Capture Site Search Terms in X-Cart w/ Google Analytics

Tracking your internal site search engine is a great way to optimize your e-commerce store. The standard X-Cart reporting of site search does very little in helping you better analyze your visitor patterns. You can uncover more actionable data by including Site Search in your Google Analytics reports. For more help on actionable data checkout the Top 5 Actionable Analytics Reports For X-Cart post.

To accurately track internal site search for X-cart (using X-Cart’s standard search engine) you must follow two steps.

NOTE: If you are using Altered Carts Smart Search module you can skip to step 2.

Installation

1. First we must modify the code. Navigate to skin1/modules/Google_Analytics/ga_code.tpl and replace those contents with the following:

{if $main eq “search”}
<!– Start of GATC –>
<script type=”text/javascript”>
var gaJsHost = ((”https:” == document.location.protocol) ? “https://ssl.” : “http://www.”);
document.write(unescape(”%3Cscript src=’” + gaJsHost + “google-analytics.com/ga.js’ type=’text/javascript’%3E%3C/script%3E”));
</script>
<script type=”text/javascript”>
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker(”UA-XXXXXX-X“);
terms=’{$search_prefilled.substring|escape}’;
searchterms=terms.toLowerCase().replace(/\s/g,’+');
pageTracker._trackPageview(’/search?q=’+searchterms);
</script>
<!– End of GATC –>
{else}
<!– Start of GATC –>
<script type=”text/javascript”>
var gaJsHost = ((”https:” == document.location.protocol) ? “https://ssl.” : “http://www.”);
document.write(unescape(”%3Cscript src=’” + gaJsHost + “google-analytics.com/ga.js’ type=’text/javascript’%3E%3C/script%3E”));
</script>
<script type=”text/javascript”>
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker(”UA-XXXXXX-X“);
pageTracker._trackPageview();
</script>
<!– End of GATC –>
{/if}

Be sure to replace UA-XXXXXX-X with your actual Analytics account number.

Save the new file and upload it over the old (after backing up).

2. Now login to your Google Analytics account

• Click the ‘Edit’ link next to your profile
• On the next page in the first box click the upper right corner that says ‘Edit’

Adjust your Site Search settings so they match below

All set!

To view your new Site Search data navigate to Content->Site Search inside your profile