Analytic Coding & Page Ranking

[Lynn Robson]

I'm one of the "Lucky Ones" to have opened an Analytic Account with Google and promptly put the code onto my site.
I read a post in one of these forums some time ago that since the writer had put Analytics on his site, his page ranking went down.
I think I may have suffered a similar fate, though not too drastic.
My page ranking on most of my keywords and phrases has always been first page but generally position 2 or 3 or very close.
Since I put the code on my site I find I am back at the bottom of page 1 or the top of page 2.
I took a look at the source code on the site today and I find that although the information about the use of the Google Analytics is on the bottom of my index page, the actual code itself had inserted itself at the top of the page, displacing other important data such as my keywords, title etc.
I only became aware of the problem when MSN started showing a search result with our website address instead of the title.
The site is www.thebridesmother.co.uk but I've already removed Analytics so it doesn't show in the source code. If you find you are having similar problems then I suggest you take a look at what the Analytics code has displaced on your index page.
Hey, have a very Merry Xmas everyone and a happy and prosperous New Year.

[KeithO]

i don't think you should be looking at GA as the source of your drop but something else.

[adbart]

I don't know Keith, what he has said seems pretty conclusive that it is GA that is doing this.

[KeithO]

would you consider it possible then that before GA, your page rank was incorrect but now more accurately reflects your site in Google's eyes?

[Lynn Robson]

You know, I really can't be sure without giving it a try at removing the code.
I know that when I downloaded the Web CEO program and had it analyse my site before I inserted the code it made mention that my Title and various other things needed repositioning to give the site more prominence.
I did all it asked, or as much as I could, then resubmitted the site. I was still well placed in Google at that time.
Afer a crawl I was still indexed pretty well and moved up a couple of places on some minor keywords but after I placed the Analytic code on the site it dropped me several places from my first position.
All this might seem insignificant as I'm still first page on most things anyway but I want to be the top of the first results page. Don't we all?
Now, I'm still a bit of a beginner at website construction and used Frontpage to insert the required text etc about Analytics.
I positioned it at the foot of the index page (it'll still show on the cached page until I get crawled again).
Anyway, although the text was placed at the foot of the page, the actual code was in the first lines above the site title etc.
Now, Web CEO is firm on the fact that anything before the Title tag reduces the prominence of the site during a crawl.
While it's fascinating to view my site activity it's not too important to me.
What I want above all else is superb positioning.
I can't sell online, too much hassle as well as angry suppliers beating me around the ears.
So, there it is. No certainty in this; is there ever in this complex world, but the very fact that MSN picked up the website address as the title, shows that something is amiss.

[brian.mark]

We've been using it on ToolPartsDirect.com without any problems. Our rankings have continually been top 5 since implementing GA. No real increases or decreases.

I'm wondering if Front Page mangled the code somehow and that's where your problem lies.

Brian.

[google junky]

Lynn,

I cant get the image 4426-F13thumb.bmp to come up. Are you sure you meant to make that a bmp?