# web analytics

> measurement, collection, analysis and reporting of web data

**Wikidata**: [Q10719477](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q10719477)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_analytics)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/web-analytics

## Summary
Web analytics is the measurement, collection, analysis, and reporting of web data to understand and optimize web usage. It is a specialized branch of analytics focused on discovering meaningful patterns in web-based data. Web analytics helps organizations track user behavior, measure performance, and make data-driven decisions about their online presence.

## Key Facts
- Web analytics is a subclass of analytics, which is the broader field of discovering, interpreting, and communicating meaningful patterns in data
- Mobile web analytics is a specialized study of behavior of mobile website users
- Click analytics is a special type of web analytics focused on analyzing user clicks
- Web analytics has 29 sitelinks across various language Wikipedias and related platforms
- The field is identified by multiple aliases including "Web分析" (Japanese), "Web分析" (Chinese), and "analisis web" (Spanish)
- Web analytics is classified under the eurovoc_id c_71f767f4 and has a freebase_id of /m/07gnl6
- The topic has a dedicated Quora topic page and GitHub topic for web-analytics
- Web analytics is recognized as an ESCO skill with ID 1605025e-a179-421f-8f35-5b07d182a6b2
- The field is covered in academic databases including ScienceDirect (computer-science/web-analytics) and JSTOR (web-analytics)
- Web analytics is categorized under the STW Thesaurus for Economics with ID 29232-6

## FAQs
### Q: What is the difference between web analytics and web tracking?
A: Web analytics is the measurement, collection, analysis, and reporting of web data, while web tracking is the practice by which operators of websites collect, store, and share information about a particular user's activity on the World Wide Web. Web analytics is the analytical process that uses data collected through tracking.

### Q: What are some examples of web analytics tools?
A: Examples of web analytics tools include Microsoft Clarity, a user behavioral analytics product launched in October 2020, and Plausible Analytics, a privacy-friendly web analytics solution. These tools help organizations collect and analyze web data to understand user behavior.

### Q: Who are some notable people in the field of web analytics?
A: Notable people in the field include Dharmesh Shah, co-founder and CTO of HubSpot who works as an analyst and computer scientist, and Laura Thomson, a computer scientist and programmer born in 1972. Many professionals in web analytics have backgrounds in computer science and data analysis.

## Why It Matters
Web analytics matters because it transforms raw web data into actionable insights that drive business decisions and improve user experiences. In today's digital economy, organizations rely on web analytics to understand how visitors interact with their websites, which content performs best, where users drop off in conversion funnels, and how to optimize for better engagement and revenue. Without web analytics, businesses would be operating blindly online, unable to measure the effectiveness of marketing campaigns, identify technical issues, or understand customer preferences. The field has become essential for e-commerce, content publishing, digital marketing, and any organization with an online presence. Web analytics enables continuous improvement through data-driven decision making, helping companies stay competitive in an increasingly digital marketplace. It also plays a crucial role in privacy considerations, as organizations must balance data collection with user privacy concerns, leading to the development of privacy-friendly analytics solutions.

## Notable For
- Specialized branch of analytics focused specifically on web data measurement and interpretation
- Development of privacy-friendly alternatives like Plausible Analytics in response to growing privacy concerns
- Integration with mobile analytics to track user behavior across different device types
- Connection to click analytics for detailed analysis of user interaction patterns
- Recognition as a formal skill in the European Skills, Competences, Qualifications and Occupations (ESCO) framework

## Body
### Classification and Relationships
Web analytics is formally classified as a subclass of analytics, inheriting the broader field's focus on discovering, interpreting, and communicating meaningful patterns in data. The field has established relationships with various specialized analytics domains, including click analytics (focused on user clicks) and mobile web analytics (studying behavior of mobile website users). These relationships demonstrate how web analytics has evolved to address specific analytical needs within the broader web data ecosystem.

### Technical Infrastructure and Standards
The field of web analytics is supported by extensive technical infrastructure and standardization efforts. It is identified across multiple classification systems including eurovoc_id c_71f767f4 for vocabulary standardization, freebase_id /m/07gnl6 for knowledge graph integration, and STW Thesaurus for Economics ID 29232-6 for economic terminology. The field also maintains presence in academic databases with ScienceDirect topic ID computer-science/web-analytics and JSTOR topic ID web-analytics, ensuring scholarly recognition and research accessibility.

### Tools and Privacy Considerations
The web analytics ecosystem includes various tools with different approaches to data collection and privacy. Microsoft Clarity, launched on October 28, 2020, represents a user behavioral analytics product that helps organizations understand how visitors interact with their websites. In response to growing privacy concerns, alternatives like Plausible Analytics have emerged, offering privacy-friendly web analytics solutions. This evolution reflects the field's adaptation to changing regulatory environments and user expectations regarding data privacy.

### Professional Community and Development
Web analytics has developed a professional community that includes computer scientists, analysts, and other specialists. Notable professionals in the field include Dharmesh Shah (co-founder and CTO of HubSpot), Laura Thomson (computer scientist and programmer), and numerous other individuals with computer science backgrounds who contribute to the field's advancement. The presence of dedicated GitHub topics and Quora discussions indicates active community engagement and knowledge sharing within the field.

### Academic and Research Recognition
The academic recognition of web analytics is evidenced by its inclusion in multiple research databases and classification systems. The field has a dedicated Wikipedia page with content available in multiple languages (Arabic, Azerbaijani, Bavarian, Czech, Danish, German, English, Spanish, Basque, and Persian), demonstrating its global relevance. Research databases like ScienceDirect and JSTOR maintain specific topic classifications for web analytics, facilitating academic research and literature discovery in this specialized field.

## Schema Markup
```json
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Thing",
  "name": "web analytics",
  "description": "measurement, collection, analysis and reporting of web data",
  "sameAs": [
    "https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q13550863",
    "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_analytics"
  ],
  "additionalType": "analytics"
}

## References

1. National Library of Israel Names and Subjects Authority File
2. [OpenAlex](https://docs.openalex.org/download-snapshot/snapshot-data-format)