Log file analysis tools

[fluke]

hi

As my website isn't getting loads and loads of hits at the minute - i quite often read through the raw log files - in fact more often than i look at my "webalizer" stats.

I seem to notice that webalizer often misses out some of the search strings which occur in the raw log files - and almost as importantly (to me anyway) doesn't specify which Search engine each search string comes from.

Can anyone recomend any Tools which analyse the raw log files? i am particulary interested in ones which can tell me exactly what keyphrases i'm being found for and what engine it comes from - also what bots are indexing which pages of my site.

I've been thinking about writing a basic one myself in VB but it really would be basic and would probably take me a long time too.

[flawebworks]

Awstats is great; will work on windows or a unix flavor. This can be installed directly on the server. http://awstats.sourceforge.net

If you have access to your raw log files; http://www.funnelwebcentral.com/
has a great free log file analyzer.

And if you have access to the raw logs; don't have a problem forking out 25 bucks or so; http://wusage.com is terrific as well.

[gooner]

Weblog Expert is an excellant stats program that does everything your asking for.

The latest version is very fast as well, one of my sites generates over 300 megs worth of log's every couple of days and the program can read them and export a report in a few seconds

[digitalpoint]

If you want to pay, take a look at Urchin or WebTrends.

[fluke]

Thanks guys

i don't really want to pay anything - and i don't think i can be bothered installing anything on the server (yes very lazy, i know)

i'm looking at funnelwebcentral one and weblog expert lite - in fact im DLing both of them - gooner do you know if weblog lite will tell me which SE's are referring me for which search strings?(thats the main thing i'm bothered about) -im looking at the list of things it does- i can't seem to work out if it does or not http://www.weblogexpert.com/lite.htm
flawebworks can u tell me if the funnel one does that or not? -

[gooner]

If memory serves under Options you can show SE's in the referrers for lite, which is not ideal but it gives you something to go on.

[flawebworks]

Originally Posted by fluke

Thanks guys

i don't really want to pay anything - and i don't think i can be bothered installing anything on the server (yes very lazy, i know)

i'm looking at funnelwebcentral one and weblog expert lite - in fact im DLing both of them - gooner do you know if weblog lite will tell me which SE's are referring me for which search strings?(thats the main thing i'm bothered about) -im looking at the list of things it does- i can't seem to work out if it does or not http://www.weblogexpert.com/lite.htm
flawebworks can u tell me if the funnel one does that or not? -

Funnelweb groups the search engines and the keywords found on the search engines. It does a lot of things and alot to look at, and get used to; for a free program you cannot beat it. It won't wash dishes for you; however.

[NewComputer]

Originally Posted by gooner

Weblog Expert is an excellant stats program that does everything your asking for.

The latest version is very fast as well, one of my sites generates over 300 megs worth of log's every couple of days and the program can read them and export a report in a few seconds

I have just started using this program and I must say I like it a tonne. The only problem I found was that I had to .zip or .rar my log files to get them to read my daily files.

Other than that, it is great. Breaks down with great accuracy.

[fluke]

Cheers chaps
- well i've DLed Weblog lite - and it's very nice and clean to look at - all the data's well presented and easy to read - however as would be expected with a free version of a pay software - it's a bit lacking in some areas. it shows more of the search strings than my webalizer package shows - however i notice it isn't showing all the SE's as i know i defintely had a dogpile refferal in there and it hasn't listed dogpile in the SE's. unfortunatetly it's not doing what i wanted the most - matching the search strings to the the engines. it's a nice little program so i may keep it around - now i'll just wait for the funnelweb one - shame about the dishes though - there are quite a few in the sink at the minute.

[NewComputer]

The paid version will show the SE referral.

[fluke]

thinking about it i think i used to have a "brother" software of weblog expert - weblog storming it was called - i couldn't seem to get it to read any of my raw log files though ( unlike expert lite where all i did was turn it into a .txt file ) it did look quite nice though - quite simliar to expert i suppose.

[fluke]

hang on - i'm talking rubbish - it WAS weblog expert lite i think - or - i don't know i'm getting confused - it defintely had the same desktop icon of the little globe with the red and green 3d arrows on it. - but for some reason it wouldn't read .txt files wheras now it does - so maybe it was different - or it's been updated since i had it last.

Edit

DL'ed Funnelweb now

great stuff! thats the boy - loads of stuff and se search term matching too - only thing is this one still hasn't listed all the search engines - cos' it still doesn't mention that dogpile refferal -hmmm. oh well can't have it all i suppose,

thanks guys