Google Analytics and Google AdWords

Google provides a quick, effective and hassle-free way for merchants to advertise their products and services in the Internet through Google AdSense, a cost-per click and cost-per impression advertising service, where ads are displayed along search and content sites and search results done in the Google network. Merchants will be charged when online users click on the ads that are shown. Keywords are chosen in which the ads will appear, and the merchants will specify on how much they are willing to shell out for each click.

There are various benefits that advertisers can get from utilizing Google AdWords. Unlike other online advertising channels, AdWords enables the advertiser to do away with deadlines and contracts. Google's kind of advertising does not ask prepayment and packages. It is by this method that merchants can manage their advertising campaigns with their preferred performance metrics.

The service gives maximum exposure for advertisers due to the sheer number of visitors acquired by the various sites included in the Google network. Advertisements are displayed along search and content sites and products in audience comprising about 80% Internet users in the U.S. Ads appear beside search results or occupying a space in a results page a user navigates through to get to a site directory.

Google's own electronic mail service, Gmail, also features the ads.

To make the service more advantageous for advertisers, AdWords has integrated with Google Analytics. Google Analytics informs advertisers information such as the channels to which online visitors located their ads and the manner they react and interact with the site. The service enables merchants gain more visitors to their pages. Google Analytics also monitors the activities of merchants that are not related to AdWords, without any charge at all. With Analytics, one can create marketing campaigns that are target-centered and ROI-driven.

The initial announcement that Google is offering this service alongside AdWords has caused a considerable buzz among users. Advertisers have been on their toes deciding whether or not to avail of the new product. A lot of users have started to investigate what sets Google Analytics apart from other analytics companies such as WebTrends and Coremetrics. The tool got so in demand that Google has to temporarily stop interested parties from registering. By the time they decided to do so, over 200,000 accounts have been created.

The service is free for those sites that attract 5 million or less page views. For those sites that garner more views, it is necessary to register for a Google AdWords account. Registration is fast, it takes about only seven minutes to do so (less if the advertiser already has a Gmail email account.) The Help option is functional enough, and the system is available in multiple languages. Plus, Google placed importance in protecting the corporate data of each account, knowing that data regarding web analytics is extremely delicate.

Google Analytics became so popular in its initial launch due to several reasons: First, the fact that Google, a cyberspace giant, is offering it for free. Costs only occurs when the page starts to attract more than 5 million page views. The service is highly functional and has good features, which are more advanced than other analytics tools. Operations like Javascript and Flash events, PDF downloads can be tracked. Though there are doubts that Google will gain advantage from their offer to monitor outside ventures of the merchants, the company stresses otherwise.

Admittedly, some problems came up for Google due to the immense popularity of the service. It took almost a whole day or more for some data to load into the interface of Google Analytics, in fact some data takes more. There are also some difficulties with support infrastructure.

For those who are considering availing of the service, there are some possible concerns that need to be considered, that stems from it being a live or tag-based reporting software. The main issue with tools such as Google Analytics is that downloaded data like audio and video files and PDF may not thoroughly monitored.

Google Analytics is one channel for Google to take care of their advertisers and any other marketer who wishes to make good quality material on the web. The service is capable of delivering high-end web analytics to advertisers, and its integration with AdWords provides timesaving benefits.abuiyad