Do you use Google Analytics?

...just feel uncomfortable letting google knowing everything on my site

[tahiti]

My question is direct, do you use Google Analytics? the data provided is very valuable (site overlay features for example) but i feel uncomfortable to use them, am i being paranoid?

In reality, would it be google ALREADY knew everything they want to know about a website, regardless if the website uses analytics or not?

[Frequent]

Yes you are being paranoid. BUT... just because you are paranoid doesn't mean they aren't out to get you.

Yes, you are giving Google a LOT of data about your site in exchange for a great "free" service.

I use it for all my sites with no regrets. It's worth the price I pay.

Freq---

[shogun_ro]

Google knows everything about our sites.
It's better to use Google Analytics if you are AdSense publisher.

[indias next no1]

whether google analytics is available to all? and what's the benefits of using it? reply

[jetteroheller]

When You use AdSense, Google knows about Your site as much as when You use Google Analytics.

Analytics gives You only the chance to know something, what Google already knows.

[tahiti]

First off, thanks for all the response.

Being paranoid on this issue, i NEVER use adsense before on my major websites. in fact i never try adsense seriously before.

"Analytics gives You only the chance to know something, what Google already knows." ...indeed. i guess google knew it all either way.

[shogun_ro]

When You use AdSense, Google knows about Your site as much as when You use Google Analytics.

I forgot to mention that is better for us to use Analytics in case we don't use Adsense on every page.

[SEOPTI]

Yes, you should be uncomfortable letting them know everything. There are zillions of free counters out there.

[tahiti]

I forgot to mention that is better for us to use Analytics in case we don't use Adsense on every page.

Why?

Yes, you should be uncomfortable letting them know everything. There are zillions of free counters out there.

Zillions of other "not so useful" counters? no thanks.

Just another question here.. will using Google Analytics affect my Google ranking?

[BigDave]

Yes, analytics will tell them things that they did not already know about your site. It will tell them:

- how much traffic you get from other search engines and on what search terms.

- How much direct traffic you get, and from where.

- How sticky your site is

- what countries your site appeals most to

- how well your ecommerce site converts to sales

What pieces of this information Google actually uses is unknown, but probably not a lot of it at this point.

If your site doesn't perform well in some of these categories, especially an ecommerce site that doesn't convert, you might not want analytics on it. If it does perform well, Google might consider it to be a higher quality site.

For most things I prefer running awstats on my logs, but analytics does provide just enough additional information that I keep it on some sites.

[Nick0r]

If your site is a forum, with a lot of stickyness and high viewing times. Do you think analytics could be of benifit to you?

[tahiti]

BigDave, thanks for the reply.

- How sticky your site is

The point is clear, no google analytics for affiliate/adsense/adbrite (or any site that earn money via sending traffics away) oriented website.

[BigDave]

Even though there is a fair amount of information that Google *could* use, I am fairly certain that it would have a negligible impact on actual rankings at this point.

It is far more likely that it would be used for modeling and QA than working it into the algo.

[koan]

The same question was asked to Matt Cutts about Google SiteMaps once and he said Google didn't spy on people with it because they wanted them to use it. I think you're paranoid. Unless they're really after you.

[Optimus]

On your question of whether Analytics affects ranking: Possibly yes. Since placing it on one of our sites, position for primary search terms has dropped from top 5 to between 11 and 15. Coincidence? Perhaps. But since no major changes took place on the site after implementing the urchin tracker, I am starting to suspect a connection with serps, and am considering removing the Analytics code. Their script for the urchin tracker is also causing some problems on the site in certain browsers.

[followgreg]

It will be difficult to determine if it really affects rankings but when cross referencing their patents and what GG analytics does, I'd think that they cetainly intend to mine the data and use it for ranking purpose ...somehow.

I really like GG but there is no way they will receive such data about me, my sites, my visitors from me.

[justageek]

Rankings is really not the issue to be concerned about. It is the ROAS data that is important. As a general rule I would never use analytics software from someone I am also spending money with. So, if you spend money on AdWords then you probably do not want to use Google to track any information that could be used against you in an AdWords camapign. For example, if Google can see you making a 1000% ROAS on a campaign then your AdWords bids could go up and you may still be happy paying a little more and getting a 800% ROAS. Use an unbiased solution IMHO.

JAG