Damon Kiesow posts over at PoynterOnline on new tools available from Google Analytics. Given the myriad options already in GA, and its consistent evolution over the last few years, I have trouble understanding why ANY organization would dump money into a commercial “enterprise” analytics solution. Yes, Webtrends, yes, Omniture, I’m referring to you.

Need to find out how a Web site is being used? For 99% of us, the surest, most authentic, available method – and far away the most cost-effective – is to learn all we can about using Google Analytics tools, and then put those tools into play.

Derek Powazek posted this week on the matter of Search Engine Optimization – a brutal assessment, controversial, and I have to say, dead-on in many ways.   As a number of his commenters point out, the “obvious” elements of SEO may not be so obvious to non-developers. But the larger point is that companies should focus their time and budget on good Web design and, especially, creating good content. Do this well, and you’ll have little need for SEO ‘experts’ or one-dimensional boutique agencies.

Oh, and the part about SEO poisoning the Web? Yep, it’s sadly the root of most online evil …

SEO cockroaches employ botnets, third-world labor, and zombie computers to blanket the web with link spam. 99% of spam comments to blogs are these kind of links. The target of these links is not the blog readers, it’s Google.

Read the whole post (and the comments too, for additional perspective).  [via Daring Fireball]