title: Explaining Google Analytics async tracker
body: <p>I have a as to how google's async analytics tracker works.  The following code is used to init a command array:</p>
  
  <pre><code>&lt;script type="text/javascript"&gt;
    var _gaq = _gaq || [];
    _gaq.push(
      ['_setAccount', 'UA-xxxxxxxx-x'],
      ['_trackPageview']
    );
  &lt;/script&gt;
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>Now, this is a standard array that gets replaced once the GA's code is loaded and is used as a sort of queue that stores your clicks.</p>
  
  <p>My confusion lies in wondering how these clicks could possibly be persisted if a user clicks a link that causes a reload (prior to the GA javascript being loaded).  If the GA code hasn't captured that push on the the _gaq object, then the user clicks a link and goes to a new page, this array is just re initialized each time no?  </p>
  
  <p>Isn't it true that a javascript variable will not persist across requests that cause a refresh?  If this is the case, haven't we then lost that original click that caused the page reload?</p>
  
  <p>Any explanation is greatly appreciated.</p>