Free Google Web Analytics Service will Optimize Advertising Budgets

Google announced on Monday that the Google Analytics service will be free of charge.  Google Analytics sprung from their purchase of analytics company Urchin back in March.  Urchin helped companies develop internet advertising campaigns using analytical techniques by determining what their customers are looking for.  

By determining what keywords attract the most visitors, a company can tailor-make their email or web based advertising campaigns more effective.  Companies have paid money to various companies for this analytical service in the past.  Now Google is integrating their Google Analytics with Google AdWords, Google’s advertiser interface. 

Users that advertise with Google can log into their Google account and access a new interface.  Google analytics will automatically tag keyword destination URLs and import cost data for ROI (return on investment) reports. Users can also track the results of their online marketing campaigns including referral links, email newsletters, banner ads and organic and paid searches.

This will save advertisers a bundle while making their campaigns more effective.  Urchin was selling their analytics service for $495 per month.  After Google purchased Urchin they lowered the cost to $199 per month.  Now that the tool is free and integrated into their interface, Google has a huge advantage over their close competitors Yahoo and MSN. 

According to Google the Google Analytics “works with any online ad network.  “Much like it did with web search – Google is making web analytics simpler and more accessible for millions of sites on the web,” said Jeff Saville, marketing manager at Deckers Outdoor Corp. (Teva, Ugg, Simple Shoes). “With the new features, and the fact it is free, Google Analytics will give us a much clearer view of how we’re serving our customers, and the information we need to make it better.”

By Dan Wilson
Best Syndication Staff Writer

  Internet Advertising

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