I think it’s a brilliant idea to get loads of backlinks by offering free web analytics. It just might not be the thing for everyone to give out link juice, as is the case for me. So I went through pretty much all the free services I could find, that give out some kind of web statistics for free. Taking note of their “sneaky backlink” methods, so that it would be easier make a conscious choice about it. Turns out, there are quite a few free ones that you don’t need give out link juice to. Either with a little tweaking or out of the box.
Also, please not that quite a few of the sites, marked as giving out “sneaky backlinks”, do provide a non-javascript version, which is easy to nofollow and simply tracks the number of page loads. Those kinds of sites are marked as sneaky, because simple web counters that the web is already loaded with, would do the same.
Note: I have nofollowed the links in the sneaky section. Har, har.
Note2: I have not included self hosted analytics, such as the amazing Piwik project.
Free Web Stats With No Sneaky Backlink
AddFreeStats Analytics
+main link is nofollow
+easy to add rel=”nofollow” to <noscript> portion of the tracking code
Motigo Webstats
+no sneaky backlink. you can easily add rel=”nofollow” to the tracking code.
eXTReMe Tracking
+no sneaky backlink. you can easily add rel=”nofollow” to the tracking code
+script generated dofollow link added, no longer nofollow đ
Logaholic Web Analytics
– remove link inside no script tag by editing plugin and add rel=\”nofollow\” to link
– confusing registration process
– wordpress plugin “Logaholic Live” not updated. register and download new plugin
– free version limited to one site
+ no sneaky backlink, after removing it
+ Live edition is no longer free, you must use the “Self Hosted Edition”
Clicky
+ no sneaky backlink. you are free to add a rel=”nofollow” to the tracking code
Performancing Metrics
– max 1,000,000 daily page views
+ no sneaky backlink.
GoingUp! Web Analytics
+ wordpress plugin, but actually just copy pasting tracking code to widget is easier
+ sneaky backlink removed!
Above, hilarious example of how upset people can get when their sneaky backlink trick is exposed. And how complaining about it can yield results. Join the fun!
– They removed the link after I complained, and put it back again.
Jetpack for WordPress
+ includes a lot more than web statistics, but you can choose to enable what u need.
+ works with wordpress.com account
+ no sneaky backlink
Free Web Counter Plus
– easy to tamper with backlinks
Free Web Stats With A Sneaky Backlink
Histats
– sneaky backlink, javascript generated.
W3Counter
–Â sneaky backlink, javascript generated.
ShinyStat
– sneaky backlink. javascript generated.
StatsCounter
– sneaky backlink. javascript generated.
Site Meter
– sneaky backlink. javascript generated.
OneStat Free
– sneaky backlink. javascript generated.
GoStats
– sneaky backlink. javascript generated.
Webstat.net
– sneaky backlink. javascript generated.
Flash Counter
– sneaky backlink. javascript generated.
Stuff I Never Tried
Lucidel
– NO demographic segments for free users
– Required that the website is registered with google webmaster tools
Hit Counter
– If code is changed to remove back links, the web front end statistics stops working.
+ The way around it: add the code with backlinks. check your stats page. after that, remove/nofollow the links so it doesn’t complain. otherwise you loose access to stats.
Got more free web analytic services for me to try out? Please, share!
Thanks for the post! actually i had histats.com code on my website and i find out there is code that loads content from eyeota.com so i removed the histats code and it was all Ok again. thanks to gtmetrix.com!