Feb
4
Written by:
host
04/02/2009 16:09
Google's latest changes is important to all website owners. This is connected to your web site statistics and finding information as to what key phrases people searched for and found your site.
If you are using Google Analytics (recommended) then you will not be affected. However, if you are using any other statistics package then beware.
So, what am I talking about? In your statistics package where you see how many visitors you have, and when you will also have a section that tells you what keywords people have put into Google who subsequently find your site. This is very useful information because as we know, understanding keywords that people actually use are central to your online success.
Google is currently testing a major update that will change the way in which it collects search data and the way it provides that data for non Google statistics packages. Which means it no longer provides this information. So if you are using AWStats or Clicky you will no longer receive the keyword data.
Apart from the technical implications, there are the moral ones as well. It is obvious that by doing this Google will force people to use Google Analytics and will severely impact their competition in this marketplace. Should Google be able to do this? Are they not abusing their dominant position? Are they now not any better than Microsoft?
What should you do to get effective Analytics?
We have always advocated that you put Google Analytics on your site - it is free and provides most web site owners with more data than they will ever need. So if you are not using Google Analytics - set up an account with Google now at http://www.google.com/analytics/ . You will need to put some code on your site so that Google can collect the data - your website person or company should be able to do that for you if you do not have control.
This way whatever Google do you know you will be getting all the data and let the moral arguments rumble on around you.
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