Take the 2-minute tour ×

We have been using Google Analytics on our main website for years, but recently we have tried another local stats system (Yandex.Metrica) and we are very happy with it - more than with the Google one. Thus, our idea is to completely remove Google Analytics from our website and use only this new system.

The question for SEO pro's related to this is the following. I've heard that having the Google Analytics counter on a website could be principal for better indexing/ranking. Is that true? Can we remove their counter without losing our good search result positions?

share|improve this question
Can you share the source of this information you've heard? –  Zistoloen May 6 '13 at 8:41
Unfortunately, I do not remember where I found this idea. It seems, while reading numerous SEO blogs and articles. –  TecMan May 6 '13 at 10:18
Ok, it doesn't matter. –  Zistoloen May 6 '13 at 12:00
Online SEO information contains quite a few cargo cult memes, the problem is sorting out all these rumors and identifying them as such. This is one of them. –  Fiasco Labs May 6 '13 at 16:36

4 Answers 4

up vote 1 down vote accepted

Although Google likes force webmasters to use their tools, I don't think using Google Analytics takes into account for websites indexing or ranking. There are too many big websites that prefer to use other web analytics systems like Piwik or Yandex.Metrica.

In my opinion, you can remove Google Analytics's script from your website.

share|improve this answer

At least around May/June 2010 the answer was no:

Webspam does not use Google Analytics. And a while ago I went and checked and search quality in general, does not use Google Analytics in ranking. So you can use Google Analytics, you can not use Google Analytics, it won't effect your ranking within Googlesearch results.

share|improve this answer

Maybe not in your case but it does seem to make a difference in the initial indexing process, since the script says "Hello Google, here I am, a new site." whereas a site without that script has to be found otherwise, through incoming links and so on.

share|improve this answer

Google (or Matts Cutts) never officially said that removing the GA tracker would change the position of a specific web page in search results.

However, you can make your own SEO experience. Try to remove the GA tracker for a month and check if there is a noticeable difference.

share|improve this answer
-1 This is pretty much the opposite of an answer. –  Su' May 6 '13 at 14:50

Your Answer


