I track hits on my blog as well as my client sites on a regular basis. And that tracking data includes what search engine terms people follow in order to get to a particular web page.

But now, Google has taken search engine tracking to a new level, extrapolating influenza outbreaks by location, based on searches for flu symptoms.

According to an article on CNN.com today about Google Flu Trends, the Google data can predict flu outbreaks 2 weeks earlier than traditional Center for Disease Control reports.

Check out Google Flu Trends to see the latest results.

The only downside is that Google cannot tell you whether or not Mr. Sneezy at the cubicle next to you has been searching for flu symptoms. You’re on your own for that.