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Urchin Founder Reflects On The Impact Of Urchin And Google Analytics

Chris Crum — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 11:59:32 +0000

Google acquired Urchin all the way back in 2005. It seems like an eternity ago.

“In 2005 we acquired Urchin, whose online web analytics product became the foundation for Google Analytics, helping businesses of all sizes measure their websites and online marketing,” Google said in its big product shut-down announcement. “We’re fully committed to building an industry-leading online analytics product, so we’re saying goodbye to the client-hosted version, known as Urchin Software. New Urchin Software licenses will no longer be available after March 2012.”

Paul Muret, Director of Engineering for Google Analytics and co-founder of Urchin, talked about it a bit more on the Google Analytics blog:

When I started Urchin Software with a few colleagues back in 1998, it was hard to imagine the scale and impact that Urchin and Google Analytics would eventually have. And yet, I remember rolling out the first version of Urchin to our customers and being blown away by the response. It was clear that Urchin was filling a fundamental need to understand customer engagement in a new medium. Suddenly, it made the intangible packets of traffic flying invisibly all over the world very tangible.

Within a few short years, we built a successful business based on Urchin and “Urchin on Demand”, an online version of the product. In early 2005, we were acquired by Google because it saw the potential of data to create a better web. By liberating this tool we could empower companies of all sizes to become smarter and more effective online. We assigned considerable resources to our online solution and released it to the public for free. Google Analytics has since grown beyond anything that we could have expected.

The success of Google Analytics has been incredibly rewarding and humbling, and we are very thankful for the support of our early Urchin customers and investors. The Urchin Software product has now been completely overshadowed by its tremendously popular offspring. And so, it is time that we now complete the cycle by officially retiring the Urchin Software product and focus exclusively on online analytics. On behalf of the original Urchin crew and Google, we thank you and hope that we can continue to serve you with amazing products.

New sales of Urchin will stop at the end of March, but current installations will work “for years to come,” according to Muret.

Google Ends Picnik, Urchin, Needlebase, Social Graph API, Google Message Continuity

Chris Crum — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 11:10:52 +0000

“Take heed! The ants have invaded.”

Picnik users will be familiar with all of those cute little picnic-related messages that appear while Picnik carries out various functions. Well, that’s the message that appears now, as Google prepares to shut down the service.

Picnik will be closing April 19, 2012.

In fact, Picnik is only one of a handful of Google products the company is shutting down. In a blog post called “Renewing Old Resolutions For The New Year” Google announced that it will be shutting down: Picnik, Urchin, Needlebase, Google Message Continuity (GMC) and the Social Graph API.

The Picnik team says on the Picnik blog:

Amazing photos are created in Picnik so we have launched a new feature,Picnik Takeout, that easily downloads your photos to your desktop in convenient zip files. You may also elect to copy your photos to Google+ where you can store and share your creations. You may request your photos at any time and use this handy tool as many times as you like until our closing date of April 19, 2012.

Premium customers will get a full refund within the week, the team says. Additionally, premium features will be free to all until the service shuts down.

On GMC, Google says, “In December 2010 we launched an email disaster recovery product for enterprise customers that use Google’s cloud to back up emails originally sent or received in an on-premise, Microsoft Exchange system. In the time since we launched, we’ve seen hundreds of businesses sign up for it. By comparison, in that same time, we’ve seen millions of businesses move entirely to the cloud with Google Apps, benefitting from disaster recovery capabilities built directly into Apps. Going forward we’ve decided to focus our efforts on Google Apps and end support for GMC. Current GMC customers will be able to use GMC for the duration of their contract and are encouraged to consider using Google Apps as their primary messaging and collaboration platform.”

Regarding Needlebase, the company says, “We are retiring this data management platform, which we acquired from ITA Software, on June 1, 2012. The technology is being evaluated for integration into Google’s other data-related initiatives.”

Regarding the Social Graph API, Google says, “This API makes information about the public connections between people on the web available for developers. The API isn’t experiencing the kind of adoption we’d like, and is being deprecated as of today. It will be fully retired on April 20, 2012.”

