Google Analytics is removing our ad tracking query and the last word of the URL, then adds "none" and splits analytics into two pages

Question

We've been experiencing this problem with Google Analytics and our URL ad tracking query strings for about a year and a half now, spanning approximately 40 different URLs and query strings which all did this.

When we look up the pages in Google Analytics, a couple of problems are occurring:

1. The URL is split up and tracking as 2 different pages and the analytics are split between them. (more on this in the example and screenshot)
2. The new (2nd) page that is created within the analytics, has the ad tracking query and the last item of the URL deleted and replaced with the word "none".
   • If the URL ends with a word, it removes the word and the tracking query.
   • If the URL ends with "index", it removes "index" and the tracking query.
   • If the URL ends with a "/", it removes the / and the tracking query.
   • and replaces them with "none"

Example:

• This is the original URL and tracking query: /ucm/lp/FY18/search/cas/index?from=UG-F18-Search

• In Google analytics it gets divided into 2 pages:

  1. /ucm/lp/FY18/search/cas/index?from=UG-F18-Search
  2. and the new /ucm/lp/FY18/search/cas/none.
     • (Note how the query and the word "index" are removed and replaced with "none".)

• The way the analytics get split up between the pages is interesting:

  • On the first URL, (the real page), the average time on page is 00:00:04, and for the second URL it's 00:01:03.

  • Entrances on the first = 7,888. Entrances on the second = 147

  • Exits on first = 26.43%. Exits on second = 87.15%

Seemingly what's happening is the user will land on the original page, /ucm/lp/FY18/search/cas/index?from=UG-F18-Search, and it starts to record the analytics, but, then something happens and it loads /ucm/lp/FY18/search/cas/none where the analytics will finish recording.

In addition, our 404 page gets a hit during this process too because /ucm/lp/FY18/search/cas/none isn't actually a real page. I don't have proof of the 404 issue right now, but that's what I'm told. I thought it was worth mentioning just it case it helps, but take it for what it is.

From our testing, we're pretty confident that the user has a seamless experience, and this is fully a "just-in-the-analytics" problem. The main reason this is a problem for us is because we can't accurately, or easily, tell which of our ads and venders are performing the best.

Please let me know if I can explain this better or provide more examples or screenshots. Thank you!

Answer 1

GA is splitting' the page because you're sending it 2 hits:

You can easily verify it in the Network tab of Chrome developer tools or by using the Tag Assistant browser extension.

I'd try commenting out the two remarketing tags and check the tracking, or migrating all these tags to Google Tag Manager.