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All lessons in Digital and Web Analytics Lesson 7.3 of 32

Module 1: Introduction to Digital Analytics

  1. 1.1What is digital analytics?
  2. 1.2The four types of analytics
  3. 1.3Connecting analytics to business objectives and KPIs

Module 2: Analytics Data and Measurement Planning

  1. 2.1How to build a measurement plan
  2. 2.2Key metrics for each marketing channel
  3. 2.3Data sources, collection, and data quality
  4. 2.4Segmentation and personalization

Module 3: Web Analytics Fundamentals

  1. 3.1Users, sessions, page views, and events
  2. 3.2Traffic sources, channels, and UTM parameters
  3. 3.3Landing pages and user behavior
  4. 3.4Engagement metrics and conversion metrics
  5. 3.5Reading reports, trends, and anomalies

Module 4: Analytics Tools and Platforms

  1. 4.1Google Analytics 4 fundamentals
  2. 4.2Google Search Console performance data
  3. 4.3Adobe Analytics overview
  4. 4.4Tag management and tracking implementation
  5. 4.5Connecting tools and choosing the right stack

Module 5: Conversion Funnels and Optimization

  1. 5.1What is a conversion?
  2. 5.2Conversion funnels and drop-off points
  3. 5.3How to calculate conversion rate
  4. 5.4Prioritizing conversion improvements
  5. 5.5Introduction to A/B testing

Module 6: Digital Marketing Performance Analysis

  1. 6.1Measuring SEO and paid advertising performance
  2. 6.2Social, content, and landing page performance
  3. 6.3Comparing acquisition channels
  4. 6.4Evaluating campaigns and avoiding vanity metrics

Module 7: Reporting, Visualization, and Insights

  1. 7.1Building a marketing performance report
  2. 7.2Data visualization and dashboards
  3. 7.3Comparing periods and benchmarking
  4. 7.4Turning data into actionable recommendations

Module 8: Analytics Projects and Practical Assessment

  1. 8.1Analytics case study: Isla Coffee Co.
  2. 8.2Final assessment: digital analytics case study

Comparing periods and benchmarking

Your roadmap for this lesson

  • MoM, YoY, and target comparisons
  • The percentage change formula
  • Internal, competitor, and industry benchmarks

Short answer

Compare periods three ways: month over month for short-term direction, year over year to remove seasonality, and against target to check the plan. Percentage change is current minus previous, divided by previous, times 100. Report both the number and the percentage. Use benchmarks, especially your own history, to ask better questions.

Three comparisons

  • Month over month (MoM): short-term direction, but affected by seasonality.
  • Year over year (YoY): same period last year; removes most seasonal effects.
  • Against target: shows whether the plan is on track.

Percentage change

Change = (Current − Previous) ÷ Previous × 100

Conversions rose from 400 to 460, a 15% increase. Report the number and the percentage: a 100% jump from 2 to 4 means little.

Benchmarks

  • Internal: your own historical averages. Most reliable.
  • Competitive: estimates from tools such as Semrush or Similarweb. Directional only.
  • Industry: published averages by sector. Useful context, but businesses vary.

Use benchmarks to ask questions, not to pass final judgment.

Quick quiz

1. Leads went from 250 to 200. Percentage change?
2. Which benchmark is most reliable?

Your action

Key terms

MoM
Month over month comparison.
YoY
Year over year comparison.
Percentage change
(Current minus previous) ÷ previous × 100.
Internal benchmark
Your own historical average.

Questions beginners ask

Why is YoY better than MoM?

YoY compares the same season, so holidays and paydays do not distort it.

Are industry benchmarks reliable?

Only as rough context. Businesses vary widely.

Related lessons

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