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How to Create a Custom Advanced Segment in Google Analytics

I put this together for a SwellPath client the other day, so I thought I would share it here, since it is a bit too 101 for the SwellPath blog.

Overview of Advanced Segments in GA

By default Google provides several advanced segments that you can use out-of-the-box. If you look into the upper right corner when you are viewing reports, you’ll see the Advanced Segments link and dropdown option. If you open it, you’ll see the option to check a variety of segments in the Default Segments section, ranging form Paid Search Traffic, to visits from iPhones. You can check up to 3 at a time, to evaluate next to the All Visits segment. If you want to compare 2 or more segments, All Visits can’t be unchecked. If you just want to view a single segment in isolation, you can uncheck the All Visits option. Play around with these a bit, and navigate the reporting with various segments checked. It will give you an idea of how this works, and some insight into how the data can be much different for certain segments.

Creating a Custom Segment

Once you’ve had some time to get accustomed to using advanced segments, you should walk through creating one. An easy “beginner” segment is one created to view only visitor in a specific geographic area. Let’s say North America. Here are the steps to create it.

1. Click the Advanced Segments dropdown, and look for the link on the left side that says “Create a new advanced segment”.

2. The creation interface is drag-n-drop. You have the ability to choose between dimensions and metrics for segmentation. For this segment, you’ll go into Dimensions > Visitor and choose Sub-Continent Region, and drag it over to the creation interface. Choose “Matches exactly” for the condition, and then chose Northern America for the value.

3. Name your segment something appropriate like “North American Visitors” and click the Create Segment button. You should be taken back into the reporting.

4. Dropdown the Advanced Segments, check your new segment, it will be in the Custom Segments section. Then peruse your reporting and look at them metrics of your North American visitors compared to your visitors as a whole.

Viewing Custom Advanced Segment Data

Now viewing these segments might not be that meaningful to you; you might want to go create a segment for your European visitors and compare that to your North American visitors. But just follow these steps. As far as I know there isn’t a limit to the number of custom segments you can have, at least I haven’t hit that limit. Custom segments are now organized at the profile and user level, so you will only see your own segments in your account, and those segments will be profile specific. You can hide certain segments from profiles. You can share segments with other users by sending them a link; it is accessible from the custom segment management interface.

Tags: custom segments, Google Analytics, segmentation, web analytics