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BrightEdge vs. Google Universal Analytics (discontinued)

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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    BrightEdge

    Score7.7 out of 10
    N/ABrightEdge is an enterprise-level SEO (Search Engine Optimization) platform from the company of the same name in San Mateo, California. It includes customizable dashboards, reporting, forecasting, SEO recommendations, backlink management and competitive analysis. It covers local, global, mobile, social and content centric SEO. Presently BrightEdge's platform supports the marketing efforts of many well-brands, like Nike, Microsoft, and Netflix.

    $0

    per month

    Google Universal Analytics (discontinued)

    Score7.6 out of 10
    N/AGoogle Universal Analytics was an enterprise-level analytics solution that was sunset in July of 2024.

    $150,000

    Up to 1 Billion hits/month

    Pricing
    BrightEdgeGoogle Universal Analytics (discontinued)
    Editions & Modules
    No answers on this topic
    Google Analytics Premium
    $150,000
    Up to 1 Billion hits/month
    Google Analytics
    Free
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    BrightEdgeGoogle Universal Analytics (discontinued)
    Free Trial
    NoNo
    Free/Freemium Version
    NoYes
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    NoYes
    Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
    Additional Details
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    BrightEdgeGoogle Universal Analytics (discontinued)
    Considered Both Products
    BrightEdge
    Chose BrightEdge
    BrightEdge is able to do more in many ways - it's a more comprehensive tool for SEO keyword research (at least based on my personal experience) and also is able to present dashboards online, which was a major hurdle for us using the locally-installed version of AWR which could …
    Incentivized
    Discontinued Products
    No answer on this topic
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    100%
    Would buy again
    24 Answers
    97%
    Would buy again
    34 Answers
    Delivers good value for the price
    100%
    Delivers good value for the price
    21 Answers
    90%
    Delivers good value for the price
    26 Answers
    Happy with the feature set
    100%
    Happy with the feature set
    24 Answers
    91%
    Happy with the feature set
    32 Answers
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    100%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    20 Answers
    96%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    27 Answers
    Implementation went as expected
    100%
    Implementation went as expected
    21 Answers
    89%
    Implementation went as expected
    24 Answers
    Features
    BrightEdgeGoogle Universal Analytics (discontinued)
    SEO
    Comparison of SEO features of BrightEdge and Google Universal Analytics (discontinued)
    Feature
    BrightEdge
    7.3
    48 Ratings
    5% below category average
    Google Universal Analytics (discontinued)
    -
    Ratings
    Keyword analysis7.348 Ratings00 Ratings
    Backlink management7.041 Ratings00 Ratings
    SERP ranking tracking8.045 Ratings00 Ratings
    Page grader5.040 Ratings00 Ratings
    Competitive analysis7.148 Ratings00 Ratings
    Site audit / diagnostics8.545 Ratings00 Ratings
    Site recommendations6.548 Ratings00 Ratings
    Task management8.941 Ratings00 Ratings
    SEO Channels
    Comparison of SEO Channels features of BrightEdge and Google Universal Analytics (discontinued)
    Feature
    BrightEdge
    9.0
    46 Ratings
    17% above category average
    Google Universal Analytics (discontinued)
    -
    Ratings
    Local SEO9.037 Ratings00 Ratings
    Social SEO9.031 Ratings00 Ratings
    Mobile SEO9.042 Ratings00 Ratings
    Global SEO9.035 Ratings00 Ratings
    SEO Platform & Account Management
    Comparison of SEO Platform & Account Management features of BrightEdge and Google Universal Analytics (discontinued)
    Feature
    BrightEdge
    8.6
    46 Ratings
    2% above category average
    Google Universal Analytics (discontinued)
    -
    Ratings
    Multi-domain support9.036 Ratings00 Ratings
    Integration with web analytics tools8.345 Ratings00 Ratings
    Web Analytics
    Comparison of Web Analytics features of BrightEdge and Google Universal Analytics (discontinued)
    Feature
    BrightEdge
    -
    Ratings
    Google Universal Analytics (discontinued)
    6.9
    1 Ratings
    16% below category average
    Lead Conversion Tracking00 Ratings7.01 Ratings
    Device and Browser Reporting00 Ratings1.01 Ratings
    Pageview Tracking00 Ratings7.01 Ratings
    Event Tracking00 Ratings8.01 Ratings
    Reporting in real-time00 Ratings10.01 Ratings
    Referral Source Tracking00 Ratings10.01 Ratings
    Customizable Dashboards00 Ratings5.01 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    BrightEdgeGoogle Universal Analytics (discontinued)
