Google Analytics

mbrady · November 14, 2005

Looks like Google just released a new free tool called Google Analytics. Looks like it could be an interesting alternative to the popular StatCounter service that many use for tracking visitor traffic. I just signed up and added the script to my site, but the reports aren't quite real-time so I'm not yet sure how it'll all work out. I'm leaving my StatCounter script on there too so I can do some comparisons.

(A quick disclaimed - I don't work for Google or StatCounter)

bwg · November 14, 2005

i just added it to mine too, but i dont think that google counted on being slashdotted as they are going back and forth between being very slow and being in "maintenance" mode.

the power of slashdot strikes again.

mbrady wrote:

Looks like Google just released a new free tool called Google Analytics. Looks like it could be an interesting alternative to the popular StatCounter service that many use for tracking visitor traffic. I just signed up and added the script to my site, but the reports aren't quite real-time so I'm not yet sure how it'll all work out. I'm leaving my StatCounter script on there too so I can do some comparisons.

(A quick disclaimed - I don't work for Google or StatCounter)

mbrady · November 14, 2005

Just thought that I'd add that it works the same way as StatCounter (you add a special Javascript block to your page), so it still won't be able to track things that link directly to an image URL. Only the Smugmug servers would be able to provide that sort of information.

Andy · November 14, 2005

Please please please put the code in the right place:

In your header or footer of your co-branding.

Thanks guys

Richard · November 14, 2005

mbrady wrote:

Looks like Google just released a new free tool called Google Analytics.

Anybody have a link to the download page? Yeah, I tried Googling for it, but I didn't see it.

Thanks.

Andy · November 14, 2005

rsinmadrid wrote:

Anybody have a link to the download page? Yeah, I tried Googling for it, but I didn't see it.

Thanks.

Google Analytics

Richard · November 14, 2005

andy wrote:

Google Analytics

I think you just broke the record for quick customer service. Way to go, Andy.

clap

Mike Lane · November 14, 2005

andy wrote:

Please please please put the code in the right place:

In your header or footer of your co-branding.

Thanks guys

Thanks Andy!

Mike Lane · November 14, 2005

I for one welcome our new internet overlords.

jfriend · November 14, 2005

WAIT until they get more stable

andy wrote:

Google Analytics

If you are thinking about signing up for this, you should probably WAIT a bit. Unlike a typical Google launch, they seem to be having major problems today. Perhaps they are getting swamped by the new demand. It does look like a useful service and I will probably replace my statcounter with them if it works well when things settle down (right now I have both in my page).

mbrady · November 14, 2005

jfriend wrote:

If you are thinking about signing up for this, you should probably WAIT a bit. Unlike a typical Google launch, they seem to be having major problems today. Perhaps they are getting swamped by the new demand. It does look like a useful service and I will probably replace my statcounter with them if it works well when things settle down (right now I have both in my page).

Yes, it seems VERY bogged down at the moment!

portellimagery · November 14, 2005

It says they are already upgrading accounts... they move fast!!

Micheal

mbrady · November 14, 2005

portellimagery wrote:

It says they are already upgrading accounts... they move fast!!

I think that's code for "Oops! We underestimated the public interest in this and our servers are massively swamped - quick add more servers to the cluster!"

Mike Lane · November 14, 2005

MUCH zippier now! I can't wait to start getting data. It sounds like there basically aren't any limits to the amount of data you can have. I like statcounter but come on, a log file of 100? I can't do much with that.

portellimagery · November 14, 2005

Initially I started with statcounter because of the 100 log, but moved to StatsSheet because they would give you 10,000 log. So far Google is looking great and i too are looking for data to appear. I wonder if it is always going to take this long? StatsSheet works pretty fast at showing the information.

Micheal

Mike Lane · November 14, 2005

portellimagery wrote:

Initially I started with statcounter because of the 100 log, but moved to StatsSheet because they would give you 10,000 log. So far Google is looking great and i too are looking for data to appear. I wonder if it is always going to take this long? StatsSheet works pretty fast at showing the information.

Micheal

I'm thinking that it's just going to be the first 12 hours of data gathering that will take so long. After that everything should be peachy. At least I hope so.

bwg · November 15, 2005

ok, so it's been over 12 hours for me and no data.

anyone have anything yet?

portellimagery · November 15, 2005

No data yet here. I believe the 12 hours might be good under normal circumstances, but since this is new and it was obvious that there servers were swamped yesterday, it might take longer. I know I am anxious to play with it.

bwg · November 15, 2005

it's not Mike's 12 hours. On the google site itself it says that data will be available within 12 hours.

portellimagery wrote:

No data yet here. I believe Mike's 12 hours might be good under normal circumstances, but since this is new and it was obvious that there servers were swamped yesterday, it might take longer. I know I am anxious to play with it.

portellimagery · November 15, 2005

Okay, I just saw Mike mention the 12. I didn't see it stated on the site, but then again I didn't look either

But my previous statement stands, that under normal circumstances, but yesterday wasn't (Google wasn't prepared for the massive signup)

Micheal

Mike Lane · November 15, 2005

Nothing yet here...

portellimagery · November 15, 2005

Too bad it couldn't email us when the inital processing was complete, that way it would save me (and I assume others) the time of keep checking.

dbooth80 · November 15, 2005

andy wrote:

Please please please put the code in the right place:

In your header or footer of your co-branding.

Thanks guys <img src="https://us.v-cdn.net/6029383/emoji/deal.gif" border="0" alt="" >

Still having a little trouble getting the code in the right spot. Putting in the "header" part doesn't seem to get it whether google says it's supposed to go. In the co-branding page, it specifically says "this is not the code that goes inbetween the <head> tags" above the "header" box. I've put it in the footer, but google doesn't seem to recognize it (it status 'status unkown')

Any suggestions? Where exactly should the code go? And is there anything else I need to do with it?

portellimagery · November 15, 2005

Either the header or the footer should work. I put my code in the header and google had no problem validating it.

Micheal

jfriend · November 15, 2005

dbooth80 wrote:

Still having a little trouble getting the code in the right spot. Putting in the "header" part doesn't seem to get it whether google says it's supposed to go. In the co-branding page, it specifically says "this is not the code that goes inbetween the <head> tags" above the "header" box. I've put it in the footer, but google doesn't seem to recognize it (it status 'status unkown')

Any suggestions? Where exactly should the code go? And is there anything else I need to do with it?

You can just past the exact code into your footer. That's what I did.

When you go to the main Google Analytics page for your account, if it says "Check Status", you can click on that and the resulting page should say: "Waiting for Data: Analytics has been successfully installed...".

If you tell us what your site is that you've put the analytics code in, we can look and see if it is installed properly. In the future, you might want to put your smugmug site in your dgrin proflie. I would have already looked and already reported back to you if I could have found your site there.

Mike Lane · November 15, 2005

I put it in the footer and google told me everything was okay. I put it in the header of my blog and google liked it just the same.

dbooth80 · November 15, 2005

jfriend wrote:

You can just past the exact code into your footer. That's what I did.

Seems to be working now....though still waiting for data, of course.

mbrady · November 15, 2005

Mike Lane wrote:

Nothing yet here...

Me either, and it's been over 24 hours. I'm assuming it's due to the initial crush of users overwhelming their servers.

Mike Lane · November 16, 2005

Uh, hello?

Google?

You there yet?

bwg · November 16, 2005

I got data! man is this thing cool!

portellimagery · November 16, 2005

You are right this is cool. I was hoping it would be. Google seems to have a good track record of doing things very well. I like that plotting on the map.

Google Analytics

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