But why is Google getting into traffic log analysis when thousands of Internet Service Providers already provide traffic log analysis as standard in their hosting package?

What's even more perplexing is the fact that the vast majority of Internet users, particularly small businesses seldom look at their traffic logs.

Established providers such as Web Trends have provided traffic log analysis software for many years and together with ISPs and thousands of bespoke (desktop and server side) web log analysis software already available it is not clear what Google's plans are in acquiring Urchin Software.

A wealth of information is available in a web traffic log however it takes time, patience, testing and tweaking to really benefit for this information. Furthermore interpreting the information in web logs is not as simple as it may seem. That's why large companies have paid thousands of pounds to Search Engine optimisation companies to analyze their web logs and optimize their search engine ranking to generate increase traffic to their web sites.

Whatever Google’s intentions the fact remains that it's difficult to see how small business owners are suddenly going to change their habit unless some financial incentive was involved.

David
Small Business Resource