I’ve been sitting on this all day because I could not get confirmation, but damned if it doesn’t come in an email from Google. I shoulda run with the tip I got from a loyal reader….in any case, Google has purchased a web analytics company with serious enterprise mojo.
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. – March 28, 2005 – Google Inc. today announced it
has agreed to acquire Urchin Software Corporation, a San Diego,
California based web analytics company.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Urchin is a web site analytics solution used by web site owners and
marketers to better understand their users’ experiences, optimize
content and track marketing performance. Urchin tools are available as
a hosted service, a software product and through large web hosting
providers. These products are used by thousands of popular sites on the
Internet.
Google plans to make these tools available to web site owners and
marketers to better enable them to increase their advertising return on
investment and make their web sites more effective.
“We want to provide web site owners and marketers with the
information they need to optimize their users’ experience and
generate a higher return-on-investment from their advertising
spending,” said Jonathan Rosenberg, vice president of product
management, Google. “This technology will be a valuable addition to
Google’s suite of advertising and publishing products.”
The acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions. Google
anticipates that the acquisition will close before the end of April.
So this is interesting on a number of levels. Urchin was a third party system that many used to understand their Google ads, among others. As part of a Google suite of tools, it will take on a decidedly different cast. More as the word trickles out. BTW, I was told by the tipster that the price was $30 million.
I am shocked. No idea that this was even a possibility. I am so happy for Urchin. I have been using them since they had their first beta product out there. Congrats!
If I were running Urchin and attempting to optimize a site for GG, I would switch products. I’m not sure that the convergence of web analytics and statistics and a saerch algorithm is something I’d feel comfortable with.
What if Google notices that your conversion rates are low, or people don’t spend much time on your site… Will you drop in the rankings? I’m usually not a paranoid person, but I think this type of information is exactly what Google’s seeking with this purchase.
I’ve always wondered why Google didn’t offer some sort of Web-based metrics service. Web Side Story has always been a little too expensive for me, but they have a nice service.
Funny that this was announced the same day Web Trends was sold.
Wow. Very very interesting. This might just be big.
I’m a little behind! Just found out today! Had no idea, I use Urchin every day.
I’m a little behind! Just found out today! Had no idea, I use Urchin every day.
This google move has become what we online publishers know as google analytics. An in depth tool as to why our vistors and traffic has come through the search engine know as GOOGLE! another smooth and wise move by ggole to help wesite owners decipher why and when users visit their sites. This is a online markerters dream to increase traffic to their site which we all know eqauls traffic and a high pr ranking! Thank you to google 🙂