GA New Asynchronous Tracking Code (Beta)

[engine]

GA New Asynchronous Tracking Code (Beta) [analytics.blogspot.com]

Google Analytics now provides a new Asynchronous Tracking Code snippet as an alternate way to track your website!

Think of the asynchronous tracking code snippet as a script that uses a "separate lane" to handle part of the processing of your webpage. As the number of cars (or in this case, scripts on your webpage) increases, the asynchronous tracker uses this lane to reduce webpage load time. Websites that use many scripts or rely on rich media content will especially benefit from this new method, but even lightweight sites will see improvements.

The new tracking snippet offers the following benefits:

Faster tracking code load times for your web pages due to improved browser execution

Enhanced data collection and accuracy

Elimination of tracking errors from dependencies when the JavaScript hasn't fully loaded

The asynchronous tracking code is now in Beta and available to all Google Analytics users.

[Receptional]

I haven't seen this, but I would assume this snippet needs to go right at the top of the page, so will, in itself, slow the page?

[Structuralist]

Receptional, you are correct, sir. They specify that it should be placed at the top of the page. Being a newbie, I don't understand the differences in the code. I understand that the page load does not hang up on the analytics tracking script, but I don't understand HOW. Any layman's explanations would be appreciated.

But I can't help but notice that this seems related to general overtures from Google towards a faster web, and ranking based on that. Take as another example, the new tools in WMT.