google analytics vs. statcounter results

klphoto

Does anyone know why the stats from google analytics are so different from the statcounter stats???

I just don't know which stats to trust... does anyone else get similar results?

Example: Feb 27

Google Analytic Unique Visitors: 33
StatCounter Unique Visitors: 296

Why are the stats so different and which is more accurate? Thanks for the help!!!

-Kyle

ivar

klphoto wrote:

Does anyone know why the stats from google analytics are so different from the statcounter stats???

I just don't know which stats to trust... does anyone else get similar results?

Example: Feb 27

Google Analytic Unique Visitors: 33
StatCounter Unique Visitors: 296

Why are the stats so different and which is more accurate? Thanks for the help!!!

-Kyle

They both say "unique visitors" That is kinda weird, I have to admit.

I've checked both my Statcounter and GA results, and they seem to match up. GA has a few (1 - 3 or so) less visitors as it seems to be smarter as to recognizing the same visitor. Other than that, no big differences.

Can you get a list of all the visitors from those days and compare them?

jfriend

klphoto wrote:

Does anyone know why the stats from google analytics are so different from the statcounter stats???

I just don't know which stats to trust... does anyone else get similar results?

Example: Feb 27

Google Analytic Unique Visitors: 33
StatCounter Unique Visitors: 296

Why are the stats so different and which is more accurate? Thanks for the help!!!

-Kyle

Unique visitors are usually measured by dropping a cookie onto the user's computer so they can identify subsequent visits by the same person via the cookie. All it would take is one user who blocks cookies from StatCounter and doesn't block them from Google to make a big difference between the two. Each hit from a user who was blocking cookies on a service would look like a unique visitor. If a user blocks Javascript, that could also affect the info gathering. If it's occasionally different, then it's probably something like this. If there's always a huge difference, then there could be something wrong with the way one is installed.

klphoto

Yea I have had them both installed for about a year now and they have always been very different results. Maybe I will try reinstalling to see if that changes anything.

klphoto

Ok so I got the code off statcounter again and it was different than what i had, so maybe that will make a difference.

Also, if you haven't seen...google analytics has updated the code that you insert into your pages and I think the new code can be added to the footer javascript(once you take out the script tags) rather than the footer section.