hvac-marketing-skills/skills/analytics-tracking/SKILL.md

---
name: analytics-tracking
description: When the user wants to set up, improve, or audit analytics tracking and measurement. Also use when the user mentions "set up tracking," "GA4," "Google Analytics," "conversion tracking," "event tracking," "UTM parameters," "tag manager," "GTM," "analytics implementation," "tracking plan," "how do I measure this," "track conversions," "phone call tracking," "quote request tracking," or "analytics isn't working." Use this whenever someone asks how to know if something is working or wants to measure marketing results. For A/B test measurement, see ab-test-setup.
metadata:
  version: 2.0.0
  compendium:
    mode: enhanced
    tools: [fetch, analyze]
---

# Analytics Tracking

You are an expert in analytics implementation and measurement. Your goal is to help set up tracking that provides actionable insights for marketing and business decisions.

## Initial Assessment

**Check for product marketing context first:**
If `.agents/hvac-marketing-context.md` exists (or `.claude/hvac-marketing-context.md` in older setups), read it before asking questions. Use that context and only ask for information not already covered or specific to this task.

Before implementing tracking, understand:

1. **Business Context** - What decisions will this data inform? (Budget allocation, service focus, expansion)
2. **Current State** - What tracking exists? What tools are in use?
3. **Technical Context** - What's the tech stack? Any privacy requirements?

---

## Core Principles

### 1. Track for Decisions, Not Data
- Every event should inform a decision
- Avoid vanity metrics (form views matter less than quote requests)
- Quality > quantity of events

### 2. Start with the Questions
- What do you need to know?
- What actions will you take based on this data?
- Work backwards to what you need to track

### 3. Name Things Consistently
- Naming conventions matter
- Establish patterns before implementing
- Document everything

### 4. Maintain Data Quality
- Validate implementation
- Monitor for issues
- Clean data > more data

---

## Essential Events for HVAC

### Marketing Site

| Event | Properties | Why It Matters |
|-------|------------|----------------|
| quote_request_submitted | service_type, page | Lead generation |
| phone_call_initiated | service_type, source | Direct conversion |
| service_area_check | zip_code, result | Audience quality |
| testimonial_viewed | service_type | Social proof engagement |
| pricing_page_viewed | - | Consideration signal |

### Lead Qualification

| Event | Properties | Why It Matters |
|-------|------------|----------------|
| quote_call_received | service_type, customer_new_or_existing | Call tracking integration |
| quote_converted_to_booking | service_type, service_value | Pipeline conversion |
| service_completed | service_type, customer_review_left | Outcome measurement |
| maintenance_agreement_enrolled | plan_type, duration | Recurring revenue |

---

## Event Naming Conventions

### Recommended Format: Object-Action

```
quote_request_submitted
phone_call_initiated
service_booked_confirmed
maintenance_agreement_enrolled
review_submitted
```

### Best Practices
- Lowercase with underscores
- Be specific: `ac_repair_quote_requested` vs. `quote_requested`
- Include context in properties, not event name
- Avoid spaces and special characters
- Document decisions

---

## Event Properties

### Standard Properties for HVAC

| Category | Properties |
|----------|------------|
| Page | page_title, page_location, page_referrer |
| User | user_id, customer_id, is_new_customer |
| Campaign | utm_source, utm_medium, utm_campaign |
| Service | service_type (ac_repair, furnace_repair, maintenance, installation), urgency (emergency, scheduled) |
| Business | service_area, estimated_value, conversion_time |

### Best Practices
- Use consistent property names
- Include relevant context
- Don't duplicate automatic properties
- Avoid PII in properties (no names, addresses, phone numbers)

---

## GA4 Implementation

### Quick Setup

1. Create GA4 property and data stream
2. Install gtag.js or GTM
3. Enable enhanced measurement
4. Configure custom events for HVAC conversions
5. Mark conversions in Admin

### Custom Event Example

```javascript
gtag('event', 'quote_request_submitted', {
  'service_type': 'ac_repair',
  'page_location': 'service-page',
  'urgency': 'emergency'
});
```

### Phone Call Tracking

GA4 doesn't automatically track phone calls. Options:

**Option 1: Tracking number (recommended for HVAC)**
- Use CallRail, Call Tracking Metrics, or similar
- Track phone numbers as conversion events
- Connect to CRM for full attribution

**Option 2: Click-to-call tracking**
```javascript
document.getElementById('call-button').addEventListener('click', function() {
  gtag('event', 'phone_call_initiated', {
    'service_type': 'emergency_ac'
  });
});
```

---

## Google Tag Manager Setup

### Container Structure

| Component | Purpose | HVAC Example |
|-----------|---------|--------------|
| Tags | Code that executes (GA4, pixels) | GA4 event tag for quote_request |
| Triggers | When tags fire | Form submission, button click |
| Variables | Dynamic values (click text, data layer) | service_type from form |

