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We have decided to take much of the information retrieval and analysis software we've written for large clients, and rewrite it in smaller, leaner programs for a much broader range of customers, at much lower prices. The first release will be the:

SearchLogger
Our company has always needed data to understand how and why users are surfing the Internet. There are plenty of web log analyzers on the market, ranging from Analog (free) to WebTrends ($200). We rejected them all years ago, because they simply collect vast quantities of data and organize it into mountains of useless presentation. Sometimes pretty, but always useless. (We like OLAP data analysis systems, but they run $30,000+.)

The SearchLogger is a lean version of analysis software that we wrote and use ourselves to monitor clients' web sites. It has no fancy bar charts. No "top ten referrers." This program does one thing, exceedingly well: it captures the search terms visitors used to find your web site – all of them – and presents them in this HTML format:

Name of your web site page
    Name of referring search engine
        [search term] [number of visitors using that term]

More important, to the serious web traffic analyst, the program will also produce a tab-delimited text file (Unix, DOS, or Mac format), which can be downloaded and imported into the program of your choice for further analysis (spreadsheet, database ... anything that organizes data in rows and fields). The log files are relatively small, compared to the multi-megabyte log files created by full HTTP headers, which minimizes the need for regularly wiping the file; it can be left intact for months or sometimes even years without soaking up too much server hard drive storage.

Beta version (fully accessible): SearchLogger sample
LISNews readers wanting a free test copy installed on their server, please email Nicholas

SearchLogger will be accompanied by a plain-English PDF manual telling how to install, troubleshoot, and use it.

The program will carry the same guarantee as our reports: if you are not satisfied, we will refund your money.

Price? Probably around $25.00.