Baidu releases web analytics tool

In what could be a watershed event for Web Analytics in China, Baidu has made Tongyi, a self developed Web Analytics Tool, available to members of it Baidu Union ad network (Hat tip to TagEdge for the news). As I have argued before in "Why Google (and Baidu) need a Web Analytics Evangelist in China)",  Web Analytics is one of the most effective tools for search engines to demonstrate the superior targeting and conversion that can be achieved through a well run SEM campaign.
Readers of this this blog already know the lamentable state of web analytics in China, where 160 odd million internet users were served by ZERO web analytics vendors (counting commercial WA vendors that have offices in China). And While Google Analytics is used selectively, there is no analytics community to speak off, judging by the discussions during the recent Ad:tech Beijing, and my lasted swing through the local Blogosphere.
I trust that Baidu's move in the area will spur the development in 4 ways

1. Expose small and medium local sites to web analytics for the first time and encourage them to run their site in a more data driven way.
2. Encourage Google to toot the horn of its superior tool (please correct me if you have seen more of Tongyi than me) harder and  invest more in teaching Chinese users how to use it.
3. Persuade specialized web analytics vendors that there is a market in China for their products after all and a market entry is in order. (at least once the corporate strategy team is getting over its M&A fever)
4. Following (1), inspire a group of local developers to build a "Chinese Omniture, Webtrends, Clicktracks, _insert successful US vendor here_.

Stay tuned for more on how this story evolves.

Comments

[Dr Mathew McDougall]

It is with interest that I watch Baidu launch their analytics platform. We saw Google largely introduce the idea for general traffic profiling using Google Analytics here in China and now to have Baidu introduce their analytics version shows that China's publishers and advertisers are indeed maturing and understanding the importance of measuring metrics and performance. SinoTech Media (www.sinotechmedia.com.cn), a Beijing based Chinese advertising technology company has developed and launched a new Chinese Analytics platform that looks to integrate web traffic profiling, heat mapping technology and behavioral profiling. This is indeed a brave attempt to provide sophisticated tools to a market in rapid transition.

[Florian Pihs]

Thanks Mathew for the tip about SinoTech Media. I was not aware your activity. Why don't you join our Web Analytics Thursday tomorrow, to update us on your efforts?

[Steve Gu]

Hi Florian,

When I first read the post about Baidu analytics tool "Tongyi", I wondered what the Chinese name of the tool is. I thought it's "统一 (united)". After some research on it, I found it's "统计 (Statistics)". It should be Tongji. Hope that can clarify the name.

[Florian]

Thanks Steve for the correction. Note to self: Must check my facts before I post.

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