Difference between Google Analytics and Google Webmaster Tools

Key Difference: Google Analytics is statistical service that allows users to generate and monitor webpage statistics, whereas, Google Webmaster Tools are tools that are available for webmasters that can be used to optimize search engine indexing. Basically, Google Webmaster Tools helps a website get listed onto the Google search engine, while Google Analytics provides information to measure the website’s success.

Google Analytics and Google Webmaster Tools are two difference services that Google provides. The two are used for two different reasons. Google Analytics is statistical service that allows users to generate and monitor webpage statistics, whereas, Google Webmaster Tools are tools that are available for webmasters that can be used to optimize search engine indexing.

Google Analytics was born when Google bought out Urchin Software Corp. Google then developed Urchin on Demand into Google Analytics and launched the service in November 2005. Google also acquired Measure Map from Adaptive Path and incorporated it into Google Analytics. Google Analytics is currently the most widely used website statistics service.

Google Analytics basically allows a user to generate detailed statistics for their website, including the website's traffic and traffic sources. It also allows the user to track visitors from all referrers, including search engines and social networks. Users can also track direct visits and referring sites. Google Analytics can also display information regarding advertising, pay-per-click networks, email marketing, and digital collateral, which includes links that are included in PDF documents.

Google Analytics also integrates AdWords, hence allowing users to review online campaigns, track landing page quality and conversions. Conversions are like goals that can include sales, lead generation, viewing a specific page, or downloading a particular file. Google Analytics also has e-commerce reporting, which helps track sales activity and performance. Google Analytics also helps identify poorly performing pages, where visitors came from, how long they stayed and their geographical location.

Google Analytics has Real Time analytics, which allows users to access up to date information. Google Analytics is available in two modes, the free version has all the basic features, which the paid version allows users to access advanced features.

Google Webmaster Tools, on the other hand, is a service that allows webmasters to check indexing status and optimize visibility of their websites, especially on Google’s search engine. It includes a variety of tools that allow a user to submit and check a sitemap, which is list of the pages on the website, as well as set and check the crawl rate. It also allows a user to view statistics about how Googlebot accesses a particular website.

Google Webmaster Tools allows a user to check the website’s robots.txt file, as well as generate one. It also allows the user to check which pages are blocked in the robots.txt file. The Webmaster Tools also link internal and external pages that link to the site, as well as any and all broken links on the site. Another handy feature is that it show what keywords are being listed in Google’s search engine, as well as the click through rates of the listings.

The main difference between Google Analytics and Google Webmaster Tools is that Google Webmaster Tools shows the traffic that each keyword generates when it is listed in the search engine result pages (SERPs) of the Google search engine. Whereas, Google Analytics monitors the total traffic for the website as generated from all search engines, other websites, etc. Basically, Google Webmaster Tools helps a website get listed onto the Google search engine, while Google Analytics provides information to measure the website’s success.

Comparison between Google Analytics and Google Webmaster Tools:

	Google Analytics	Google Webmaster Tools
Developer	Google	Google
Type	Statistics, Analysis	Indexing, Optimizing
Features	Generate detailed statistics for their website, including the website's traffic and traffic sources Measures the website’s conversions and sales Tracks visitors from all referrers, including search engines and social networks, direct visits and referring sites Tracks display advertising, pay-per-click networks, email marketing, and digital collateral such as links within PDF documents Integrated with Google Adwords, which allows the consumer to track the amount the website has earned Track landing page quality and conversions, which are basically goals that can include sales, lead generation, viewing a specific page, or downloading a particular file Help identify pages that are under-performing by measuring funnel visualization, where visitors came from, how long they stayed and their geographical position Monitor new and relevant users on the mobile applications, as well as Traffic Sources reports and Google Play integration. Offers real-time reporting. Offers behavioral features like Event Tracking and Flow Visualization. Set and track goal conversions such as purchases, clicks, or time spent on the app. Also tracks real or virtual goods sold.	Submit and check a sitemap Check and set the crawl rate, and view statistics about how Googlebot accesses a particular site Generate and check a robots.txt file. It also helps to discover pages that are blocked in robots.txt by chance. List internal and external pages that link to the site Get a list of broken links for the site See what keyword searches on Google led to the site being listed in the SERPs, and the click through rates of such listings View statistics about how Google indexes the site, and if it found any errors while doing it Set a preferred domain (e.g. prefer example.com over www. example.com or vice versa), which determines how the site URL is displayed in SERPs Highlight to Google Search elements of structured data which are used to enrich search hit entries Receive notifications from Google for manual penalties.
Price	Basic service is free of charge and a premium version is available for a fee	Services available for free