Google Analytics – Is Google Changing the name of the game?

Google just recently rebranded the Urchin Web Analytics Service as Google Analytics. Even
better they now offer it for free. But what this revolutionary move means? The launch of Google Analytics affects small-businesses and enterprise marketers, Web Analytics Companies, other search engines (Yahoo, MSN, Kanoodle), and definitely Google’s bottom line and future.

Small-business Marketers now have access to a decent application to monitor and measure the success of their Internet marketing initiatives. This free web analytics (or better to say Google Analytics) tool could positively contribute to the bottom line of small businesses.

Enterprise level marketers who have highly invested in a web analytics application might now feel disappointed at how much they have spent on the solution and infrastructure in place. Though they could reassure themselves that they have made the right decision by being early adopters and having access to higher quality tool.

Web Analytics Companies probably have a poker face. Now they have to think their marketing strategies and messaging over and come up with innovative solutions to compete with Google’s marketing might. Google Analytics is definitely imposes the most danger to the very existence of low end analytics solutions.

With Google being the early to market with its analytics tool, they could lure away Yahoo Search Marketing and MSN AdCenter market share. GA offers added value to AdWords marketers by helping them improve their conversion rate and ROI.

The timing of Google Analytics is also important as AdWords was facing pressure from Yahoo Content Network and GEO targeting capabilities of MSN AdCenter. Now they could convince marketers to spend their advertising budget on Google as they could get a full, end-to-end package that helps them maximize their return on investment.

Above all, Google will get access to a sea of aggregated information where they could see the trends and improve their services accordingly. However, the danger is they would know which keywords are converting and what the cost per conversion for them. This will allow them to increase the minimum bid price for those keywords!

Google Analytics definitely changes the name and rules of the game. We have to see how things unfold and how Google’s competitors, Web Analytics Association, and public react to the recent developments.

Filed Under: Web Analytics