Q: When the same default tracking code is installed on pages with different domains, what will result?
A) Analytics will not associate users and sessions with any domain
B) Analytics will associate users and sessions with a single domain
C) Analytics will send an alert about duplicate data collection
D) Analytics will associate users and sessions with their respective domains
Correct Answer is D) Analytics will associate users and sessions with their respective domains.
When the Same Default Tracking Code is Installed on Pages with Different Domains, What Will Result?
Explanation:
In the world of digital marketing and web analytics, tracking codes are an essential tool to measure website traffic, visitor behavior, and other valuable metrics. These codes, also known as tracking pixels, are small snippets of code that are embedded in the website’s HTML code to track user activity. However, what happens when the same default tracking code is installed on pages with different domains? Let’s explore this scenario in more detail.
What is a Default Tracking Code?
A default tracking code is a piece of code that is provided by an analytics tool, such as Google Analytics, to track website visitor behavior. This code is installed on each page of the website and collects information about the visitor, such as their location, device type, and browsing behavior.
What are Different Domains?
In the context of website tracking, a domain refers to the web address of the website. For example, the domain for Google is “google.com,” and the domain for Facebook is “facebook.com.” A website can have multiple domains if it has multiple subdomains or if it has purchased additional domains.
Multiple Domains with the Same Tracking Code
If a website has multiple domains that are all part of the same website, such as subdomains or microsites, it is acceptable to use the same default tracking code on each of these domains. This is because all of these domains are part of the same website and are therefore part of the same tracking data.
However, if a website has multiple domains that are not part of the same website, such as separate landing pages for different marketing campaigns, it is not advisable to use the same default tracking code on each of these domains. This is because each domain is unique and has its own tracking data, so combining the data from different domains can lead to inaccurate reporting.
Cross-Domain Tracking
If a website has multiple domains that are not part of the same website, but the website owner wants to track user behavior across these domains, cross-domain tracking is required. Cross-domain tracking is a feature provided by most analytics tools that allows the tracking code to follow the user as they navigate between different domains.
To implement cross-domain tracking, the website owner must modify the tracking code to include additional code that specifies which domains should be tracked together. This can be done by adding the cross-domain tracking code to the default tracking code or by creating a separate tracking code specifically for cross-domain tracking.
Google Analytics and Cross-Domain Tracking
Google Analytics is one of the most widely used web analytics tools, and it provides robust support for cross-domain tracking. To set up cross-domain tracking in Google Analytics, the website owner must add the following code to the default tracking code:
ga(‘create’, ‘UA-XXXXXXX-Y’, ‘auto’, {‘allowLinker’: true}); ga(‘require’, ‘linker’); ga(‘linker:autoLink’, [‘example-2.com’] );
The ‘UA-XXXXXXX-Y’ parameter should be replaced with the website’s Google Analytics tracking ID, and ‘example-2.com’ should be replaced with the domain(s) that should be tracked together.
Once the cross-domain tracking code has been added to the default tracking code, Google Analytics will be able to track user behavior across all of the specified domains, providing a comprehensive view of website visitor behavior.
Conclusion
In conclusion, installing the same default tracking code on pages with different domains can lead to inaccurate reporting and should be avoided. However, cross-domain tracking provides a solution for tracking user behavior across multiple domains, and can be implemented using the appropriate code modifications. By using cross-domain tracking, website owners can gain valuable insights into their website visitor behavior and optimize their website accordingly.
Read more here: https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/6205202