Page Grouping for Site Traffic Analysis Reports

Abstract

Website administrators can specify page groups and/or single pages as checkpoint nodes for site analysis reporting purposes, and can configure the system of the invention to provide information as to a particular visitation path through the checkpoints. Any group of pages can be designed as a single check-point node for website traffic analysis and reporting purposes. Page groups can be used in place of or in addition to individual web pages in any context where site traffic analysis is being presented or performed.

1 . A method for displaying a website traffic analysis report, comprising:
 receiving input specifying at least one page group, each page group comprising at least two pages;   generating a website traffic analysis report comprising at least one node representing a page group, wherein each node representing a page group indicates aggregate visitation statistics for the pages in the page group; and   displaying the generated website traffic analysis report.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein generating a website traffic analysis report comprises generating a report indicating a quantity of website visitors traversing a path from a first node to a second node, wherein at least one of the nodes comprises a page group. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein generating a website traffic analysis report comprises generating a report indicating a quantity of website visitors traversing a path from a page belonging to a page group represented by a first node to a page belonging to a page group represented by a second node. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving input representing a change to a page group;   changing the composition of the page group responsive to the received input.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving input specifying a name for a page group; and wherein   generating the website traffic analysis report comprises generating a report identifying the page group by the specified name.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the generated website traffic analysis report comprises at least one node representing a single page. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein receiving input specifying at least one page group comprises receiving input dragging a representation of a first page onto a representation of a second page to specify a page group comprising the first and second pages. 
     
     
         8 . A method for capturing and presenting node sequence data, wherein a plurality of nodes are designated as checkpoints and a plurality of nodes are not designated as checkpoints, the method comprising:
 receiving input designating a target path comprising a sequence of check-point nodes, wherein at least one of the checkpoint nodes represents a group of pages;   retrieving, from a stored log, a plurality of records comprising node sequence data;   filtering the retrieved records to identify records corresponding to node sequences that include:
 1) for each checkpoint node of the target path that represents a group of pages, at least one page of the group; and 
 2) for each checkpoint node of the target path that represents a single page, the page; 
   at least one of the identified records further including at least one node not designated as a checkpoint; and   outputting a report based on the identified records.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the node sequence data comprises website visitation path data. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising, prior to retrieving the plurality of records:
 monitoring web page visits; and   storing, in the log, records representing the monitored web page visits.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein outputting the report comprises out-putting a report indicating relative frequencies of occurrence of node sequences. 
     
     
         12 . A system for displaying a website traffic analysis report, comprising:
 an input device, for receiving input specifying at least one page group, each page group comprising at least two pages;   a path analysis module, coupled to the input device, for generating a web-site traffic analysis report comprising at least one node representing a page group, wherein each node representing a page group indicates aggregate visitation statistics for the pages in the page group; and   a display device, coupled to the path analysis module, for displaying the generated website traffic analysis report.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the site path analysis module generates a report indicating a quantity of website visitors traversing a path from a first node to a second node, wherein at least one of the nodes comprises a page group. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the site path analysis module generates a report indicating a quantity of website visitors traversing a path from a page belonging to a page group represented by a first node to a page belonging to a page group represented by a second node. 
     
     
         15 . A system for capturing and presenting node sequence data, wherein a plurality of nodes are designated as checkpoints and a plurality of nodes are not designated as checkpoints, the system comprising:
 a log, for storing a plurality of records comprising node sequence data;   an input device, for receiving input designating a target path comprising a sequence of checkpoint nodes, wherein at least one of the checkpoint nodes represents a group of pages;   a path analysis module, coupled to the log and to the input device, for retrieving records from the log and for filtering the retrieved records to identify records corresponding to node sequences that include:
 1) for each checkpoint node of the target path that represents a group of pages, at least one page of the group; and 
 2) for each checkpoint node of the target path that represents a single page, the page; 
   at least one of the identified records further including at least one node not designated as a checkpoint; and   an output device, coupled to the path analysis module, for outputting a report based on the identified records.   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the node sequence data comprises website visitation path data. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 a tracking server, coupled to the log, for monitoring web page visits and for transmitting a signal to the log to store records representing the monitored web page visits.   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the output device outputs a report indicating relative frequencies of occurrence of node sequences. 
     
     
         19 . A computer program product for displaying a website traffic analysis report, comprising:
 a computer-readable storage medium; and   computer program code, encoded on the medium, for:
 receiving input specifying at least one page group, each page group comprising at least two pages; 
 generating a website traffic analysis report comprising at least one node representing a page group, wherein each node representing a page group indicates aggregate visitation statistics for the pages in the page group; and 
 displaying the generated website traffic analysis report. 
   
     
     
         20 . The computer program product of  claim 19 , wherein the computer program code for generating a website traffic analysis report comprises computer program code for generating a report indicating a quantity of website visitors traversing a path from a first node to a second node, wherein at least one of the nodes comprises a page group. 
     
     
         21 . The computer program product of  claim 19 , wherein the computer program code for generating a website traffic analysis report comprises computer program code for generating a report indicating a quantity of website visitors traversing a path from a page belonging to a page group represented by a first node to a page belonging to a page group represented by a second node. 
     
     
         22 . The computer program product of  claim 19 , further comprising computer program code for:
 receiving input representing a change to a page group;   changing the composition of the page group responsive to the received input.   
     
     
         23 . The computer program product of  claim 19 , further comprising computer program code for:
 receiving input specifying a name for a page group; and wherein generating the website traffic analysis report comprises generating a report identifying the page group by the specified name.   
     
     
         24 . The computer program product of  claim 19 , wherein the generated website traffic analysis report comprises at least one node representing a single page. 
     
     
         25 . The computer program product of  claim 19 , wherein the computer program code for receiving input specifying at least one page group comprises computer program code for receiving input dragging a representation of a first page onto a representation of a second page to specify a page group comprising the first and second pages.