Performancing metrics has risen like a phoenix from the ashes, but is it a devil in disguise that it not just looking to steal the shirt off your back, but your undies as well?
UPDATE:- based on the information I currently have, I would much prefer to use and recommend the use of the Clicky service directly, rather than a white label version hosted by Performancing.
As is a tradition on this blog, I don’t have any favoritism, and I don’t hold any punches. It is what my readers expect, especially when I am also including affiliate links in a review.
Better The Devil You Know
There is a saying “Better the devil you know, than the devil you don’t”
Another equally good expression is “A wolf in sheep’s clothing”
Is Performancing Metrics A Wolf In Sheep’s Clothing?
Possibly…
Splashpress Media
Splashpress media is the owner of Performancing.com , along with many notable blogs such as the Blog Herald.
I haven’t had any direct dealings with the guys at Splashpress Media, though I have frequented their blogs, linked to them, they link to me etc.
But…
Splashpress Media Are Competitors
If you are in a profitable niche, maybe they are not in your niche now, but they may be in the future.
Their terms and conditions suggest that they will not provide your data to third parties, but that doesn’t prevent them aggregating data for their own use.
Performancing Tracks Everything
The Performancing Metrics service is tracking click data, and that could well include monetization links to affiliate programs, advertising and PPC.
Performancing also tracks page views
This data even if just looked on in an aggregated manner could be used to identify niche markets that are profitable or experiencing high growth.
Bad Taste
I was debating whether to mention this, but decided it would be best to have everything out in the open from the off.
Recently there was a blogosphere scandal regarding MyBlogLog tracking Adsense clicks. I don’t know how the “learned” A-list “reputable” bloggers could have missed it as it was reported on a number of prominent blogs previously, and it was obvious the data was being tracked.
Performancing.com is edited by David Krug
901AM is owned by David Krug
Just a few weeks ago Duncan Riley was writing for 901AM (he is just a paid seat there), and reporting on the “MyBlogLog Adsense scandal“, which didn’t really exist.
It doesn’t take much effort to research whether you have your head stuck in the sand, or whether there is something real to any story. As an example Darren Rouse first reported about the Adsense feature back in September 2006, and Michael Gray had discussed it as well.
I actually noted at the time Duncan’s piece was written that in the footer of David Krug’s 901AM blog was a reference to Performancing Metrics, pre-prepared to become a hyperlink to a sister site in the future.
I actually still have a screenshot of the full story.
It will be interesting to see how many people who attacked MyBlogLog’s Adsense tracking write balanced reviews of Performancing Metrics.
You see there were 2 key points
- Whether people knew about the tracking
- Would tracking Adsense really get you banned
As mentioned above, Darren Rouse and a number of others had reported it, and as I previously wrote, it was fairly obvious that MyBlogLog was tracking Adsense.
Can tracking Adsense get you banned? Actually it may be the opposite, the only way to defend yourself if you are accused of click-fraud, and the only way to determine whether Adsese are tracking your clicks correctly.
Jeremy Zawodny was previously asking people whether their MyBlogLog Adsense tracking results compared well with those clicks allocated by Google. Don certainly saw a difference, and discussed the differences in stats with the Adsense team. That wsn’t the first occurrence.
It should also be noted that Performancing Metrics in its previous incarnation always tracked Adsense stats. It was a known feature, as is the case with many stats packages.
As far as I am concerned the story was ill-conceived hackbait, and as 901AM was connected with a soon to launch competitor, they definately shouldn’t have run the story, even if it was topical and written by a 3rd party (Duncan has no direct interest in Performancing Metrics)
Performancing Metrics Has Great Features
So that is the negativity out of the way, lets look at Performancing Metrics and what it has to offer.
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It is free for most bloggers and cheap for the rest of us
The statistics seem to be accurate
The statistics are “almost live” due to caching, but much faster than things like Google Analytics
The interface is fast – Google Analytics honestly after more than a year still runds exceptionally slowly
This isn’t the old Performancing Metrics that were highly rates, but honestly I never really liked the interface. The new Performancing Metrics is Slick.
Would I use Performancing Metrics?
Damn tough question… probably on a few sites.
Whilst I might universally use Google Analytics on every site I own, I doubt I would use Performancing Metrics on my niche blogs that are not public knowledge.
I might use them on a few public sites, including this one although I would much prefer a situation that a purely monetization company is running a statistics service, and not a potential competitor.
Once I have some more stats to compare over the next week, I will write a full review.
But Performancing Metrics isn’t Performancing Metrics
It is just a rebranded version of Clicky as is being reported.
Do Performancing still get access to the data, and why no mention of this in the terms of service?
Here is the answer:-
It is not just a ploy to earn affiliate commissions – he has “officially†licensed our product and is hosting it on the Performancing servers. He believes in our product, as do we, otherwise we wouldn’t be in this position. I don’t know what else to say, but I think you are being overly negative for no good reason.
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