A new Google Analytics feature may take a few weeks to get rolling.  Once it catches on, though, the benchmarking service should give users the ability to compare their properties to other sites within an industry.

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On the Google Analytics Blog, Brett Crosby writes, "Of course, benchmarking only works if people can opt to share their data into the system, so we’re also introducing a new data-sharing settings page.  On this page, customers can choose whether to opt in or opt out of sharing their Analytics data.  To be clear, we are not sharing individual data with competitors; we bucket data into industry verticals and then anonymize and aggregate the data."

So opt in and see the anonymized, aggregated data, or opt out (or do nothing) and don’t.  Everyone gets to make the choice for him (or her) self.

We’re a little concerned that the far-and-away winners in every field won’t participate; they’re ahead, they know they’re ahead, and they don’t need to do anything to stay that way.  But even a comparison between also-rans would be enlightening, and judging from early responses, it looks like a lot of people will choose to share.

Should you decide to do so, just be patient afterwards.  Crosby notes, "Once you opt in, it may take a couple weeks for the reports to populate."