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Thread: Google Analytics

  1. #1
    Chronic Entrepreneur
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    Google Analytics

    Has anyone seen Google's newest offering yet? Apparently Google is now offering the use of their web-based website traffic tracking system FREE: http://www.google.com/analytics/ From the looks of it, they've taken the technology from the Urchin web analytics company that they recently purchased , and are now letting people use a version of it free of charge.

    I can't decide if this is awesome or scary. On one hand, who wouldn't like a free fully featured traffic tracking system that doesn't use any of your own server resources? On the other hand, do we really want Google having full access to all the traffic info for our sites? What's to stop them from using that info to launch competing services?

    In particular, the geotracking feature looks really cool to me. This is a feature that I haven't been able to find in other tracking software without shelling out big bucks.

    I'm tempted to use it, but still on the fence. What does everyone else think of this?

  2. #2
    Chronic Entrepreneur
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    I just found the FAQ. It has some interesting info:

    Quote Originally Posted by Google Analytics FAQ
    Google Analytics is the latest version of Urchin On Demand, and features several changes. First, Google Analytics has been integrated with AdWords so that advertisers may access web analytics reports from the AdWords user interface. Google Analytics is also now hosted and managed using Google infrastructure and resources for scalability, privacy, and reliability. Additionally, the reporting interface has been redesigned for ease of use, and pageview limits have been removed.

    Perhaps best of all, Google Analytics is free! We will no longer charge Urchin On Demand users for access, and we will not be charging new users for their use of Google Analytics.

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  4. #4
    Chronic Entrepreneur
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    Yeah, I'm experiencing the same thing. If they can't even handle the amount of people signing up how are they going to handle logging every page of every website that those people own?

  5. #5
    Website Developer
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    I'm signing up right now, really slow here too. Shame on Google, of all people they should never have slow servers (to go completely off topic, I remember once, about 7 years ago an online service I used was mentioned on the radio, and I waited nearly 40 minutes before the login page loaded.)

    I just made a post about this on my blog. Here is a question I raised.. who says that Google isn't already tracking this stuff with through the Adsense code?

    One other observation, when I used to use Urchin, the stats log took up tons of space. There is no way Google will be deleting this valuable data, so hopefully we will still be able to access it years from now.
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  6. #6
    Chronic Entrepreneur
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    I finally fought my way through the signup process. It looks VERY useful. I think I may just bite the bullet and set it up on CMG. As Cutter says, Google could (and probably is) track all of this through the Adsense javascript.

    I also noticed during the signup process that they limit your use of the service to 5 million pageviews per month unless you have an active Adwords account, then you can track unlimited pageviews.

    I guess this means that you could get the service for $5 per month with unlimited pageviews simply by spending $5 per month on Adwords whether you needed it or not?

  7. #7
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    Yeah, I was just reading Matt Cutt's blog and he said you are limited to 5 mil if you don't have an Adwords account, but there is no minimum spend, so basically its free. Truth be told, the stats of all the websites pulling in over 5 million pageviews a month is worth money.

    I've set up the tracking code on one of my biggest sites now. It says 12 hours before I get any data.
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  8. #8
    Chronic Entrepreneur
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    Yeah, mine too. The help docs (the ones that aren't missing from the site, wtf google!) say that it can take UP TO 12 hours, but usually updates every hour.

    I've been looking through the currently blank reports and there's some good stuff in there. It looks like it really is the full-blown Urchin on Demand system with Adwords data integrated into the conversion tracking system.
    Last edited by Westech; 11-14-2005 at 04:15 PM.

  9. #9
    Gimme Fries with that!
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    interesting im gonna tinker with it on a new site of mine.

  10. #10
    Future AstonMartin driver r2d2's Avatar
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    I think I will give it a try.

    I agree though - the amount of info that Google is now collecting is quite daunting.

    Edit: Also, do you think it could affect page load performance with the extra JS file?
    Last edited by r2d2; 11-14-2005 at 05:00 PM.

  11. #11
    Registered Member moonshield's Avatar
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    it's snappy for me. Awesome software. I'm excited to see what it all looks like once everything is set up.

  12. #12
    Administrator Chris's Avatar
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    do they offer good referral reporting? when I've used urchin before it wasn't so robust, top 20 and all that.
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  13. #13
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    The 'in writing', or even needing to notify them at all, is silly.
    15. TERM and TERMINATION . Either party to the Agreement may terminate it at any time and for any reason.

    Upon any termination or expiration of this Agreement... You will delete all copies of Google Analytics's UTM code from all Pages and certify thereto in writing to Google within three (3) business days of such termination.

  14. #14
    Registered Member moonshield's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Chris
    do they offer good referral reporting? when I've used urchin before it wasn't so robust, top 20 and all that.

    I don't know. Its a bit better than Webalizer and Awstats though.

  15. #15
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    Oh great, more stats to keep me from doing what I should be doing.

    At least with my current AWStats setup it only updates once a day, so that is all I check it.

    Might give it a go on one of my new sites though just to see what I'm missing.

    John

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