Mikko Piippo https://www.mikkopiippo.com/ Digital Analytics in the Real World Tue, 28 Apr 2026 12:12:07 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 How to use document language as a custom dimension in GA4 https://www.mikkopiippo.com/how-to-use-document-language-as-a-content-grouping-in-google-analytics/ Tue, 28 Apr 2026 12:12:07 +0000 https://www.mikkopiippo.com/?p=442 Very often, I use content language as a custom dimension in GA4 and other digital analytics tools. It is very easy to do as long as your HTML code defines the language correctly. Understanding how users interact with different language versions of your site is still one of the most practical analyses you can do. This […]

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]]> Should you use Matomo Tag Manager or Google Tag Manager (GTM) with Matomo Analytics? https://www.mikkopiippo.com/should-you-use-matomo-tag-manager-or-google-tag-manager-gtm-with-matomo-analytics/ Tue, 28 Apr 2026 08:16:31 +0000 https://www.mikkopiippo.com/?p=1059 Matomo Tag Manager is an open-source tag management tool which can also be self-hosted. But should you still prefer GTM to it?

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]]> Server-side tracking and server-side tag management: why they do not automatically improve data or privacy https://www.mikkopiippo.com/server-side-tracking-and-server-side-tag-management-why-they-do-not-automatically-improve-data-or-privacy/ Mon, 27 Apr 2026 14:08:17 +0000 https://www.mikkopiippo.com/?p=1950 Server-side tracking and tag management provide a solid technical foundation for analytics, but they are not a silver bullet.

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]]> 350 tags in Google Tag Manager: A symptom of poor tag management design https://www.mikkopiippo.com/350-tags-in-google-tag-manager-a-symptom-of-poor-tag-management-design/ Wed, 01 Apr 2026 09:35:40 +0000 https://www.mikkopiippo.com/?p=1838 Tag management is about building a system that works. It should be simple enough to understand, strong enough to trust, scalable enough to grow, and maintainable enough to change.

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]]> GA4 / Google Analytics 4 certification study guide (2026) https://www.mikkopiippo.com/free-study-material-for-new-google-analytics-users/ Mon, 16 Mar 2026 14:28:02 +0000 https://www.mikkopiippo.com/?p=176 Are you new to GA4 or Google Analytics in general? Do you want to pass the Google Analytics certification? There is a lot of free study material available. With the right resources and some hands-on practice, you can learn the basics of Google Analytics 4 surprisingly quickly. GA4 is not always easy for beginners. The […]

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]]> Matomo’s goals and conversion tracking explained: support better decisions https://www.mikkopiippo.com/matomo-goal-tracking-explained-support-better-decisions/ Wed, 11 Mar 2026 14:17:33 +0000 https://www.mikkopiippo.com/?p=1752 Goal tracking helps translate user behaviour into outcomes that matter for the organisation.

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]]> Matomo event tracking explained: how Matomo events work https://www.mikkopiippo.com/matomo-event-tracking-explained-how-matomo-events-work/ Sun, 08 Mar 2026 09:46:37 +0000 https://www.mikkopiippo.com/?p=1737 Matomo Analytics can track much more than page views. With Matomo event tracking, you can measure how users interact with elements on your website. Examples of such interactions include submitting a contact form, watching an embedded YouTube video, using an interactive tool such as a loan calculator, clicking buttons or navigation links, and downloading documents. These […]

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]]> 10 common ways your digital analytics implementation leaks personal data https://www.mikkopiippo.com/10-common-ways-your-digital-analytics-implementation-leaks-personal-data/ Tue, 24 Feb 2026 09:32:32 +0000 https://www.mikkopiippo.com/?p=1689 In most organisations, data leakage in analytics is not deliberate. It results from default configurations, unreviewed website design decisions, and overly broad tag management setups.

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]]> Piwik PRO vs. Matomo – what do I really think? https://www.mikkopiippo.com/piwik-pro-vs-matomo-what-do-i-really-think/ Fri, 06 Feb 2026 18:06:32 +0000 https://www.mikkopiippo.com/?p=1603 The comparison between Piwik PRO and Matomo is often framed as a choice between open source and proprietary. That framing is misleading.

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]]> Matomo Analytics event tracking: how to migrate from GA4 https://www.mikkopiippo.com/event-tracking-in-matomo-analytics-how-to-migrate-from-ga4/ Thu, 29 Jan 2026 14:53:50 +0000 https://www.mikkopiippo.com/?p=1574 GA4 and Matomo are built on different assumptions about what an event is, what it should represent, and how meaning is created in analytics data.

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