These are pair tags that can be inserted in tracking code for the purpose of adjusting and customizing your Google Analytics tracking.

They make it possible for you to define extra segments to apply to your users other than those provided by default by Google Analytics. By using custom variables you can store various values such as text or numbers to be used later in a script or document.

To get more insights on Google Analytics, check our Google Analytics guide.

Before we explain how to use them, we need to understand the interaction model used in Google Analytics. In this model, visitors engage with your site in 3 levels of hierarchy.

• Visitor—the characteristics of the visitor to the site, such as the browser or mobile phone operated by a person.
• Session—the period of time during which the visitor is active on the site.
• Page—activity of the user on the site, a pageview, or an event

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Using custom variables

• Emailed customer service – sometimes, contacting customer service on blogs is a good thing. Tracking customer service can allow you to see the differences between users who contacted customer service and those who did not.
• Track member type – you can track if you have different support levels or if you have a free service level vs. a paid one. You are also able to record the member type of a visitor (such as gold, silver or platinum etc.) and logged in vs. not logged in users.
• Track whether they’re a lead or not – if a prospect fills out a contact form you can assume they are a viable lead and track them. This way, you will be able to tell who came back and watch their behavior. You can also get to know how the behavior of leads differs on your site.

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