Why are similar goals reporting identical completion numbers?

Question

I have two goals in Google Analytics. Each use a custom template and are type destination. Each have a required funnel. One has a longer funnel.

Goal 1

• Destination
  • http://www.example.com/form/thank-you.html
• Step 1
  • http://www.example.com/form/

Goal 2

• Destination
  • http://www.example.com/form/thank-you.html
• Step 1
  • http://www.example.com/
• Step 2
  • http://www.example.com/form/

Each report the identical completions. However, in the Funnel Visualization, the longer funnel shows fewer, as expected completions. The completion numbers in both funnels are completely different than in the Overview.

Why is this? I know that the completions as listed in the Funnel Visualization is accurate. Why can't this data, a single number, be surface to a Dashboard Widget?

Answer 1

As Eike have mentioned this is caused by the fact that Goal Steps and Required first step apply only to the funnel visualization. The Goal Completion metric you find everywhere else is based solely on the number of sessions that reached your destination configured on the goal. If the destination is the same the completion will be the same for both your goals.

There's also this article I recommend that compares Goal Funnels to Goal Flow. Though not exactly what you are asking it does a good job explaining some of the details on how Funnels work.

https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/2976313?hl=en