Finally, with regards to Urchin, Google says, “In 2005 we acquired Urchin, whose online web analytics product became the foundation for Google Analytics, helping businesses of all sizes measure their websites and online marketing. We’re fully committed to building an industry-leading online analytics product, so we’re saying goodbye to the client-hosted version, known as Urchin Software. New Urchin Software licenses will no longer be available after March 2012.”

In the same announcement, Google said it is also open sourcing Google Sky Map.

Google Making Changes to Search Referrals

Chris Crum — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 20:59:48 +0000

Update: Google now says: We initially reported that Urchin Software might require a patch to handle the new URL structure, but after some additional testing, it turns out no patch is needed. Urchin can handle both the current and new URLs.

Original article: Google is changing referral URLs on results pages. What up until now has looked something like this:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=flowers&btnG=Google+Search

will now look more like this:

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&ct=res&cd=7&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.example.com%2Fmypage.htm&ei=0SjdSa-1N5O8M_qW8dQN&rct=j&q=flowers&usg=AFQjCNHJXSUh7Vw7oubPaO3tZOzz-F-u_w&sig2=X8uCFh6IoPtnwmvGMULQfw

Google says that if you don’t analyze your own traffic logs, use Urchin web analytics software, or develop web analytics software, this information probably won’t affect you. Google Analytics is not affected.

"The key difference between these two urls is that instead of "/search?" the URL contains a ‘/url?’," says Brett Crosby of the Google Analytics Team. "If you run your own analyses, be sure that you do not depend on the ‘/search?’ portion of the URL to determine if a visit started with an organic search click. Google Analytics does not depend on the ‘/search?’ string in the referrer, so users of Google Analytics will not notice a difference in their reports, but other analytics packages may need to adapt to this change in our referrer string to maintain accurate reports."

Web Technologist Niall Kennedy does a good job of simplifying the situation. "The way your website interprets traffic from one of its top providers will change later this week," he says. "You will need to adjust scripts and check for updates to analytics software where appropriate. If you notice a huge drop in measured search referrals from Google don’t panic. Just make sure you are measuring the correct actions."

He also suggests that Google is probably making this change to better track search actions and shield URL parameters from sites downstream.

Google says the new URLs will initially only occur in a small percentage of searches. You can expect to see both versions while the changes roll out. Google will be offering a software update for Urchin soon for those using UTM-based tracking. More details here.

Google Website Optimizer & Urchin 6 Come Out To Play

Doug Caverly — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 22:05:34 +0000

It sometimes seems like beta tags hang around Google’s products forever. That’s no longer the case, though, at least as far as Google Website Optimizer and Urchin 6 are concerned.

Google Urchin Out Of Beta

Let’s start with the development that seems more surprising. Urchin software was considered almost dead in 2007; Google acquired the company, then let most of its work rot. But a beta was released towards the beginning of this year, and now, for $2,995, the new Urchin license is available.

Users of Urchin 5 will be happy to know that they can apply that purchase price towards the current version. Also, free 30-day trials are available in case anyone else wants to try the Google Analytics-like software.

On to Google Website Optimizer, then. Google’s Jon Stona writes, "Formerly a feature within Google AdWords only, this free website-testing tool is now accessible to anyone worldwide through its own website. You can now use your Google Analytics login to access Website Optimizer and test which designs, headlines, and graphics lead to the highest conversion rates on your site."

Furthermore, on the Official Google Analytics Blog, Stona adds, "The Website Optimizer team has also launched a product blog where you can get the latest product news, industry insights, and testing recipes straight from team members."

The act of leaving beta appears to have done these tools a lot of good.

The Google Analytics Decision

Mike Moran — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 03:31:27 +0000

Most of you know that my favorite price for things is "free." (I’ve even put together the Skinflint Internet Marketing Guides for those that want to spend nothing for their campaigns.)

I’ve long used Google Analytics on my site as a free way to track how many people are coming, and have recommended it as the cheap way to do the same on your site. In December, Google announced a new version of Google Analytics, prompting the question of whether you should switch.

Whether you should switch to the new Google or not depends on what you have now.

