Google announced Universal Analytics to help marketers make more informed decisions related to their web campaigns.

On its Analytics blog, Google announced a new Universal Analytics capability that enables enterprise marketers and webmasters to customize metrics and integrate their cross-channel marketing data into the platform. According to the announcement, demand for more robust analysis of devices used to access a site and the rise of the multichannel conversion funnel inspired Universal Analytics’ development.

Using a new API from Google, marketers can set up Analytics to incorporate their relevant datasets into their dashboards . As such, companies can view detailed metrics based on consumer behavior on specific devices and various channels. Moreover, Mobile App Analytics is now integrated into Universal Analytics to help admins assess performance.

The feature is being tested for Premium customers, but the new metrics remind marketers to think holistically about their campaign analysis. “[Integrated] measurement can help you deliver the best service, products, and experiences for your customers,” Google says.

Syncing data from different devices and web channels will help companies make more informed decisions in relation to consumers paths through a site. Traffic from social media marketing campaigns, for example, often results in leads and conversions.

It’s important for marketers to understand their goals when launching any web marketing strategy. Whether it’s SEO, content marketing or PPC, identifying objectives is essential to measuring progress and making adjustments as needed. Earlier this year, Brafton highlighted a case study from Google that found one company increased paid search conversions by 37 percent after applying conclusions drawn from Analytics data.

Joe Meloni is Brafton's former Executive News and Content Writer. He studied journalism at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and has written for a number of print and web-based publications.