Thursday, February 10, 2011

Tracking Other Search Engines In A Google-centric World

When you mention the term “search engine” to any internet user, the first name that comes to their mind is usually Google. It is obvious why; Google has held the top spot for search engine usage. Their name has even become a term in itself. Don’t know which companies in your area sell the type of widget you’re looking for? Google it.

When it comes to tracking, Google Analytics tracks a comprehensive list of the most widely used search engines on the internet. This of course includes the three titans Google, Yahoo, and Bing, however it also includes over 40 other organic search engines. But what about the other thousands of organic sources that are out there? Google Analytics does not recognize these sources as search engine traffic by default, and as such, your Traffic Sources report will be somewhat inaccurate and skewed. Even though the “Big 3” search engines drive a great deal of traffic to your website, ignoring the other search engine traffic is statistically irresponsible.

In order to track the search engines not found in Google’s list of recognized ones, you can use the _addOrganic() method. This allows Google Analytics to identify the unrecognized search engines and classify them properly in your reports. By doing this, you can make better-informed decisions and recommendations for with your website’s Web Analytics and determine whether your Search Engine Optimization is working, and not just on the titans.

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