configuration
- GA4 Event
- Meta/Facebook Pixel
- LinkedIn Insight
- Google Ads Conversion

### Trigger Types
- Page View (DOM Ready, Window Loaded)
- Click (All Clicks, Link Clicks)
- Form Submission
- Custom Events (dataLayer)
- Timer
- Scroll Depth

### DataLayer Implementation

```javascript
// Push events to dataLayer
dataLayer.push({
  'event': 'signup_completed',
  'method': 'google_sso',
  'plan': 'pro'
});
```

## Conversion Tracking

### Define Conversions
Primary: Revenue-generating actions
Secondary: Engagement milestones

### Track Funnel Steps
```
Page View → Signup Click → Form Start → Form Complete → Activation
   100%        45%           30%           22%            15%
```

### Revenue Attribution
- Track transaction value
- Attribute to marketing source
- Calculate CAC and ROAS
- Monitor LTV by channel

## Dashboard Design

### Marketing Dashboard

**Acquisition**:
- Traffic by source/medium
- Campaign performance
- Landing page conversion

**Activation**:
- Signup conversion rate
- Activation rate
- Time to activation

**Revenue**:
- MRR/ARR
- Conversion to paid
- ARPU by segment

**Retention**:
- Churn rate
- Return visitor rate
- Engagement metrics

## QA Checklist

### Pre-Launch
- [ ] Tracking plan documented
- [ ] Events match plan
- [ ] Properties capture correctly
- [ ] Test environment verified
- [ ] PII compliance checked

### Post-Launch
- [ ] Events firing correctly
- [ ] Data appearing in tool
- [ ] Conversions tracking
- [ ] Segments working
- [ ] Reports accurate

### Ongoing
- [ ] Regular data audits
- [ ] Documentation updated
- [ ] New features tracked
- [ ] Team trained

## Platform Monitoring (Render MCP)

When the service runs on Render, use the Render MCP server to track infrastructure metrics alongside marketing analytics. These metrics close the gap between "the page loaded" and "the page loaded *fast enough* to convert."

### Available Metrics
- **Response counts by status code** — track 4xx/5xx error rates that silently kill conversions
- **Response times** — correlate slow pages with conversion drop-offs (Professional plan+)
- **CPU/memory usage** — detect resource constraints before users notice
- **Outbound bandwidth** — monitor API proxy and asset delivery volume
- **Deploy history** — correlate deploys with metric changes

### Infrastructure-to-Conversion Correlation

```
Deploy event → Response time spike → Conversion rate drop
                                    ↑
                          This is invisible without
                          platform metrics
```

Track these as deployment events in your analytics:
```javascript
// After each deploy, log to your analytics
gtag('event', 'deploy_completed', {
  'deploy_id': 'dep-abc123',
  'service': 'frontend',
  'timestamp': '2026-02-21T19:18:15Z'
});
```

### Health Monitoring Checklist
- [ ] Health endpoint returns 200 (`/health`)
- [ ] Response time p95 < 500ms for marketing pages
- [ ] Error rate (5xx) < 0.1% of total requests
- [ ] No memory/CPU saturation during traffic spikes
- [ ] Deploy success rate tracked over time

## Output Format

When setting up tracking, provide:

1. **Tracking plan** spreadsheet/document
2. **Implementation spec** for developers
3. **GTM container** setup instructions
4. **QA checklist** with test cases
5. **Dashboard template** with key metrics
6. **Documentation** for team reference

## Related Skills

- `ab-test-setup` - For experiment tracking
- `page-cro` - For conversion optimization
- `seo-audit` - For organic tracking
- `deployment` - For deploy verification and infrastructure monitoring