46. Web Analytics Tools

In order to track your performance in search engines, you need some web analytics tools. SEO Specialist goes through what’s out there to choose from and why to choose a free web analytics tool to begin with.

Above: How do you track web analytics?

There are many web measuring tools to choose from. What to consider? SEO Specialist don’t take side or recommend any particular web analytics vendor and would suggest you first look into free web analytic solutions.

Often, a free web measurement program is more than enough. If not, you can analyse by carring out one of the more advanced web analytic tools that cost money later on, such as Coremetrics, Google Urchin, SiteCatalyst, Unica, WebJourney Analytics or Webtrends Analytics.

Why use a free web analytics tool?

It’s important to track website performance in order to improve and become better than your competitors. Often, you can find out lacking parts of your website and learn which keywords give the highest ROI. Without an appropriate program to measure web statistics, you leave your site’s destiny to random luck.

10 free web analytics tools

Below you’ll find a short description (and screenshots) of ten of the most popular free tools for web analytics out there.

1. Bing Webmaster Tools

Microsoft and Bing now offer insight to important search engine ranking data. Below are some of the many useful functions giving additional web analytic insight from Bing.

• Can set crawl rate on hourly basis.
• Get crawl error codes and find out possible reasons behind why pages don’t get indexed.
• It’s possible to submit XML sitemap for quicker inclusion (hopefully)
• Get statistics over CTR, impression, pages indexed and paged crawled.
• You can block URL’s and cache from appearing in Bing.
• Find information about inbound links to your site.
• Block or unblock indexed URLs from appearing in Bing’s search results.
• Submit URLs that are currently not in the Bing index (max 10 per day and 40 per month).
• Get the latest Bing traffic statistics and rank summary.

Why use Bing Webmaster Tools? With direct access to Bing’s search engine, it’s possible to request new pages to be added or removed. At the same time, you get detailed statistics.

Webpage: http://www.bing.com/webmaster/

2. Clicky

With Clicky, you get the basic measurements, such as visitors, actions, average actions per visit, time spent on site, average time per visit and bounce rate.

Why use clicky? Often referred to as the easiest web analytics tools out there. If you’re after a simple analytic tool without all the extras, this might be it.

Webpage: www.clickly.com

3. GoingUp

First class web site analytics with a wide range of tools included. It’s possible to easily track visitors, monitor conversion and sales while improving your SEO strategies. Aiming to give the full picture of your website from one tool, such as google web ranking, heat maps, inbound link monitoring and visitor statistics.

Why use GoingUp? Many web analytic tools in one package.

Webpage: www.goingup.com

4. Google Analytics

Google Analytics is a complete web analytic tool with lots of functions. Find out where visitors come from, which type of monitor size they have or their network properties. Analyse where web traffic came from, such as referring sites, search engines, direct traffic or paid search. Set-up goals and track conversions. Basically, the opportunities are there.

Why use Google Analytics? The most used web analytics tool today, with millions of users. This has everything normal websites need for tracking visitors and their behaviour.
Webpage: www.google.com/analytics

5. Google Webmaster Tools

Google was the first search engine to give access to important ranking data. Here are some of the many helpful tips you can get from one of Google’s most popular web analytics tools:

• Shows CTR, amount of clicks and average position for top search queries and top pages.
• Find which pages give inbound links to your site and which anchor texts are being used.
• Discover the most common keywords used today, when Google been crawling your site.
• Find the amount of internal links pointing within your site.
• Learn more about crawl errors, such as pages not found in sitemaps.
• Find crawl statistics and set a suggested crawl rate if desired.
• Discover duplicate issues with meta tags and titles and other technical issues.
• See how fast your site is with Google’s site performance statistics’.
• Submit and update your XML sitemap.
• If you have site links, it’s possible to remove URL’s of low importance.

Why use Google Webmaster Tools? With direct access to Google’s search engine, it’s possible to submit site maps and get detailed statistics over how users find your site.

Webpage: https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/

6. Piwik

A real time we web measurement tool to download providing detailed reports about website visitors, keywords used to find you, language settings, popular web pages on your site etc.

Why use Piwik? It’s quick to get started with Piwik, real time data and easy to find the most relevant metrics.

Webpage: http://piwik.org/

7. SiteMeter

SiteMeter is a free web analytics program giving detailed information about visitors and their behaviour on your site. Measure search words visitors enter from, locations, entry pages, exit pages and out clicks. Interesting traffic prediction for the coming days, weeks and month.

Why use Sitemeter? Give traffic predictions and detailed information about referrals (IP, page views, time on site etc.)

Webpage: http://www.sitemeter.com/

8. Statcounter

One of the oldest web analytic tools, yet a powerful program for some of the most essential web statistics. Statcounter is known to be reliable, fast and accurate. Get web statistics in real time, with data about entry pages, exit pages, where visitors come from, which IP address they come from, visitor paths and exit links.

Why use Statcounter? Free, yet detailed and powerful with real time statistics.

Webpage: http://statcounter.com/

9. Woopra

Monitor multiple websites with tabbed window feature. It’s possible to track visitors in real time, set-up custom events and visitor data with live maps. Advanced segmented analytics data and campaign tracking.

Why use Woopra? Very simply to loopup a group of visitors with filter combinations.

Webpage: http://www.woopra.com

10. Yahoo Web Analytics

Shortly after Yahoo aquired IndexTools, Yahoo Web Analytics became available for free to Yahoo advertising partners and small businesses using Yahoo! ecommerce solutions. Their software stands out with great insights into demographics and category interest of your website visitors. Yahoo Web Analytics support custom fields and it has capabilities of tracking age and gender of your target group. Their data is at the same time graphically attractive with great information and flexible export functions to create your own PDF reports. Data is delivered in real-time, with only minute’s delay, which can be very handy when tracking news and campaigns.

Why use Yahoo Web Analytics? Quicker reporting than most other free web tools and great tracking possibilities of gender and age. Also very good reporting functions.

Webpage: http://web.analytics.yahoo.com/