App Scripts for SEO

In marketing, automation is the holy grail. However, with so many automation options available, it can be difficult for marketers to know where to begin.

App scripts, a JavaScript-based set of instructions similar to JSON in data, are one place where marketers can experiment. Apps scripts are most commonly associated with digital advertising, therefore you can guess which platforms utilize them: Bing and Google.

Google Apps Scripts allow marketers to automate data flow between Google properties, allowing them to save time. Apps Script was first introduced by Google in 2009, and since then, developers have produced a variety of scripts. While marketers will require a basic understanding of JavaScript, modifying a script to link to specific Google properties features is not as difficult as an app or website development. There are some scripts that link to Google Sheets, but there are others as well. There is a script for the Google Analytics Management API and Report API, for example. You can use these APIs to generate reports based on a subset of metrics, which are subsequently saved in a Google Sheet.

An Introduction to Google Apps Script Editor 

Go to the Google Apps Scripts Editor, an integrated development environment, to create a Google Apps Script (IDE). IDEs serve as a sandbox, a dedicated area where you can simply make changes and experiment with functionality. This arrangement has become popular thanks to online programming editors like CodePen.

You’ll be working with JavaScript functions when writing your script. Developers usually create the code, such as defining variables, but in this case, you’ll be given a template to edit based on the features you wish to automate.

To begin, log in to your Google Account. This will ensure that the account is recognised by the script editor. Open the script editor in your browser (script.google.com) and then click “View Dashboard.” Click the “New Project” button in the top left corner of the screen. Once you’ve done that, you’ll be directed to the editor. On the editor screen, you can rename and save the project.

Controls are available in the Google Apps Script editor to help in script creation. Along with the primary editor, there are three user interface menus. A column menu for accessing IDE features is one of the menus on the left side of the screen. You may see an overview of your saved project script, set up alerts using triggers, and connect to other services with extensions.

What is an API?

The term “API” stands for “Application Program Interface,” and it refers to web URLs that can be used to retrieve raw data. In a nutshell, an API is an interface that allows the public to access raw data (although many require some form of authentication).

We can access an organization’s API as third-party software developers and use their data in our own applications.

When data is piped between applications, tech corporations utilize them. They can also create sophisticated systems out of a collection of smaller microservices connected via APIs rather than a single monolithic software.

Getting Started with Apps Scripts and the Different Types of Script Files

The main editor will take up nearly the entire screen. This is where the script will be written. The editor includes a generic function script by default, but you can delete it and replace it with the code template you want to use.

A menu with buttons for testing your template is located above the editor. You may test it out and debug it. There’s a button for deploying your script, whether you’re beginning from scratch or replacing an existing one. You might also use an execution log at the bottom of the screen to test certain functions and find issues.

The editor can also generate standalone scripts that aren’t linked to a Google platform. Marketers can use these scripts as a web app, which is useful if your script is going to be linked to another platform.

You use services when you wish to include data from other apps. The API connections to other Google platforms are known as services. You can choose the analytics API here, but there are further options for Big Query, Google Calendar, Google Docs, and Google AdSense. Before using these services in a Google applications script, the API for these services must be enabled. Google Analytics metrics are covered as a variable. For example, you can utilise the GA: visits setting to leverage the Google Analytics visitor metric within a variable.

Libraries are also available. Libraries are extensions that work in a similar way as R packages. Existing Google Apps Scripts are collected in libraries so that they can be reused in fresh script development. Marketers can use the script ID to search the libraries and find specific content.

Finally, a file menu is included in the left column menu for saving various types of scripts. There are three different formats to pick from. The most common is a JavaScript file format. Your template can also be saved as a library or a service. As a result, you’ll be able to make unique templates for certain applications.

How to Make the Most of Google Apps Scripts

Google Apps Scripts can integrate with user data, other Google systems, and external systems via over 30 built-in services. It’s a good idea to read the documentation connected with an API to understand what parameters are being pulled if you want to be creative with your automation goals. You should also look over the developer instructions for Apps Script to get some ideas for what you might want to report in your Google script.

When performing a code review on the automation that supports your campaigns, adding Google Apps Scripts can be a great opportunity for you to begin with. Determine whether the code is appropriate for your needs. Are the APIs you’re using safe? Is the data that the APIs offer validated? By asking questions like these, you can ensure that the data you’re ingesting isn’t avoiding any data compliance issues or accumulating excessive technical debt.

Overall, Google Apps Scripts provides an excellent entry point for marketers to manage automation without having extensive development knowledge. It’s a good approach for marketers to learn JavaScript by looking at it from the perspective of a Google Apps Script.

Credits – 

• Get Started with Google App Scripts.