Ouch. I thought this one was worthy of some analysis. Google acquire Urchin. [and here]
Why does this make sense? As one of the comments to the link above states, the link between search algorithms makes some sense, as you will be able quickly isolate and identify trends within the reams of visitor data that is collected daily.
This makes linking business performance and visitor traffic that much easier for large enterprise firms. If they can link visitor traffic quickly to revenue and cost data with a simple and powerful search tool, the sale becomes that much easier.
I am working on a project to re-define Web performance benchmarks, and this type of tool would be crucial in that process. Web Benchmarking as it is currently stands is broken and outdated. Attempts are being made on all sides to try and re-define how businesses measure and benchmark their Web performance so that it can fit into a larger business context.
Is a faster site more profitable? Or simply more costly? Does increased traffic improve or reduce revenue?
A tool that allow companies to quickly link performance and analytics data gets firms that much closer to a holistic view of Web performance.