If you already have Google Analytics, you will eventually need to switch to the new version. Google has announced that the old "Urchin" script is being replaced by the new "GA" script and the old script might stop working by the end of this year.

My site was using that old script, so I spent about 20 minutes today changing to the new script. I had used a technique called a server side include to place the script on every page of my site, so I just needed to change that one file to make the change. I can’t tell how well it’s working yet, but I’ll look at my numbers over the next few days to see.

The tougher question is what you should do if you have a different metrics service or software package—one that you currently pay for. In the past, a few features have driven most adoption of high-end metrics:

Better reports. Google Analytics has reports that handle most situations, but some companies depend on customized reports for their business that go beyond what Google can do.

High volume traffic. Google Analytics has been alleged not to be able to keep up with very high volume Web sites, relying on sampling to randomly collect data. Dropping data wouldn’t be everyone’s favorite way to solve this problem, however.

Tracking more than page views. Until now, Google Analytics could not track events other than new Web pages. Now it can track Flash, AJAX, and other events.

Data sharing. Some suspicious types worry about Google having access to their metrics, so they buy someone else’s solution instead. No feature added to Google Analytics will quell this crowd.

My take: You won’t do better if your budget is zero. If you already use another metrics solution, you must evaluate not just the loss of function, but the pain of migration and the disruption in your data. No two metrics systems count things the same and they can’t ingest the old system’s data for you to see your history in one system.

I’d be interested in hearing from others who have reasons to use Google or one of its competitors for metrics.

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Beta Urchin Software, New Google Analytics Features

Nathan Weinberg — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 20:31:38 +0000

At the eMetrics Summit in D.C., Google unveiled some new features for Google Analytics, as well as a new version of its Urchin hosted wed analytics software.

First up, what’s new for Google Analytics: Head into your Analytics profile and enable “Site Search” (which is not currently available in my account), and the Content section of Analytics will show you the keywords people are using to find your site.

Located in the Content section of your Google Analytics reporting interface, Site Search reports show you the keywords and search refinement keywords people use, the pages from which people begin and end their searches. You can also see how search on your site affects site usage, conversion rates, and e-commerce activity.

Avinash Kaushik, Google Analytics Evangelist, has screenshots and details on the Site Search feature.

They also added a new Event Tracking capability, which shows you how people use interactive elements on your site (like AJAX, Flash and multimedia). All you need to do to get the new feature is change your JavaScript from urchin.js to ga.js (plus you’ll get future new features with it). They’re seperately starting a beta test of an Outbound Link Tracking feature, though users on the older JavaScript will be getting it first.

FInally, Google announced a limited beta test of Urchin 6, the first new version of Urchin in over two years. Urchin is the hosted version of the analytics software Google Analytics is based on. It runs on your server and analyzes your detailed site logs, and not just the slice of data Google Analytics has access to. Ars has some details on it, and I’ll bet we’ll be hearing more about what it brings to the table in the coming weeks.

You can go here or to similar Google Analytics Consultants to get in on the limited beta.

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Google Releases Urchin Update

Doug Caverly — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 18:57:54 +0000

Users of Urchin’s software probably aren’t completely satisfied – the words “limited beta” are kind of a downer – but they’ve at least been tossed a morsel, as Google has updated Urchin 5.

Not too long ago, Urchin’s fans seemed ready to invade the Googleplex over its neglect of the service. Google may have realized that playing with some software was easier than barricading the doors, since, according to Heather Havenstein, the senior manager of Google Analytics “acknowledged that the update to version 5 aims to appease those users.”

With price breaks for those who had been left hanging, this’ll likely do the trick. What’s more, Google Analytics (Urchin’s brother, if you will) has also received some updates. “Web masters can tag ‘events’ on sites now and track those events, such as pressing pause on a video or interacting in other ways with content that don’t generate page views,” reported Ken Fisher.

“Analytics will also allow users to identify the keywords, categories, products, and trends across time and user segments by tracking internal search results,” he then continued. “The tracking will work with Google Custom Search, GSA, Google Mini and ‘many other non-Google site search products.’”

All in all, it’s a good (and Google-y) day for the analytics market.

