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One thing I feel you miss out if you don't use GA is 'Google-juice'. Maybe it's just like blowing into a Super Nintendo cartridge, but I think using GA increases your SEO with Google.

Am I mistaken?




You're probably mistaken.

The reason why this probably isn't true is that it would be a regulator's/anti-trust-buster's dream come true. Imagine it: Google ranks you lower if you don't use other Google products. Don't use GA? Ranked lower. Don't pay for ads? Maybe your organic results drop a bit. . .

Google has to be very careful about its organic search results. Giving extra weight to sites that use things like Google Analytics would be the "confirmation" that regulators would need. As such, it seems like Google wouldn't risk its core business over something like this.

I totally understand the logic: if I use Google Analytics, Google knows that my site is getting traffic and it makes a certain sense to take that into consideration. However, I think the opposite side of that (if sites don't give Google whatever Google wants, they're going to be ranked lower) is a can of worms that Google doesn't want to be seen dipping into.


This is basically true for Google + already.

Authorship on your sites alters your sites appearance on SERPs thereby giving you a distinct advantage or disadvantage that you can only gain by using Google's product.


As mdasen mentioned, Google Analytics probably doesn't have much of an effect on SEO due to regulatory concerns.

However, it probably does handicap you if you use other Google services, such as Adwords. Google Adwords heavily leverages Analytics data to optimize your marketing campaigns, and doesn't offer the ability to interface Adwords with a third-party like Piwik. So not using Analytics will cause Adwords to fly blind to user behavior on your site, and won't be able to tell which leads were useful and which weren't.


yes.


Thanks for the well-sourced, comprehensive response.


The "Yes" response was exactly as sourced as the original assertion that Google gives loyalty rewards for no reason whatsoever.




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