Google Announces Google Optimize: Testing For All, For Free!

Heads of shoppers and commuters in a busy urban street scene.

“We wanted to make the best for the most for the least.” – Charles and Ray Eames

Charles and Ray Eames produced a body of work that was not only masterful in its artistic qualities, but also very altruistic in nature. Their molded plywood technology that they developed for their furniture represented an advancement that united many classes of people. Upper-class style and functionality was no longer reserved for individuals with upper-class income. This had some pretty far reaching impacts, into healthcare, education, culture and more.

Earlier today, Google announced Google Optimize, a free version of their Optimize 360 product. You could call it an Oprah moment, but I prefer to think of it as an Eames move.

The free version of Google’s latest testing tool will help to empower all marketers and website owners with the means to improve their websites. This means that small businesses and startups can have access to technology that gives them an edge, as long as they are willing to apply the labor and grow their expertise. The free Google Optimize option also provides larger enterprises considering the paid Optimize 360 with a great opportunity to “try it before you buy it!”

What’s the difference between the free Google Optimize vs. Optimize 360?

More details are to come on this in the future, but on a basic level, the paid 360 version will have expanded features that enterprise-level users will find important.

This includes things like:

Higher limits on concurrent tests (free limit is 3)
Expanded multivariate functionality (free limit is 16 combinations)
Google Analytics audience targeting (not available in free)
Expanded target metrics and the ability to apply 30+ Google Analytics metrics retroactively (free limit is 3 metrics)

Currently, there are no hit limits on free Google Optimize tests.

What does this mean for Optimize 360?

If you currently use Optimize 360, you won’t see any changes for your product. You can use both Optimize 360 and Google Optimize. In your 360 Suite navigation, you can create free Google Optimize containers in your “Personal” accounts, outside of the accounts within your Organization.

In Conclusion

For businesses that are interested starting with Optimize, apply to try it out! Request an invite at: g.co/optimize

Google will be rolling out these free accounts to applicants in October. When you are ready to take the next step and build a very robust testing strategy or are interested in personalization, you will want to take a look at the capabilities of Optimize 360.

And of course, if you need help building a testing strategy, training your teams on Optimize, or integrating your testing with your other technologies and processes, reach out and let us know!

Tara Kincade

Tara is Director of Data Engineering on Cardinal Path's Data Science team. She focuses on advancing clients' capabilities by solving their challenges in data integration and transformation. With a deep background in consulting across a variety of verticals and platforms, Tara is often a heavily relied upon resource to bridge communication gaps and unlock technical barriers.