16 Reasons NOT to Use Google Analytics for Inbound Marketing

I know, I know. . . This is considered blasphemous to many of you die hard Google Analytics fans out there.  This post will certainly get me more enemies than fans, but that’s ok because it’s true – Google Analytics is not a good tool for inbound marketing.  Many of you who find this post offensive have probably never even consistently used a different analytics package.  Moreover, if Google Analytics is your analytics package of choice you probably aren’t even doing inbound marketing, but rather Internet marketing. (See Internet Marketing or Inbound Marketing – Is There a Difference?)

Admittedly, I use Google Analytics a few times per week.  However, I use it sparingly and to double check trending data.  It's always nice to have a second opinion.  Instead, I use HubSpot for all of my analytics in lieu of Google.  If I just used Google Analytics I’d be forced to manage multiple online sales funnels (i.e. website, social media, email, microsites, PPC, etc.).  With Hubspot the data seamlessly flows together, is identifiable, labeled and tracked through a CRM.  Besides, you can brag all day to a CEO about how many visitors you got to their website, but what they really want to know is how many leads did you produce, are these leads actionable, and how many leads turned into customers?  Google Analytics doesn’t tell you that. . .

Why I Don't Use Google Analytics for Inbound Marketing

1. You can’t track IP addresses easily (requires a programmer and lots of work – makes it virtually impossible to do properly).
2. You can’t assign people to IP addresses.
3. You can’t assign companies to IP address.
4. You can’t track leads easily.
5. You can’t track prospects easily.
6. It gives you no data on your competitors.
7. It only reports on backlinks that have been clicked on.
8. Tracking your lead nurturing campaign is nearly impossible.
9. It has no integrated keyword tool.
10. It provides no link grading or scoring.
11. It can’t integrate with a CRM.
12. Your traffic source categories are limited. (i.e. direct, referral, search, etc.)
13. Does not report on links generated from blog posts.
14. Provides no social media clout/reach measurement. (Google and Bing have recently announced that they do indeed look at a person's social media "clout" as they tweet and post on Facebook links to your website)
15. Provides no graphical sales funnel.
16. Provides no advice or recommendations based on the data it reports.

If you don't use Google Analytics for inbound marketing let us know what you do use and why.  We're always interested in checking out new technology.

Photo Credit:  Thomas Hawk

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