Alternative to "Google Analytics"? All your Eggs in the "Google Basket" Dangerous?

[Dano1981]

hey warriors!

I have my sites running through GA and I know there are those that
feel it may not be the best thing

in my case I'm rather new, have some experience but not mega tons
I fear that if I interlink or create any kind of a linkwheel in any form
or even by "accident" in that I'm not really "linkwheeling" but simply
connecting related content from one site to another, "not all the time" now and again
but not making it my "focus"

is this "Dangerous" ? if GA has all my sites stats?

I think GA allows I think 5m per month combined hits and it's still within
the "free" threshold

any alternative that is "easy to read" and allows multiple domains?
anyone themselves use a free alternative that they really like?

thanks mates! would love to know your knowledge or feedback
Dano~

[TBInternetMarketing]

I had also thought a bit about this recently, so I removed GA from 2 of my sites. Since doing that they have both dropped a few pages in the SERPS. Possibly it is a coincidence or the new algorithm change, but I did find that pretty interesting.

I've now put GA back on my sites and will be interested to see if there are any changes.

[TBInternetMarketing]

I had also thought a bit about this recently, so I removed GA from 2 of my sites. Since doing that they have both dropped a few pages in the SERPS. Possibly it is a coincidence or the new algorithm change, but I did find that pretty interesting.

I've now put GA back on my sites and will be interested to see if there are any changes.

[carleisenstein]

I used to use StatCounter before Google Analytics came along. It's nowhere near as good, but it's not awful either.

I may be being naive, but I honestly don't think that Google use Google Analytics data against sites. I know it is tempting to believe that Google are a huge data farm where everything is interlinked, but I genuinely don't think they're doing that.

[tanero]

statcounter is reliable and have good experinces.

[Dano1981]

it seems like it would be too tempiting to google, especially in light of their desire to make everything so "SEO non-friendly" (hope that made sense!)
(I mean for those that are intentionally trying to gain "SEO & rank", like us!)

anyone know about Googs "access" to the info we "drop into their lap"?

if anyone has ever spent the time and read their TOS please give us your
impression!

dano~

Originally Posted by carleisenstein

I used to use StatCounter before Google Analytics came along. It's nowhere near as good, but it's not awful either.

I may be being naive, but I honestly don't think that Google use Google Analytics data against sites. I know it is tempting to believe that Google are a huge data farm where everything is interlinked, but I genuinely don't think they're doing that.

[Kurt]

Get rid of Google ASAP. The less they know about your business the better.

Try this:
http://piwik.org/

The great thing about it is it gives you all the Google data and it also only requires that you install it on a single domain, and you can track all your domains from that one install. You just need to add a little snip of code to each page you want to track.

However, since you do add the same snippet of code to each page across many domains, you are adding a footprint that all domains are owned by the same person. If you're not doing any cross-linking, this may or may not matter. If it does matter, you can install piwik on each domain.