Logfile Analysis Vs. Page Tagging
Here are the advantages of the logfile analysis approach over page tagging:
1. A web server produces logfiles so the data that's needed is already available. In the case of page tagging, changes must be made to the website.
2. The web server can be relied on to record every action it makes. The system involved in page tagging depends on 4the cooperation of visitors' browsers. Many of them refuse to give a helping hand.
3. The data needed is in the organization's servers and is in standard format. This allows the company to switch programs with ease, use different programs or solutions, and analyze historical information using a new program. Page tagging solutions, on the other hand, are in proprietary format and the vendor causes them to be locked-in.
4. While logfiles contain records of visits by search engine spiders, this information could be useful at another time, particularly in performing search engine optimization.
5. Since logfiles record everything, they also contain information on failed requests. Page tagging, on the other hand, records only successfully viewed pages or images.
Page tagging also has its advantages against logfiles:
1. The _JavaScript runs automatically whenever a page is loaded, which means that caching is less of a problem.
2. Adding information to the _JavaScript is easier and a remote service can collect it. Information on the price of goods a visitor purchased or their screen sizes can be added to the data collected. In logfile analysis, information that the web server doesn't collect, can only be recorded if changes have been done to the URL.
3. The service assigns cookies to visitors but with logfile analysis, the server must be configured to be able to do this.
4. Lastly, even organizations or firms that don't run their own web servers, can use page tagging.
About the Author
Mark Rapor is the author. Find out more about Page Tagging in the author's website.
