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Can anyone answer a related question: Are you penalized for not running Google Analytics and/or Google Webmaster tools? In other words, if you have a clean webs

Can anyone answer a related question: Are you penalized for not running Google Analytics and/or Google Webmaster tools? In other words, if you have a clean website with no analytics whatsoever, is your ranking likely to be worse?

GrungeMarx 8y ago
Having worked previously in the SEO-industry, I would say that you are not penalized for not using the Google Webmaster toolbox (analytics, WMT etc.) - however, by not having an GWT account Google has no way of getting in contact with you if they think you're doing some shady/spammy or if they penalized you. That's the main reason to have a GWT account at all, really.
Topgamer7 8y ago
Anyone who doesn't work at Google wouldn't be able to with absolute certainty be able to answer this question. Anyone who does work at Google wouldn't be allowed to answer this question. However page rank is widely attributed to mainly based on back links.
- computator 8y ago
  Thanks for the answer. But couldn't you test it by setting up two very similar websites (not identical because you'd presumably get penalized for duplicating content), in which one uses Google Analytics and the other doesn't, and then watch the ranking over time. If the analytics site does significantly better than the other, that would strongly indicate that Google gives it preference.
  - Topgamer7 8y ago
    It would be a decent undertaking to build two websites with comparable but different content to test search rank. It is also very probably that the search ranking algorithm is nondeterministic.
- Jedi72 8y ago
  If not using GA doesnt affect your page rank, I don't see why Google would need (or even want) to be secretive about it. Only if it does hurt your ranking (how is that huge antitrust lawsuit today feeling Big G??) will they need to be all secretive about it.
  - Topgamer7 8y ago
    It is not in their best interest to be open about everything. From their perspective it is better to leave it a mystery and allow people to assume that it does negatively affect your rank to not use their services. Whether it does or does not affect it. From your perspective, you need a good ranking? You get GA.
    - taneq 8y ago
      It's not a threat. It's the implication.
josephjrobison 8y ago
99.9% of people who study this (SEOs) would say there is absolutely no penalty for not having Google Analytics and/or Search Console. Actually, Google’s Jon Mueller is pretty forthcoming with this information and he would likely say the same.
bryanrasmussen 8y ago
Legally speaking this would be a truly awful idea for them to do, so I would be absolutely gobsmacked if it were the case.
helij 8y ago
In my experience you are not penalized for not running GA in any way. I have websites ranking for top competitive keywords without GA. For Google Webmaster Tools / Search Console I cannot say since I run this everywhere.

GrungeMarx 8y ago

Having worked previously in the SEO-industry, I would say that you are not penalized for not using the Google Webmaster toolbox (analytics, WMT etc.) - however, by not having an GWT account Google has no way of getting in contact with you if they think you're doing some shady/spammy or if they penalized you. That's the main reason to have a GWT account at all, really.

Topgamer7 8y ago

Anyone who doesn't work at Google wouldn't be able to with absolute certainty be able to answer this question. Anyone who does work at Google wouldn't be allowed to answer this question. However page rank is widely attributed to mainly based on back links.

computator 8y ago
Thanks for the answer. But couldn't you test it by setting up two very similar websites (not identical because you'd presumably get penalized for duplicating content), in which one uses Google Analytics and the other doesn't, and then watch the ranking over time. If the analytics site does significantly better than the other, that would strongly indicate that Google gives it preference.
- Topgamer7 8y ago
  It would be a decent undertaking to build two websites with comparable but different content to test search rank. It is also very probably that the search ranking algorithm is nondeterministic.
Jedi72 8y ago
If not using GA doesnt affect your page rank, I don't see why Google would need (or even want) to be secretive about it. Only if it does hurt your ranking (how is that huge antitrust lawsuit today feeling Big G??) will they need to be all secretive about it.
- Topgamer7 8y ago
  It is not in their best interest to be open about everything. From their perspective it is better to leave it a mystery and allow people to assume that it does negatively affect your rank to not use their services. Whether it does or does not affect it. From your perspective, you need a good ranking? You get GA.
  - taneq 8y ago
    It's not a threat. It's the implication.

josephjrobison 8y ago

99.9% of people who study this (SEOs) would say there is absolutely no penalty for not having Google Analytics and/or Search Console. Actually, Google’s Jon Mueller is pretty forthcoming with this information and he would likely say the same.

bryanrasmussen 8y ago

Legally speaking this would be a truly awful idea for them to do, so I would be absolutely gobsmacked if it were the case.

helij 8y ago

In my experience you are not penalized for not running GA in any way. I have websites ranking for top competitive keywords without GA. For Google Webmaster Tools / Search Console I cannot say since I run this everywhere.