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Top Nonprofit Websites, Game of Thrones Data Viz and Get Your Google Analytics Questions Answered

Is Your Website Cool?
TopNonProfits.com studied nonprofit websites, picked out the top trends and highlighted some of their favorite sites.  So what are the top trends? Long scrolls, mobile responsiveness and limited navigation options. Check out their favorite sites here.

Hey Google, What’s Up?
Ever wanted to ask Google Analytics a question, rather than dig through the data? If so, your dream has come true. Google is launching yet another new product called Ask Analytics Intelligence. Here’s the press release from Google and the explanation from TechCrunch. And here’s to hoping this does not put your friendly neighborhood web analyst out a job!

Your Weekly Dose of SEO
I’ve heard SEO called “black magic voodoo” so many times. But it’s about more than attracting clicks to your site; it’s about giving your search users a good experience. Here’s some solid, data-driven advice on SEO best practices. SEO Sherpa highlights their 16 favorite SEO experiments and results. Then, Search Engine Journal tells you to stop messing with spammy inbound links.

You Say Potato, I Say Instant Articles
This newsletter has covered Google’s newish AMP articles (the fast-loading, stripped down webpages designed especially for mobile users) before. Never one to be left out, Facebook is arguing that it’s fast-loading, mobile-friendly Instant Articles are better. Here are the stats on that.

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Ad-Blocking Browser, Behind the Scenes of a Click Farm & Free Tickets

The Ad-Blocking Browser
Apple’s noticed that no one likes to be stalked (by ads, that is). So the new version of Safari puts an end (for now) to tracking users’ browsing behavior in order to them serve them ads. The new technology has both alarmed the ad industry and been called a victory for privacy. More details in Tech Crunch and technical info here.

Can Data and Creativity be Friends?
If you feel that data-mania is ruining your creativity, you aren’t alone. Communications and marketing teams complain that nerdy number-crunching is sucking all the emotion and fun out of designing campaigns. But it doesn’t have to be this way, Ad Age argues.

A New Look for Your Facebook Page
Facebook’s rolling out something new. (Surprise, surprise). Nonprofit pages are getting a new template option. Details here. And Facebook is expanding video cover images.

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Measuring Video, Ads That Spy on Your Photos & Why Facebook Data Doesn’t Match Google Analytics

What’s New This Week?

A Top Client Question Answered
Does your Google Analytics and Facebook data not match? It never does!Thank you Business 2 Community for this clear, in depth explanation of all the reasons why that happens.

Got Website Redesign Drama?
If you are working on a website redesign, chances are you also find yourself immersed in arguments about what content to cut, what to overhaul and where to focus funds. Here’s Bee Measure’s new webinar on how data can inform those decisions and win stakeholders’ support.

And You Thought They Weren’t Watching
If you read this newsletter, you know that advertisers can target based your social media clicks, likes, profile information etc. But even I was surprised to hear that a new technology is making it possible to target users by the content of their Instagram and Facebook photos. A new campaign by Under Armor targets people who post shots of themselves in running gear. Details in Fast Company. [Read more…]

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Dashboard Burnout, Fixing Bad Surveys and Facebook’s Latest Ad Problem

What’s New This Week?

Google Analytics Gets a Facelift, Part II
An update to the old adage: nothing in life is certain but death, taxes and Google constantly changing its products. On that note, here’s more about the looming changes to GA’s interface. I can’t weigh in on the update because it hasn’t rolled out to my account yet. (Hey, Google are you listening?)

So Tired of Dashboards
If you are feeling overwhelmed by dashboards, (Lots of numbers! Lots of charts!) you aren’t alone. This article contains good points to consider when building your next dashboard. Pro tip: answer the business question and don’t add unnecessary complexity.

Facebook’s Teen Problem
It’s the latest in a long line of Facebook ad PR disasters. This week, media reported on a leaked presentation from Facebook, which described the social platform’s ability to target vulnerable teens. By monitoring posts and photos, Facebook can determine when young people feel “stressed,” “defeated,”  “overwhelmed,” “anxious” and other great feelings.

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Why Fewer People See Your Facebook Posts and What Teens Find Cool

What’s New This Week?

Must Be the Algorithm
The Chicago Tribune chronicled the decline… of their Facebook post reach. This detailed case study (so many charts!) portrays a conundrum faced by many publishers: their content isn’t being surfaced by Facebook’s algorithm. (And we learn that Facebook formally recommends “24 to 48 posts per day.”)

#Resistance’s Data Love Affair
This newsletter has talked a lot about the role of data in political campaigns. And, yes, this is yet another article on the topic. But this Wired piece feels empowering, making the claim that data is the solution to finally understanding our elections process. Or as the article puts it: “Donors have no way of knowing whether it’s polls, personality, or backdoor politicking leading the party to back one candidate over another… founders want to bring transparency to the process.”

Big News for Google Analytics Nerds
I have been working in Google Analytics for a long time, so this is a big one. GA is getting a new homepage dashboard and will no longer open to the “Audience Overview” report. Bounce rate is gone! Here’s the update with screen shots.

And on a Lighter Note
I have to love any article that complains “the nerds have taken over marketing.” This Forbes fluff piece cracked me up, even though it contains zero actual information.

And in other links….
An adult coloring book features climate change data. (Color in maps of land loss and graphs of rising temperatures.)  Google asks 10K people to contribute their health data, so they can calculate “normal” human health. And finally, the “mother of all ad blockers” is coming for us.

Advice of the Week

#StopMakingEverythingaHashtag
Social media agency Scribble Social gives their hashtag pet peevesand how to correct them. Tip #1: The point of hashtags is to help your content get discovered.

Cool Visualization of the Week

Kids These Days
What do teens think is cool? Well, Google found out for us. (Thanks, Google!) And the answers are: YouTube, Oreos and reading. And the least cool? Wall Street Journal, Sprint and Yahoo!