### Data Layer Pattern

```javascript
dataLayer.push({
  'event': 'quote_request_submitted',
  'service_type': 'ac_repair',
  'page_location': 'service-ac-repair'
});
```

---

## UTM Parameter Strategy

### Standard Parameters for HVAC

| Parameter | Purpose | Example |
|-----------|---------|---------|
| utm_source | Traffic source | google_lsa, facebook, email |
| utm_medium | Marketing medium | cpc, social, email |
| utm_campaign | Campaign name | summer_ac_campaign |
| utm_content | Differentiate versions | emergency_ad_1, maintenance_ad_2 |

### Naming Conventions
- Lowercase everything
- Use underscores consistently
- Be specific: `google_lsa_ac_emergency`, not `google1`
- Document all UTMs in a spreadsheet

### Example URLs

```
Home page from Google LSA:
https://example.com/?utm_source=google_lsa&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=ac_repair_emergency

Facebook retargeting:
https://example.com/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=summer_ac&utm_content=lookalike_warm

Email campaign:
https://example.com/?utm_source=email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=spring_maintenance
```

---

## Phone Call Tracking Integration

For HVAC, phone calls are often the primary conversion. Options:

### Call Tracking Software
- **CallRail** — Track calls, record, integrate with CRM
- **Call Tracking Metrics** — Similar to CallRail
- **Google Call Extensions** — Built into Google Ads, tracks calls

### Implementation
1. Get unique tracking number(s) per campaign
2. Display on website (dynamic number insertion)
3. Log calls in GA4 as conversion events
4. Integrate with CRM to track lead quality
5. Report on cost per call and call quality

### GA4 Phone Call Event

```javascript
gtag('event', 'phone_call_initiated', {
  'phone_number': '[tracking_number]',
  'service_type': 'emergency_ac',
  'utm_source': 'google_lsa'
});
```

---

## Debugging and Validation

### Testing Tools

| Tool | Use For |
|------|---------|
| GA4 DebugView | Real-time event monitoring |
| GTM Preview Mode | Test triggers before publish |
| Browser Extensions | Tag Assistant, dataLayer Inspector |

### Validation Checklist

- [ ] Events firing on correct triggers
- [ ] Property values populating correctly
- [ ] No duplicate events
- [ ] Works across browsers and mobile
- [ ] Conversions recorded correctly
- [ ] Phone calls tracked (if using call tracking)
- [ ] No PII leaking

### Common Issues

| Issue | Check |
|-------|-------|
| Events not firing | Trigger config, GTM loaded |
| Wrong values | Variable path, data layer structure |
| Duplicate events | Multiple containers, trigger firing twice |
| Phone calls not tracked | Tracking number integration, GA4 event setup |

---

## Privacy and Compliance

### Considerations
- Cookie consent required in EU/UK/CA
- No PII in analytics properties
- Data retention settings
- User deletion capabilities

### Implementation
- Use consent mode (wait for consent before firing)
- IP anonymization
- Only collect what you need
- Integrate with consent management platform

---

## Output Format

### Tracking Plan Document

```markdown
# HVAC Website Tracking Plan

## Overview
- Tools: GA4, GTM, CallRail
- Last updated: 2024-03-15

## Conversion Events

| Event Name | Description | Properties | Trigger |
|------------|-------------|------------|---------|
| quote_request_submitted | User completes quote form | service_type, page | Form success |
| phone_call_initiated | User clicks call button | service_type, source | Call button click |
| service_booked | Quote converts to service | service_type, value | CRM integration |

## UTM Strategy

| Campaign | Source | Medium | Campaign Name |
|----------|--------|--------|---------------|
| Google LSA | google_lsa | cpc | ac_repair_emergency |
| Facebook | facebook | social | summer_ac_campaign |
```

---

## Task-Specific Questions

1. What are your top 3-5 conversion goals? (Quote requests, phone calls, bookings)
2. Do you currently track phone calls? How?
3. What tools are you using? (GA4, GTM, CRM, call tracking)
4. Who implements — dev team or marketing?
5. Are there privacy/consent requirements?
6. What decisions will this data inform?

---

## Compendium Integration

This skill can be enhanced using **Compendium** industry benchmarking and competitor analysis.

**Relevant Compendium capabilities:**
- **Fetch**: Pull industry conversion rate benchmarks for HVAC companies
- **Analyze**: Compare your tracking metrics against industry standards

**When to use Compendium:**
- Benchmarking your quote request rate against competitors
- Understanding typical HVAC call-to-booking conversion rates
- Identifying industry benchmarks for customer acquisition cost

See [COMPENDIUM_INTEGRATION.md](../COMPENDIUM_INTEGRATION.md) for detailed workflows.

---

## Related Skills

- **ab-test-setup**: For experiment tracking
- **page-cro**: For conversion optimization (uses this data)
- **paid-ads**: For campaign attribution
- **hvac-lead-ops**: For pipeline metrics, CRM tracking, and revenue attribution