    Small Businesses
    Serpstat
    Score10 out of 10
    Matomo Analytics
    Score9 out of 10
    Medium-sized Companies
    Yoast
    Score8.5 out of 10
    Lead Forensics
    Score8.9 out of 10
    Enterprises
    Google Trends
    Score8.6 out of 10
    Chartbeat
    Score9.2 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    BrightEdgeGoogle Universal Analytics (discontinued)
    Likelihood to Recommend
    8.7
    (80 ratings)
    8.0
    (55 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    10.0
    (35 ratings)
    10.0
    (11 ratings)
    Usability
    7.8
    (12 ratings)
    9.0
    (5 ratings)
    Performance
    -
    (0 ratings)
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    Support Rating
    9.0
    (14 ratings)
    10.0
    (23 ratings)
    In-Person Training
    -
    (0 ratings)
    9.0
    (1 ratings)
    Online Training
    -
    (0 ratings)
    7.0
    (1 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    8.3
    (2 ratings)
    10.0
    (3 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    BrightEdgeGoogle Universal Analytics (discontinued)
    Likelihood to Recommend
    BrightEdge
    BrightEdge is great for large companies and large SEO teams since it's pricey but worth it if you have a large team or organization using it. For small businesses, I would use a different tool like Semrush because of the price and the variety of tools it offers.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Discontinued Products
    As I have discussed previously their insights were very useful. The second thing is since it is a Google product you will connect the data very easily from other platforms like Bigquery, Google Drive, etc. and even you can connect Google marketing platform. through this tool, you can track your live campaign how they were performing, and how it will be engaging your customer as well.
    Read full review
    Pros
    BrightEdge
    • Instant - Keyword research tool is by far our team's favorite item on the platform
    • DataCube - We are able to uncover competitive gaps and hone in on specific sets of pages using filters containing our business product assortment attribute.
    • Professional services have been attentive when asking for changes
    Read full review
    Discontinued Products
    • It is an excellent cloud analytics platform that is easy to install and configure and easy to deploy and use, allowing us to measure web traffic and other tools.
    • It is an entirely online tool; it does not take up hard disk space like other desktop tools.
    • Since this tool is draggable, Google is constantly adding more features.
    • Even beginners who do not have a custom dashboard can get information. If there is a problem somewhere on the site that needs to be investigated, Google Analytics 360 will notify you.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cons
    BrightEdge
    • The storybuilder feature isn't anything outstanding. I feel like I can get the same type of data and format from Google Data Studio.
    • I feel like the Hyperlocal feature is still very junior compared to other features. It provides you good insights, but you have to set all the data fields before you can get a picture as well as it doesn't really give you an idea of how you can improve.
    • The mobile SEO solution is a good concept, but it needs some tweaks to be better, especially when building out a mobile story builder. Some of the data isn't simple to read and the mobile keywords functions don't also account for voice searches.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Discontinued Products
    • Generally I think there is a lot you can do within the tool, but as it is a Google product it means there is limited support - something which I think lets all of the platform stacks down
    • There could be more visual signifiers to identify if a feature is a normal or 360 feature. This would mean you can really get to grips with what the extra more advanced elements are
    Read full review
    Likelihood to Renew
    BrightEdge
    I would renew, as I don't feel there is a product out there that would have the impact on our SEO efforts as effectively as BrightEdge. It provides the information I need and integrates with other tools like Google Webmaster Tools, to truly have the depth of information that makes their suggestions for SEO changes so valued.
    Read full review
    Discontinued Products
    Google Analytics 360 is an upgraded version of the most widely used web/app analytics tracking tools in the market. The price is stable and predictable making it a long-term product of choice. It's easy to use and pairs so well with other Google Marketing Platform products.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Usability
    BrightEdge
    Because it depends on the feature, it's either easier or not to use. Some of them, not being particularly friendly, I no longer use, and I focus on the ones where insights are easy to understand and data seems well-elaborated.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Discontinued Products
