1. Google Analytics – I’ve used a couple of different programs to track visitors to my websites, but as Google kept adding features to their program, the others lost their appeal. Since Google Analytics (GA) is free, it only makes sense to try them first. GA allows you to track visitors from Referring Websites and Search Engines (including which keyword was used). It will tell you which sources are generating sales or other conversions, such as newsletter sign ups. Books have been written about the incredible power of this program. For now, just know that GA will give you great information about the following important areas:  Visitors, Traffic Sources, Content, and Conversions.
2. Adwords Keyword Tool – You can spend days researching the right keywords for your website. Google’s Adwords Keyword Tool will save you countless hours in this process. In a few minutes, you can determine which keywords are right for you, how much monthly traffic they generate, and how much it would cost to buy clicks for these keywords. The cost per click is a big hint about which words are generating sales. You have the option to search by keyword or by looking at the keywords your competitors are using. Be sure to show all columns initially so you can see what information is available. Also, consider downloading the list to excel so you can build a tracking spreadsheet of the best keywords and how you are implementing them on your website.
3. Google Alerts – Often overlooked, this tool will give you an edge in determining what’s hot and who’s talking about your industry, your competitors, and you. You can select which type of item (News, Web, Blogs, Video, Groups, or All) to monitor for specific keywords. You can choose whether to have this information delivered to your inbox as it happens, once a week, or once a day. It takes about 20 seconds to set one up, so, get started right now. What are you waiting for? Go ahead, set one up, you can always remove it later.

Be sure to check out all of Google’s Tools as they are constantly adding new ones. The tools above are powerful and effective, but they are only a sample of what’s available through Google.