Internal Website Search Analytics
Search Analytics refer to the process of obtaining business insight from the research and analysis of the search activity that takes place within a website through internal site search, this can be done by studying the search patterns, searches, search phrases and queries that take place within a site. Website operators can generate significant insight into how users utilize their website and what kinds of content or information they are seeking. With this knowledge website operators can enhance, update or expand their content or product offerings to take advantage of the intelligence gained from the search analytics.

In its broader definition search analytics also plays an external and critical role in the process of search engine marketing because it provides the ability to analyze and assess the effectiveness of search engine marketing campaigns and particularly paid search, in which companies are investing billions of dollars as their primary method of generating user traffic to their websites.

Search Analytics in Search Engine Marketing
Within the context of search engine marketing the primary use of search analytics is to analyze the effectiveness of various search engines, campaigns, keywords, keyword ads, keyword ad creative, bidding strategies, landing page creative and more. In short every variable that comprises a search engine marketing campaign should be measured and analyzed versus other similar variables both internally and externally. These variables should also be tracked and measured over time to identify changes in trends, the search engine marketing filed is a dynamic space with changing prices and seasonal factors and trends, by intelligently utilizing search analytics search marketers will be able to maximize their return on investment and value generated from their search marketing campaigns.

Important indicators for search marketers
Important indicators that search marketers need to assess on a constant basis include all costs related to incoming search traffic acquisition and all conversion rates at every step of the process during the conversion path to the final conversion, which could be a sale of a product or a subscription or registration of some type. All this data should be tracked and analyzed on an individual basis per search engine, search campaign, Keyword Ad creative, keyword and bid. The result is clear, by tracking and analyzing data in this manner with search analytics search marketers will know exactly which search engines, campaigns, keywords, creative and bid strategies yield the best results as measured by return on investment (ROI) and can thereafter do more of what works and less of what doesn't.

Some leading Search Analytics providers include:
Omniture.com
Webtrends.com
Indextools.com