Google Analytics Async Event Tracking

Question

Hi,

Wonder if somebody is able to clarify the following;

Using the aysnc google analytics code placed in the head of the document as follows

var _gaq = _gaq || [];
  _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-123456-1']);
  _gaq.push(['_setDomainName', '.somedomain.co.uk']);
  _gaq.push(['_trackPageview', pageUrl]);

  (function() {
    var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true;
    ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js';
    var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s);
  })();

On some the pages I am tracking I also use custom events to track video plays and which forms are used. These events use a further _gaq.push() call at various points on the page.

My question is should the final section of the initial analytics code (the section that calls ga.js be split and placed at the end of the page code or will any calls made once the script has loaded still be passed to Analytics regardless of the position on the page.

Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

No, the final section of the initial analytics code need not be placed lower down. You can call as many _gaq.push() calls as you like throughout the page, they'll still successfully pass to analytics.

The _gaq.push() event calls will send new requests to Google Analytics in addition to the first one you make (_trackPageview). You can check those event calls my inspecting how many requests your page makes for _utm.gif in a tool like Firebug.