Goal tracking in Google Analytics

[Resultify]

Hi folks

I read from various sources that if you setup goals in Google Analytics each of these goals can only be fulfilled once per visit. Also some sources suggesting that only one goal from each goal group can be fulfilled per visit.

On our site we have a goal for external links since this provides value to partners. Some users do open an external link in a new tab, then come back to the main site. Any further goal completions would then not get tracked. Since we apply a result based payment model for our work this means we are literally loosing money.

Anyone has official info from Google on this? Can it be configured? How long is a visit?

Thanks a million and have a great day.

Fredrik

[Resultify]

We are actually using events as the basis for the goals. But we use the calcuations for conversions and conversion value as basis for many reports so its important that this value is correct. True, we can count the events, that is actually what we do now, manually in excel.

[mikecp]

For something that repeats like that, I would instead use events, anyway. You'll be guaranteed that it's tracked.

Have you considered events? Would that work for you?

[nmiller]

Hi Fredrik,

It seems I misinterpreted your original question, to be asking about completing multiple different goals per session. Now I understand your really interested about completing the same goal (External Link) multiple times per session.

Unfortunately i don't know of any articles/sources about this being possible.

[Resultify]

Have you by any chance seen any articles or outher sources with info about it being possible?

There are quite a few articles stating the opposite. Like this one:

• Each conversion goal can only be triggered once per user session.  It makes sense, since you don’t want one person to skew your conversion data by reaching a single goal multiple times in a visit.  If you need to know the exact count, then use event tracking.

http://www.searchenginejournal.com/a-beginners-guide-to-conversion-goals-in-google-analytics/42558/

Thanks for the great input and giving us a chance of hope

Fredrik

[nmiller]

Users only being able to fulfill one goal per visit is incorrect. Not only would it be unintuitive if Google set Goal Tracking up this way, it wouldn't be a very helpful feature if it did work this way.

A goal is triggered every time a goal URL is reached. A common case we see on our site would be a user fulfilling the "Signup" goal, and then proceeding to fulfill the "Contact Us", "Purchase", or "Review" goals. We track these goal URL's via the Google Analytics JavaScript API.

If this is a behavior you are seeing on your site, it could indicate that you have set something up improperly.

**Edit: Fredrik is asking about completing the same goal multiple times per session. This answer was assuming he was asking about completing different goals multiple times per session.