[admagic]

An interesting question about google analytics, and optimiser

The question is how is google really using the information?

For sure these tools are giving great information, but it is also
giving google great information too.

If you use conversion goal testing

Over time they will get to discover not just how much click thru
people get, but also a good guess at the profitability of key words.

Now if they discover that some keywords are giving a 10* return
on money.....of course they would be far too honest to up their
keyword bid prices as a direct result of that...

Or would they?

And is this really why google hands out the tools for free.

So should we give this information to google, or use other
tools instead!!

An open ended discussion,an interesting one none the less

[Dotwhack]

I often wonder how much other stuff Google owns too though - branded as other stuff juct so they CAN keep track of exactly whats going on online.

[sally]

Google would be silly not to collect all the data it can to drive their business, wouldn't you? How many times do threads on this forum tell new start ups to offer something for free in order to bring in the customers!

If a keyword gets 10* the return then of course the cost of ads will go up for that keyword.

I think it would be rather naive to assume google are an ethical company and not driven by sheer capitalism.

[Mike]

Originally Posted by sally

I think it would be rather naive to assume google are an ethical company and not driven by sheer capitalism.

Agree with all but this,

Why would that be unethical? Its business, they are offering the chance for people to make money, they take their cut.

Ethics and big business can exist, just because companies are worth billions doesnt make them unethical

[Alvin]

Originally Posted by Mike

Agree with all but this,

Why would that be unethical? Its business, they are offering the chance for people to make money, they take their cut.

Ethics and big business can exist, just because companies are worth billions doesnt make them unethical

I don't think ethics come into it .

At googles stage of development Its main focus is going to be on increasing profit ,and by gathering information on the profitable areas it can.



A) increase its PPC

B) set up companies to reap rich rewards from the information they are getting.

Business is business not a sunday school lesson on morality.


The idea that Google is interested in doing something for the good of the public is laughable.

By using google analytics you may well be contributing to your own down fall.

Alvin

[admagic]

Originally Posted by Alvin

I don't think ethics come into it .

At googles stage of development Its main focus is going to be on increasing profit ,and by gathering information on the profitable areas it can.



A) increase its PPC

B) set up companies to reap rich rewards from the information they are getting.

Business is business not a sunday school lesson on morality.


The idea that Google is interested in doing something for the good of the public is laughable.

By using google analytics you may well be contributing to your own down fall.

Alvin

But thats the point alvin,

The logical consequence must be DONT use the google conversion tools.

Not only might you find PPc increase...you might just find competition out of the blue... not necessarily from google itself, but the threat from employees who had access to the info, then leave google when they spot a hot opportunity...

[SteveB]

Interesting topic purely from the point of view that ethics appeared in the discussion almost immediately.

I agree, google will use the information ASAP to increase profits ASAP that's just good financial business.

BUT is it ethical? is a valid question and is not a sunday school morality discussion.

Ethics are part of our everyday lives and business lives. If we had no ethics then I'd shoot some of my competition, neighbours (and a few of my customers just because they deserved it)

When we choose to use free tools, or take that free widget offer, we are agreeing to take part in a barter, and the other party is getting something in return that they value. When we use google tools, each of us should be assessing, how much that information is worth to us, and how much it is worth to google. There is a pure business assessment, and there is an ethical assessment - do we agree/disagree/can live with what google will do with the information we will give them.

Google has a business decision and whether to make as much money as possible out of the information it receives, but it also has an ethical decision on if it should make that amount of money.

Just because the current business philosophy dictates that profit rules all other considerations and ethics can go out of the window, does not mean that that practise is correct, ethical and sustainable.

[Alvin]

Originally Posted by SteveB

BUT is it ethical? is a valid question and is not a sunday school morality discussion.

Ethics are part of our everyday lives and business lives. If we had no ethics then I'd shoot some of my competition, neighbours (and a few of my customers just because they deserved it)

I think you might be confusing ethics with the law.

Low morality in business is not against the law.

Shooting people still is.

Alvin

[Alvin]

Originally Posted by admagic

But thats the point alvin,

The logical consequence must be DONT use the google conversion tools.

Agreed being in a position to estimate what types of business make money.

would be the envy of every marketeer.

same thing applies to google Sitemaps.

If I can tell what areas are most profitable imagine what a true analyst can do.

its all about bums on seats as ever.

Alvin

[sally]

I think google themselves are the ones that try to put an "ethical" face to their products by producing guidelines and woops another leaked document about how they are out to catch the baddies but my competitors are still NO1 on the front page even though they clearly read the guidelines and are in competition for who can bend/break the most (of course they carry a LOT of advertising and pay for a lot too).