Why different Web Analytics report different numbers?

 

Mayur asks:

Is my site banner ad impressions equal should be the number of pages viewed? Because of my Aw Stats shows the number is greater than the ad networks to work with. Google Analytics seems to be even lower than the numbers. What is the deal?

Welcome to the web analytics world!

As you already noticed, each web analytics software, the ad network and communications assessment service (for example, compete, Alexa, Quantcast) of the report to another number.

Why is it anyway? Because of what represents a unique visitors and page view site is subjective (i.e. each service and the software has its own criteria for deciding when to visit, and page loading takes place). For example, some of the services and software as search bots to visitors, but others don't.

Second, the various services and analytics programs use various tracking methods (such as JavaScript, tracking pixels), so all users are tracked steadily. For example, a user off the JavaScript using the JavaScript tracking does not count, even if it is the Institute's pixel tracking service.

Taking into account all of these differences and nuances, here are some rules of thumb for most Webmasters and online Marketers to:

1. the Raw logs are useless

Most of the servers, which are the raw logs all accesses, and page requests to the Web site lists. It is possible to interpret the raw logs for specific programs, create graphical reports, which contain the number of visitors, page views, and so on.

These figures are overestimated, while the outrageous, since all kinds of search bots and automated queries are summed.

2. the Webalizer and AW Stats overestimate

Webalizer and AW Stats are extremely popular web analytics software, and since they are usually installed by default in cPanel (control panel software, most of the video hosting companies). Those who have a tendency to yliarviointiin visitors and page views to the site shall not, however, the amount of such information must always be used on the grain of salt.

3. slightly underestimated, but ad networks does not have anything to do about it ....

You can see most of the ad networks to the control panel is usually aliarviointiin total traffic, and because they do not keep track of the number of impressions is the number of people who do not see the ads, or to prevent them from.

There is nothing to make it though, and if you want to make money using the ad networks you want to play by their rules. The alternative is to embed your own HTML code, in respect of which they should be seen in the 100% of the visitors to the site banners.

4. Google Analytics underestimates the slightly, but it is the industry standard

Google Analytics reported the figures underestimated a little traffic, and because the software has a very strict rules for what should be considered as visitors and page views.

GA is monitoring is extremely reliable, even if it is used and, therefore, the industry standard. If you want to sell the site, for example, most buyers are asking Google Analytics data, before they make the offer.

Summary: go to Google Analytics, if you want to get a sense of "real" traffic.