Google Analytics Goal Tracking Head Match w/ Query Strings

[Bevelwise]

Hello, I have what should be a simple question here but there is a small nuisance I am trying to make sure I have configured correctly.  We have a product based website w/ no e-commerce because they sell through a dealer network.  All these product pages have "Where to Buy" links and the URL after you click where to buy always uses the query string ?r=XXX.  Example:

www.mysite.com/product/category/subcategory/product-name?r=12345

I want to setup a goal in GA with a URL and configure head match on the "?r" but which of the following is exactly how it should be configured with the "Goal URL"

?r=

?r

r=

Does it matter, because I had it setup as "?r" and it was never registering any goals.  Do I need to leave off the "?" and just have it be r=

Thanks in advance for the respones.

[SeoSheikh]

If this is my url for a conversion - should my destination url in GA be : /thankyou/?membership=

http://www.yallarugby.com/thank-you/?membership=free&trans_num=mp-txn-58d7502facb6a#mepr_errors

Thanks

[Bevelwise]

John,

Thanks for the feedback.  I know understand my flaw with the head match and regular expression is the solution I need.  I was thinking of head match as more of a "phrase" match with PPC.

[john4math]

Since the category, subcategories, and product names will vary, you should do a regular expression match, not a head match.  Head match means it'll match everything from after the domain to a fixed point later.  It's usually used to ignore parameters at the end of a goal URL.

Do a regular expression match with a goal URL of  ?r= and you should be good to go.  The first backslash is there is to escape the "?", so it means a question mark instead of its special meaning in regular expressions.  This goal will match anything with a "?r=" in the URL.