Comments on: Google Acquires Urchin http://bobpage.net/2005/03/29/google-acquires-urchin/ Sat, 24 Jul 2010 10:45:12 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Google Analytics http://bobpage.net/2005/03/29/google-acquires-urchin/comment-page-1/#comment-500 Google Analytics Mon, 02 Apr 2007 00:08:26 +0000 http://bobpage.net/2005/03/29/google-acquires-urchin/#comment-500 [...] asked me for my reaction to the announcement that Google has decided to make Urchin free. I already said it once: A nice way to get even more off-network data is to supply folks with a hosted analytics service [...] [...] asked me for my reaction to the announcement that Google has decided to make Urchin free. I already said it once: A nice way to get even more off-network data is to supply folks with a hosted analytics service [...]

]]> By: John Squire http://bobpage.net/2005/03/29/google-acquires-urchin/comment-page-1/#comment-9 John Squire Wed, 30 Mar 2005 18:00:41 +0000 http://bobpage.net/2005/03/29/google-acquires-urchin/#comment-9 I'm of the opinion that this offers the small and medium local business an opportunity to have a few great reports on their 2 or 3 page site that will allow them to better understand the impact of online advertising. Having the ability to clearly show value in a $50 or $100 per month local advertising budget online, will drive 10,000's of local businesses across the US to drop the Yellow Pages ad race and move online. Add to it the Google Maps and additional services like offering domains, and it makes for an interesting thought exercise. I realize this is definitely a different view on the purpose of this acquisition, but the untrackable offline advertising stuck in Yellow Pages and Classifieds are just too big to ignore ($30 - 40 Billion per year?). And, for those of us stuck in the Bay Area commute, it sure seems like I'm hearing a lot more Yellow Pages radio ads where the message is clearly "I get 10 to 20 calls a week that reference my yellow page ad and I know that's adding $1000's of business to my company". I’m of the opinion that this offers the small and medium local business an opportunity to have a few great reports on their 2 or 3 page site that will allow them to better understand the impact of online advertising. Having the ability to clearly show value in a $50 or $100 per month local advertising budget online, will drive 10,000′s of local businesses across the US to drop the Yellow Pages ad race and move online. Add to it the Google Maps and additional services like offering domains, and it makes for an interesting thought exercise. I realize this is definitely a different view on the purpose of this acquisition, but the untrackable offline advertising stuck in Yellow Pages and Classifieds are just too big to ignore ($30 – 40 Billion per year?). And, for those of us stuck in the Bay Area commute, it sure seems like I’m hearing a lot more Yellow Pages radio ads where the message is clearly “I get 10 to 20 calls a week that reference my yellow page ad and I know that’s adding $1000′s of business to my company”.

]]> By: Brian Mulvaney http://bobpage.net/2005/03/29/google-acquires-urchin/comment-page-1/#comment-8 Brian Mulvaney Wed, 30 Mar 2005 07:14:37 +0000 http://bobpage.net/2005/03/29/google-acquires-urchin/#comment-8 They probably do use Google toolbar data. But it's not truly off-network. Anyone who thinks highly enough of Google to install the toolbar is likely to be a dedicated user. If the problem you are trying to solve is visibility into what your users are doing off your properties (which you would mostly get via the toolbar)--or what your potential users are doing instead of visiting your properties--there are quicker, easier and more comprehensive ways of addressing that then building out a web analytics ASP. There are numerous measurement vendors that would love to sell that data to Google. (I know, I tried.) It's quite possible that Google won't buy in 3rd party web usage data for cultural reasons. One thing that hasn't really been addressed is what exactly is Google buying? Is it a log file crunching app? A web analytics ASP? An installed base of users? Some smart people in San Diego? Most of us in the industry know Urchin as a cheap and cheerful log file cruncher. The company has been working diligently to make themselves more relevant to marketers and to launch an ASP business model. Still, I'll assert that the amount of PPC money tracked by Urchin today is quite small and the ASP model and architecture is new and unproven. They probably do use Google toolbar data. But it’s not truly off-network. Anyone who thinks highly enough of Google to install the toolbar is likely to be a dedicated user.

If the problem you are trying to solve is visibility into what your users are doing off your properties (which you would mostly get via the toolbar)–or what your potential users are doing instead of visiting your properties–there are quicker, easier and more comprehensive ways of addressing that then building out a web analytics ASP. There are numerous measurement vendors that would love to sell that data to Google. (I know, I tried.) It’s quite possible that Google won’t buy in 3rd party web usage data for cultural reasons.

One thing that hasn’t really been addressed is what exactly is Google buying? Is it a log file crunching app? A web analytics ASP? An installed base of users? Some smart people in San Diego?

Most of us in the industry know Urchin as a cheap and cheerful log file cruncher. The company has been working diligently to make themselves more relevant to marketers and to launch an ASP business model. Still, I’ll assert that the amount of PPC money tracked by Urchin today is quite small and the ASP model and architecture is new and unproven.

]]> By: Xavier Casanova http://bobpage.net/2005/03/29/google-acquires-urchin/comment-page-1/#comment-7 Xavier Casanova Wed, 30 Mar 2005 03:47:51 +0000 http://bobpage.net/2005/03/29/google-acquires-urchin/#comment-7 Interesting perspective. But if Google is really interested in off-network data, why don't they use their Google toolbar to collect data? (Like Alexa). That would give them visibility into ALL sites - as opposed to getting visibility into only the site which will deploy Urchin. Interesting perspective. But if Google is really interested in off-network data, why don’t they use their Google toolbar to collect data? (Like Alexa). That would give them visibility into ALL sites – as opposed to getting visibility into only the site which will deploy Urchin.

]]> By: Brian Mulvaney http://bobpage.net/2005/03/29/google-acquires-urchin/comment-page-1/#comment-6 Brian Mulvaney Wed, 30 Mar 2005 03:21:28 +0000 http://bobpage.net/2005/03/29/google-acquires-urchin/#comment-6 Bob, I'm not buying the off network surfing data argument. There are a number of places Google can buy copious amounts of off network clickstream data. They don't need to set up shop as a web analytics ASP for that. Brian P.S. Good to see you sharing your thoughts. Bob,

I’m not buying the off network surfing data argument. There are a number of places Google can buy copious amounts of off network clickstream data. They don’t need to set up shop as a web analytics ASP for that.

Brian

P.S. Good to see you sharing your thoughts.

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