Google's Free Tools

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Do you think there's any advantage to using Google Analytics and Google Webmaster Tools?

Sure they have some features that are useful, but do you trust them to have all that data about your website?
#search engine optimization #free #google #tools
  • I don't trust them for my adsense sites and don't ever use GA or GWT on them.

    But I do use them on other sites that don't rely on Google for organic search traffic.
    • [1] reply
    • That makes sense. Using Adsense would be THREE Google programs all running on one website. Seems like too much info for them.

      I've been using Piwik on new sites and NOT submitting to GWT. I don't trust Google very much these days.
    • Banned
      [DELETED]
  • In short, yes. I do trust them. Do you really think not using Google services will somehow prevent a penalty? .. or even more than that, reverse it? If that were true, the webmasters that didn't use Google service would've thrived in the Panda updates, while all the others would have been punished for it.

    - Gabriel
    • [2] replies
    • I really started trusting them less after they took the referers away. They don't even want to give us accurate data any more.

    • It may not prevent...but it will certainly prolong...if not using Google products gives me a month, week, or even a day longer before they get around to penalizing me or de-indexing me, then I'm going to take it!

      Besides...why use them? Piwik is fine for analytics...and GWT has always been mostly useless.
      • [1] reply
  • yes of course they benefit all website owners who can't spend on premium tools. Google free tolls are enough to run any big and any number of websites.
  • Google free tools helpful for targeting Google SERP.
    • [1] reply
  • To be honest with you, if there were no advantage in using them Google wouldnt have had them developed.
  • I'm just confused. What data do you think Google acquires through GA and GWT to use against you that they do not already have?
    • [ 1 ] Thanks
    • [2] replies
    • They don't know certain info about you if you don't use Analytics. They can guess 'time on site' from Chrome or other metrics, but they won't know for sure. They can't be exactly sure how many pages a visitors consumes. They won't have a clue what 31% of all searchers who come from Yahoo and Bing are doing.

      The GWT is not as big of a deal, expect it helps them to identify all the websites you're running. There isn't much of a payoff for using it either so I tend to steer clear.
      • [1] reply
    • Confusion seems to be masquerading here as expertise.

      People say all sorts of nonsense about GWT. As if not using
      it means you're safe. How about following the rules and reading
      what they publish?

      GA and GWT are there to help you succeed. Some people love it,
      hate it, like it, don't care, etc. But to say it has nefarious undertones
      is crazy. Emphasis on nefarious.

      Paul
      • [1] reply
  • yes....i think Google free tools helpful. all website owners who can't spend on premium tools. Google free tolls are enough to run any big and any number of websites...

    Thanks
  • I use Google Webmaster tools but avoid Google Analytics as that is considered the culprit by many. There is no proof but one got to be careful. Wondering if Piwik can be installed on a shared web hosting account?
    • [1] reply
  • I always prefer using google web master tool.
  • No proof but yes persistent rumours that once they have penalized your site they can use Google Analytics against you.
  • I think part of what turned me off to Google was those 'unnatural links' messages they sent through GWT. They seem like Big Brother telling us that they are watching all our data.

    If you get 31% of your traffic from other search engines and 5% from social that means Google doesn't know that much about 37% of your traffic. If you install all their free tools you're giving them the complete picture!
    • [2] replies
    • All GWT did was let people know why their rankings went in the shitter. People still got hit by the same thing, they just didn't know it because they weren't using GWT.

      It wasn't only people who had GWT and used low quality links that got hit. Google has the complete picture on your links whether you are using GWT or not.

      Unless that traffic is coming from porn or illegal sites, I'm not really sure what it is you are hiding from.
      • [1] reply
    • Agree with you but unfortunately most sites get over 95% of their traffic from Google. It is hard to wean people out of Google.
  • Ya I trust both the tools, because it helps me to know number of visitors vising my site hence improving my business.
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    Google's Free Tools

    Do you think there's any advantage to using Google Analytics and Google Webmaster Tools? Sure they have some features that are useful, but do you trust them to have all that data about your website?