Google Analytics is a powerful tool that tracks and analyzes website traffic for informed marketing decisions.
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_gid
ID used to identify users for 24 hours after last activity
24 hours
_gat
Used to monitor number of Google Analytics server requests when using Google Tag Manager
1 minute
_ga
ID used to identify users
2 years
_gali
Used by Google Analytics to determine which links on a page are being clicked
30 seconds
_ga_
ID used to identify users
2 years
__utmv
Contains custom information set by the web developer via the _setCustomVar method in Google Analytics. This cookie is updated every time new data is sent to the Google Analytics server.
2 years after last activity
__utmx
Used to determine whether a user is included in an A / B or Multivariate test.
18 months
__utmc
Used only with old Urchin versions of Google Analytics and not with GA.js. Was used to distinguish between new sessions and visits at the end of a session.
End of session (browser)
__utmz
Contains information about the traffic source or campaign that directed user to the website. The cookie is set when the GA.js javascript is loaded and updated when data is sent to the Google Anaytics server
6 months after last activity
__utma
ID used to identify users and sessions
2 years after last activity
__utmt
Used to monitor number of Google Analytics server requests
10 minutes
__utmb
Used to distinguish new sessions and visits. This cookie is set when the GA.js javascript library is loaded and there is no existing __utmb cookie. The cookie is updated every time data is sent to the Google Analytics server.
30 minutes after last activity
_gac_
Contains information related to marketing campaigns of the user. These are shared with Google AdWords / Google Ads when the Google Ads and Google Analytics accounts are linked together.
90 days
9 comments
You should definitely check out The Research Bunker! We’re a small market research firm near Syracuse, NY and we post once or twice a week on our blog, The Research Bunker, about trending topics, industry specific news, and case studies highlighting findings from our projects.
thank you for showcasing on such an useful blog, the list is very useful, thank you
Thank you author for coming up with this great list of the best market research blog. Enjoyed going through each of them.
A great list of blogs! Unfortunately I don’t think Instant.ly’s blog has had a single post since being acquired by SSI. It’s a shame, as it was one of my favourites.
I’m a little late to the discussion, but here at GutCheck we put a lot of effort into creating quality content for market researchers. We would love to be considered for a list such as this. Thanks for putting it together it is always valuable to see the great market research sources that are out there.
Nicole
Mobile research company Field Agent has a really nice blog I noticed.
At qSample we post weekly on market research topics relating to retail, health, pets, politics and beyond. We are an on-line sample provider in Chicago with general and specialty panels of respondents. Check out or blog and newsletter!
You should think of including the industry research update feed: https://digitgaps.com/market-research-blog/feed
For 2017, the Maru/Matchbox blog is one to check out. It has a mix of vertical specific research and different methodology approaches.