Google Giving Up On Urchin?

Doug Caverly — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 15:26:10 +0000

The Honda S2000’s antenna fits perfectly on my Toyota Matrix, and looks much better than the skinny piece of plastic that came with the car. So I bought one – an S2000 antenna, not an S2000. Yet as Google ignores all but one part of Urchin, you have to wonder if it would have bought the whole Honda.

Urchin’s “Software as a Service” (SaaS) product became Google Analytics; in our metaphor, this is the nice antenna. Everything else owned by Urchin has languished, though, and become a sort of rusty relic. Ars Technica’s Ken Fisher writes, “Here’s a news flash: when it takes 2.5 years to get an upgrade out that was due shortly after the Red Sox won the 2004 World Series, it’s already effectively ‘discontinued.’”

This isn’t without precedent; not too long ago, we watched the founders of Dodgeball leave Google after the search giant acquired their company. Dennis Crowley, one of those founders, cited a lack of support. It now seems like Google’s making a habit of cannibalizing its acquisition targets.

Which is Google’s right, I suppose – it paid an estimated $30 million for Urchin, and can more or less do whatever it wants. Still, I’d hate to see an S2000 die a slow death, and Urchin’s fans (and customers) aren’t at all happy with the way things have turned out.

Google Testing PPA AdWords

Mike Moran — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 21:51:43 +0000

It’s been rumored for a while, but it’s finally being tested, as Google has announced a beta program to test pay-per-action (PPA) AdWords bidding. The Snap search engine has done PPA for years, but obviously it is big news when Google does it. I first speculated on this two years ago when Google acquired the Urchin analytics firm (now Google Analytics), but it’s finally here. What does it mean to search marketers?

First, if you’re concerned about click fraud, this would be a way to eliminate it. As I wrote long ago, there’s no ability to create click fraud if you have to buy the item. Since then, folks have reminded me that another kind of fraud might exist, depending on how Google implements their system—crooks could click on your ad, buy your item, and then return it. Google might not refund its per-action fee. I’ve seen some references to this being called Click-Order-Return (COR) fraud, but we have too many TLAs (three-letter acronyms) as it is, so I prefer to call this "return fraud."

Andy Beal believes that this announcement is a harbinger of Google becoming an affiliate network, just like Commision Junction. Kevin Newcomb at Search Engine Watch agrees, but Google has denied this. It’s interesting, though, because by positioning itself as an affiliate network, it would make sense for Google to have a closer relationship with affiliates than it does with advertisers, allowing return fraud to be more easily policed. You could refund the per-action fee and then be in a position of having to police your affiliates so they don’t fraudulently claim an item was returned when it wasn’t. (It’s a complicated world out there, huh?)

But if we can believe Google’s denials (Andy does not), then Google would be having a much more hands-off relationship with its advertisers (rather than treating them as affiliates) just as it does today. That would make Google less likely to refund money for return fraud, I think, but we may have to wait and see what they do.

Now understand, return fraud is a lot bigger pain to pull off than click fraud—someone has to receive the package and send it back and ensure the money was refunded, so you’d figure that it would occur less than click fraud does. My take is that, for search marketers that really want a "pay for performance" advertising model, PPA could be a godsend. No longer would you need to carefully calculate how much you should bid for traffic—now you can just provide a cut of your transaction profit (or a cut of your LIfetime Value if you are savvy) and you can be sure (in the absence of return fraud) that you are making a good business decision.

Regardless, this is an important step in the industry because advertising models should be about customer choice. You should be able to pay per impression or per click or per action—your choice. Google is trying to make it happen, which is a good thing, regardless of how it turns out.

Comments

Google Analytics Help

Manoj Jasra — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 21:05:07 +0000

Keyon Hedayati over at the Google Analytics Blog has posted about a useful option for a Google Analytics Resource: The Google Analytics Forum.

Topics covered in the Analytics Forum include:

For further discussions and questions, Google Analytics also has its own Google Group. For advanced implementation needs I would recommend the services of ROI Revolution or EpikOne (both have very in-depth knowledge of Google Analytics).

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