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I think the best way to measure positive activity on your site is to make your own logging system inside your scripts - get the script to make a note of all vital info and record it to a log file - not the server log, your own special log - but keep the same details plus more.
In fact the major affiliate networks which run most of the online advertising in the world are only able to retain the power they have because of their really solid and reliable tracking/logging systems which enable them to produce genuine "pay for performance" services, where performance is charted accurately enough to enable very good pay for people who are talented.
For logging people professionally to the fullest extent of the capabilities of cyberspace you need:
1. scripts noting all vital details about users
2. cookies monitoring their every click and sharing it with the databases run by the scripts
3. a username and login account for each user, so they can help the system tell you everything they ever do {ah, the facebook model - the big I am}
4. added exhaustive sensible usage of server log monitoring by independent automated scripts, crawling to add peripheral activity to the records for all known users so that you can figure out their root entry point and other interesting facts about their surfing habits vis a vis your site / the sites you are monitoring for hits to theirs
Relying on 3rd parties for this kind of data or any kind of market data is an absurd waste of time, money and power (whatever of your data google or anyone else measures for you, they also know, and knowledge is power).
I reckon with extensive use of only those 4 things cited above I can build a solid competitor to the major affiliate networks, hypothetically. If anyone knows any other method I've missed, however, you can have a seat on the board for sharing the info with me.
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