Hey Reader!

This is the last edition of The Huddle until January, so I wanted to take a moment to look back at what resonated most with you this year.

First, thank you. When I started this newsletter, I had a modest list of subscribers that grew slowly. But something happened this year and now the list is four times the size that it was in January. I'm genuinely grateful that you've chosen to spend a few minutes with me every couple of weeks. It means a lot to know that what I'm sharing is useful to you.

Looking at what you clicked on most this year, a clear pattern emerged. Here are your top five resources:

1. ​Kyle Rushton McGregor's pre-built GA4 reports — Ready-made GA4 reports you can copy directly to your own properties, no building from scratch required.
2. ​Brodie Clark's analysis of ranking tool changes — This piece revealed how Google's changes exposed just how much bot traffic was inflating our Google Search Console impressions. A real wake-up call about data quality.
3. ​My webinar on uncovering AI insights in GA4 — How to track and analyze AI-powered visits that are already hitting your site but staying invisible in standard reports.
4. ​My guide on fixing GA4's "Unassigned" traffic — How to rename and reorganize that frustrating Unassigned channel so your reports actually make sense.
5. ​Timo de Chau on metric trees — A framework for understanding how your metrics relate to each other, rather than treating them as isolated numbers.

The theme across all of these? Practical resources that help you actually use your data instead of just collecting it. You want tools and frameworks that cut through complexity and make analytics less frustrating. I hear you, and I'll keep that front of mind as I plan content for 2026.

Have a restful holiday season, and I'll see you in January!

Dana DiTomaso Founder ​dana@kpplaybook.com​

Thinking About a Career in Analytics?

Jaime Rowe, our newest Digital Marketing Analyst at Kick Point, wrote about her journey transitioning into the analytics field. If you're considering a career change or know someone who is, her story offers an honest look at what it takes to make the shift and why it's worth it.

​Read Jaime's story →​

I first read Amplitude's North Star Playbook in 2023 and I keep coming back to it again and again. It walks through how to identify a single metric that captures the value your product delivers, plus the inputs that actually drive it. What I appreciate most is that it goes beyond "here's what a North Star metric is" and into "here's how you actually figure out yours and get your team aligned around it."

If you've ever been in a meeting where different teams are talking past each other about what success looks like, this is a great place to start.

Stop Saying "Cookieless"

This piece from 33 Sticks has been living rent-free in my head since I first read it. The core argument is that "cookieless" as a term is ambiguous at best and misleading at worst because it conflates a dozen different issues (third-party cookie blocking, consent requirements, ITP, server-side tagging) into one buzzword.

What I love about this piece is how honest it is. The phrase "cookieless future" has been used to sell everything from server-side tagging (which doesn't solve consent issues) to identity resolution (which may actually be a step backward for privacy). If you're tired of vague industry rhetoric, this is the reality check you need.

Sales Pitch by April Dunford

I read Sales Pitch on a flight from Vancouver to Toronto and took more notes than I have for any book in recent memory. April breaks down how to craft a narrative that helps customers understand why your solution is different, not just that it exists.

The insight that sticks with me is that customers aren't asking "Why should I pick you?" They're asking "Why should I pick you over all the alternatives, including doing nothing?" That reframe will change how you position your work. I do sales but would never call myself a salesperson, and this framework for explaining differentiated value is incredibly useful for selling without feeling like you're selling.

Speaking at LocalU Global

I'm excited to share that I'll be speaking at LocalU Global on January 28, 2026. It's a fully online conference focused on local SEO, and you'll get on-demand access for 12 months after the event. If you work with local businesses or multi-location clients, this is well worth the ticket price.

That's it for this edition of The Huddle. As always, if you have questions or want to share what you're working on, just hit reply!

Want more? You got it!