A while ago, we made public our intention to build an insights generator for Google Analytics, and Omniconvert Insights. The response has been overwhelming: over 4000 websites signed up for early access, giving us read-only access to their GA data to generate insights.
Key Takeaways
- Strong Interest: Over 4000 websites joined Omniconvert Insights for early access.
- Traffic Discrepancy: Similar Web reports 94% more sessions than Google Analytics.
- Data Segmentation: Websites were grouped by monthly sessions to check accuracy.
- Size Matters: Larger websites (>100k sessions) have more accurate Similar Web data.
- Reliable Metric: Time on site is the most reliable metric from Similar Web.
- Use with Caution: Similar Web provides indicative numbers but is less reliable for smaller websites.
- Free Early Access: Omniconvert Insights offers free spots for early adopters until tomorrow.
The Objective
As we’ve been using Similar Web to analyze the traffic for various websites, we decided to dive into this huge amount of data to compare it with real data from GA and understand how accurate Similar Web is in reporting data for websites of various sizes.
Data Collection
Since September, we have gathered data on
- Number of sessions
- Pageviews
- Bounce rate
- Time on site
Key Findings
As you can see, Similar Web reports that websites usually have traffic almost double than it is: 94% more sessions reported by Similar Web compared to Google Analytics.
Reliability of Data
But, is this data reliable? Can we apply this to all websites? For sure, no!
That’s why we decided to segment the data, as we do in GA for visitors. Only, this time we felt like in a fractal. The websites are now the unit, not the visitors.
Side note: Thanks a million, Andrei & Gero, for doing this hard and repetitive work to make this data possible.
Segmenting the Data
To see how accurate the data from Similar Web is for websites of different sizes, we decided to segment them into five different groups based on how many monthly sessions GA reports a website has
- Bounce Rate
- Page views
- Time on site
Analysis and Insights
Accuracy by Website Size
- Large Websites (>100k sessions): The more sessions a website has, the more accurate the data in Similar Web is. Therefore, you can rely on the data for websites that have >100k sessions in GA.
- Medium Websites (10k-100k sessions): Doubling the number of sessions that you find out from Similar Web will not give you accurate results for most of the segments, except for the 10-100k websites, which represent a third of them.
- Small Websites (<10k sessions): The data tends to be less accurate and less reliable.
Most Reliable Metrics
- Time on Site: The time on site is the most reliable parameter from Similar Web.
- Sessions and Pageviews: These metrics show significant discrepancies, especially for smaller websites.
Conclusion
- The more sessions a website has, the more accurate the data from Similar Web.
- Similar Web can provide good indicative numbers but should be used with caution for smaller websites.
- Less is not always more in terms of data reliability.
P.S.: Omniconvert Insights is to GA what Waze is for traffic optimization. Free early adopter spots are available until tomorrow.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Omniconvert Insights?
Omniconvert Insights is an insights generator tool designed to work with Google Analytics data, providing detailed and actionable insights for website traffic and user behavior.
How does Similar Web gather its data?
Similar Web collects data through various sources, including direct measurement from websites, partnerships, and user panels. This data is then aggregated and estimated to provide traffic statistics.
Why is there a discrepancy between Similar Web and Google Analytics data?
Discrepancies occur because Similar Web uses estimated data from multiple sources, while Google Analytics tracks actual user interactions directly on the website. This leads to variations in reported metrics.
Can Omniconvert Insights be integrated with other analytics tools besides Google Analytics?
Currently, Omniconvert Insights is specifically designed to integrate with Google Analytics, leveraging its data to generate insights. Future integrations with other analytics tools may be considered.
What are the benefits of signing up for early access to Omniconvert Insights?
Early access users benefit from being among the first to use the tool, providing feedback to shape its development, and enjoying free access to its features during the early adopter phase.
