Google Analytics can a wonderful tool for evaluating web traffic, but as Linda Bustos of Get Elastic notes in a recent post on Marketing Pilgrim, it’s a tool that can be misused, or under-utilized.
In her article, Bustos points out 8 stupid things webmasters do to mess up their analytics, and offers remedies.
Topping her list is a cardinal sin of web analytics: tracking your own IPs. Including your own IP address in your stats will lead to some bad assumptions about traffic, referrals, time on page and other valuable metrics. Google makes it easy to filter out your own IPs or any others you wish to exclude.
Take a look at this article for tips on how to fine-tune your analytics. “This is WAO: Web Analytics Optimization — and there’s a huge need for it that many don’t realize,” Bustos writes. “Why not become a WAO ninja and offer it alongside your SEO, SEM and SMO services?”
P.S. – Kyle James also picked up on the trail and included this in his latest links of the week post.
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Higher Ed Marketing 
Thanks for the link and the credit. :)
I really lucked up on that story too because I slide into the first comment on the article and was the first to Submit it to Sphinn where it’s since gone hot! As unimportant as it is, it’s kind of an awesome feeling to have something make the front page of a social bookmarking site.
Also since we are all on Web Analytics I might as well throw a link up to my Google Analytics 101 post just incase anyone missed it. I’ve started working on a 201 post and hopefully will get it completed one of these days.
Great post. I am forwarding this to my web guys. I am fairly sure we are currently not filtering anything. LOL
Interesting subject