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Analytics tool providers are searching to capture consumer buzz about products & services, as well as to determine the response to online marketing efforts. From tools from Radian 6, to URL shortener stats in Hootsuite and AddThis, marketers want to know how many people will share a contest or a coupon through Twitter or mention a product on a blog. Even moreso, businesses need to monitor how well in a rating system it is doing.
With this in mind, Google's interest in Yelp comes from a potential link for Yelp-listed businesses that also use Google Analytics as well. Image a business being able to compare stats from Yelp to its analytics data to determine impact on website conversions. Combine this with Google's introduction of a URL shortener -- Most shorteners usually have a stats counter -- and you have an enhanced analytics solutions capable of letting small brick and mortar businesses monitor their website, their online marketing (be it PPC, banner, or YouTube ad), social media (through URL shortener) and offline performance (through Yelp! customer ratings).
As of this writing (12/21), a potential deal is no longer on the table. This type of arrangement would have been a considerable competition to Yahoo! Analytics, which combines its analytics with small business services, or Omniture, which has also begun incorporating social media into its Site Catalyst package.
If Google does not acquire Yelp!, who else would make a good partner?
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