Comparing correlations and subrelations in Adobe Analytics (Omniture-Site Catalyst)

Adobe Analytics offers two types of data relationships: traffic correlations and conversion subrelations. Both options enable you to combine values in a single variable so that different combinations can be reported by other metrics.

Correlations:

Correlation Reports are particularly useful for understanding the relationships between two or more Traffic Custom Insight variables, or other system variables. It is report that breaks down one Traffic Variable by another Traffic Variable.

For example, let’s say that you have passed a Page Name value on each page to the Page Name Traffic Variable.  By default, Adobe Analytics captures the visitor’s Browser Height in a standard Traffic Variable.  Therefore, you can easily see the Browser Height for each Page Name by enabling a Traffic Data Correlation between these two Traffic Variables.

a) Correlations come in three sizes (2, 5, and 20), based on the number of items that are correlated together at the same time.

b) Page views is the only metric available in a correlated report.

c) In order for correlations to work, the two traffic variables must occur on the same image request.

d) It is possible to create two correlations that overlap eachother, and only one table at a time is used in reporting.

Subrelations:

Subrelations are different from data correlations because the related variables are not set on the same page, as with data correlations. It grants the ability to break down conversion variables by another.

For example, let’s say you capture the current visitor’s City in one Conversion Variable, their Age in another and also have a Subscriptions Success Event. You can use the City Conversion Variable to see Subscriptions broken down by City and the Age Conversion Variable to see Subscriptions broken down by Age.

An example of a subrelation is the relationship between Campaigns (which is captured on the initial page in the site) and Products, which are viewed and purchased later in a visit.

a) Subrelations are based on basic or full subrelations, where a specific set of breakdowns are enabled for each. Custom subrelations are also available that can be enabled for all eVars with basic subrelations.

b) All conversion events are available in subrelated reports, as well as Visits and Visitors if its subrelation setting is enabled.

c) In order for subrelations to work, the breakdown variable and conversion event can fire in any subsequent image request prior to its expiration.

d) It is not possible to create overlapping subrelations or data table conflicts with eVars.

Adobe Analytics has three different levels of subrelations. The three levels are defined as full subrelations, basic subrelations, and no subrelations.

Full Subrelations – Conversion Variable can be broken down by all other Conversion Variables

Basic Subrelations – Conversion Variable can be broken down by any other Conversion Variable that has Full Subrelations

No Subrelations – Conversion Variable cannot be broken down by any other Conversion Variable (rarely used)