So about 45 minutes ago, Google dropped a new interface onto their Analytics tool. My initial thoughts are that overall it’s easier to use, faster, and more intuitive. It’s also very flashy in a subtle way (if that’s possible.) Here are some of my observations.

New features:
1. Dashboard & report widgets. Allows you to create any chart with specific filters and save it to your dashboard. From there you can rearrange all your frequent reports and whatnot. This is a huge time saver. You won’t ever have to waste time drilling down the same path to find the right report.
2. Multiple date range comparison is easier with the timeline tool. The tool is a pretty cool idea, using flash based sliders similar to ones used in Google Finance. It’s pretty simple to add a slider and select a different date range for comparison. The flash buttons aren’t as easy to use as text/css links because they are small and respond a little differently, but overall it’s a nice addition.
3. Smart filtering. When you want to see report data from a few days, you can use the calendar or timeline to choose your dates, but Google will add past data to your graphs and highlight your date range. So you get the data from your selected date range, but Google adds a sense of scope for you as well.

Removed fratures:
1. Can’t filter by year very easily. The new calendar/timeline tool for filtering reports to certain dates is pretty cool looking but it’s less intuitive and takes a couple more clicks to get what you could have gotten before in a click or two. Also, the flash used for the timeline is a little buggy. When you click the slider and drag it to either edge of the viewable timeline, it ‘locks’ into slide mode and slides forward or backwards a year or so and randomly stops. Kind of annoying.

Suggested new features:
1. Heatmapping. They have a site overlay already, but its not effective at a glance. Crazyegg has the technology (and a high rank) - if they can do it, Google can, and should, it’s an incredibly valuable resource.

Those are my initial observations on the new Google Analytics interface. Again, I’m very satisfied with it. Since I use it every day, it feels like a treat from Google, and as an advertiser, I personally appreciate being acknowledged by Google. I’m sure everyone else is buzzing about it already.