Benchmarking Your Data
March 7th, 2008 by Jacob Wolfsheimer
It has been reported that Google Analytics released a new feature which allows users to opt-in to a benchmarking feature. At first glance, a site may be able to be compared to industry-related sites “of similar size” based on visits, pageviews, pages per visit, bounce rate, average time on site, and percentage of new visits.
This data has been argued to only be of value to the extent that related sites opt-in and are of a similar size. I have further reservations regarding the actual concrete value of Google Analytics benchmarking. Google’s definition of a related site may differ from what others in the industry define as similar.
Though I have yet to see the category list, how granular could it possibly be? Would an informational portal for healthcare fall under the same category as rehab centers, nursing homes, and hospitals?
Are some forms of sites less likely to use Google Analytics as opposed to paid solutions such as ClickTracks, WebTrends, Omniture? Could this make the amount of aggregated data much smaller and perhaps, not representative of the industry?
While benchmarking against other sites does have worth, there is more value in benchmarking one’s own site and regularly working to improve upon that benchmark.
With Serengeti audits, we provide crucial information about your traffic history and the implications of this raw data. Because we immerse ourselves within the industries of our clients, embrace our clients’ missions, and join in their strategic marketing goals; we offer succinct advice to best improve online marketing efforts. These tangible results drive more qualified traffic to your site which will ultimately, convert on your site.
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