    The UI is very easy to navigate and use. The features are well designed and intuitive. As long as the user has a good understanding of basic digital analytics definitions and capabilities, this tool should be quite easy to use. I consider Google Analytics Premium to be the easiest of all of the enterprise solutions out there to use.
    Read full review
    Support Rating
    BrightEdge
    This is a area where the BrightEdge team really shines. Their commitment to training and product support is unmatched not only for SEO platforms, but life in general. I often find myself wishing my internet provide and similar would go to BrightEdge for training on support and attitude. I would rank them an 11 if I could.
    Read full review
    Discontinued Products
    If you purchase Premium through a reseller like LunaMetrics, you are going to be taken care of. The additional amount of support and services that a reseller provides to make sure you have the best experience with the product is the reason why the reseller program exists to begin with. Support doesn't have to be just reactive, it can be proactive as well.
    Read full review
    Online Training
    BrightEdge
    No answers on this topic
    Discontinued Products
    There is a ton of information online about Google Analytics, but Google Analytics Premium users will have dedicated support and training from Google or an Authorized Reseller.
    Read full review
    Implementation Rating
    BrightEdge
    For the most part it was seamless. The load time of clients was a little long, but otherwise was quite easy.
    Read full review
    Discontinued Products
    If you already have the basic version of GA installed, "getting" GA Premium happens immediately through a virtual flipping of the switch - no need to re-implement. You'll want to expand your use of custom dimensions and metrics (you get 10x the amount with Premium). Ideally, you'll be using a tag management solution to talk with GA Premium, in concert with implementing a dataLayer (to note, Google's Tag Manager platform is covered under the same GA Premium SLA, and it's free). There are some welcomed "configurations" with GA Premium, such as integrating with DoubleClick products, activating data driven attribution models, and building roll-up executive reports - but all of these are easy point and click solutions. In comparison with any other enterprise analytics solution, implementing GA and GA Premium is traditionally easier and more flexible. And if you have any trouble or need an extra set of hands for implementation, GA Certified Partners like LunaMetrics can help
    Read full review
    Alternatives Considered
    BrightEdge
    While relatively expensive, Brightedge really does offer the best quality product but just as importantly (if not more so) the level of client/agency support. We have biweekly training with the entire team to continually stay up to date on Brightedge's offerings and strategies. They also offer the ability to do ad hoc reporting using some of their tools that can help us win new business and recommend Brightedge to additional clients, expanding our business as well.
    Read full review
    Discontinued Products
    Unless you have very complex and edge case analytics needs, Google Analytics [360 (formerly Google Analytics Premium)] is likely going to be the best choice. From both a cost and usability stand point, Google wins. Adobe has the edge case when you need to create really custom reports, dimensions, metrics, etc. In my experience, this is rarely the case and you end up biting off more than you can chew. Stick with Google unless you are or plan on hiring an Adobe Analytics expert.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Return on Investment
    BrightEdge
    • We have only started with BE a few months ago and so I don't have any hard numbers from an ROI perspective, but i can say that what we spent on BE is a fraction of what we were spending with agencies and we are actually getting results by doing this ourselves. From that perspective we have seen a cost savings.
    • With focused SEO campaigns and projects we have been able to move the needle on our SEO rankings for specific products and services. This is going to have a great impact for us in 2019 as we have some specific product goals and campaigns for 2019 that we have been working to build up over the last couple months of 2018.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Discontinued Products
    • It helps me understand which social media platforms are most successful for me - which I should focus on and which I might want to focus less on.
    • I can also see which blog posts people are reading - so I know which topics resonate most. I can write more of those, hopefully gaining more visitors.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
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