Google Analytics is set!
Posted on | December 15, 2008 | Comments Off
So thanks to a plugin called the Google Analyticator (Thanks Ronald!) I have Google Analytics installed and I’ve generated my first benchmark report. The results? No one’s visiting yet. But once they do, I will know.
So what exactly is Google Analytics and why is it so important to every site? It’s tracking code based on cookies that’s stored through the browsers. It loads fast and only generates anonymous information, but it’s very helpful to people running adwords campaigns, e-commerce operations, or are just interested in seeing how many people are coming in and where they go. G/A can track roughly about 30,000 data points and they are adding new features all the time.
What makes G/A better than services such as Omniture and Webtrends? The obvious answer is that it’s free, and the better answer is that Google is offering it mainly as a tool set for companies and people running PPC campaigns, which is where Google mainly supports itself. Advertisers find the information essential in deciding how to spend their budget, and this can help them budget their ad spending to get the best results.
Since Google offers the toolkit for free, it has designated certain partners as Google Analytics Authorized Consultants, who will gladly help with implementation, customization and analyzing the data, at a cost to you. Consultants that are also SEO firms can be especially helpful in using Analytics to recommend changes to the website and ongoing marketing campaigns. That list of companies can be found on the Google Analytics Authorized Consultants Page.
For those of us who enjoy the DIY approach, Google offers extensive help in the form of an online help center and forums for when you think you can stump somebody. If you start poking around behind the classic blank Google home page, you’ll find that they’ve offered several learning centers and tool for free to anyone who wants to be more web saavy, or even pick up a new skill.
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