Google SSL Update – The sad loss of organic keyword search data in analytics.
Blog Post Update!
Since writing this very popular article we purchased the domain name for the keyword (not provided) www.notprovided.co.uk
We have decided to blog about this controversial Google update over there. So check it out. Not Provided.
Otherwise read below about the Google SSL Encryption update and how it will effect you!
Ok, so what does this controversial Google update mean?
Well to explain. Traditionally whether people signed into a Google property like G+ or Gmail or not and made a search that lead them to a website, that search query or keyword would be recorded by Google. The data could then be displayed in Analytics or similar tracking software used by the website owner that the search query lead that user to. The data would be recorded if the search lead the user to either an organic listing or paid advert. Not only that, tracking software would record all the page data that the user browsed on.
This has now all changed due to Google’s SSL update. Now if users are signed in, when they make a search, that search will be made over a secure connection. If the search lead the user to an organic result then the search or keyword data would not be recorded within Analytics or other tracking software. The data will now just say “not provided“. Not only that, tracking software would now no longer be able to track what pages the user browsed by that user.
This is considered a major blow for Website Owners, SEO companies and Keyword Conversion Analysis. It’s going to be more difficult to to find out what keyword searches people used to find a website.
Now for the controversial bit…
Although Google wont be passing on keyword data to the analytics tool and other traffic software for organic results, they will still allow the data to be shown if the search query lead the user to a paid advert. So effectively what Google is saying is “pay us for an adwords advert and we will give you the users keyword data” A little contradiction in my view which is upsetting a lot of people.
But wait…
We shouldn’t panic… Yet
This is update only effects the data on Google.com and for users that are signed into a Google property. Overall this only accounts for around 1-2% of all the searches at the moment. Yes as more people join G+ the new Google social network and sign up for Gmail accounts the amount of search data lost will go up.
As SEO and Internet Marketing professionals we will just need to get clever on capturing keyword data. Its not all lost it’s just going to be less convenient to find it.
Here’s some ideas to find alternative keyword search data:
- Adwords Results and analysis
- keyword Ranking reports
- Keyword Targeted landing pages
Joe Taylor
An Avid Internet Market, SEO Geek, Motocross, Mountain Bike Rider & General Adrenaline Junkie. Like creating Genius SEO & Internet Marketing Campaigns with Long Lasting Results that help put many zero's on companies yearly profits! Put me in your Circle >>> Google+
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First of all congratulations on the launch of your new website, looks pretty descent to me. This definitely related to me and what I do for a living as well. There are tons of post and articles circulating concerning this subject. If you use Google +1, this is where it first sprouted and caught my attention. This is very disturbing to me because like any good optimizer, organic keywords are extremely important at performing proper SEO.
This particular function of not recording the data is the exact same way Google AdWords allows users to display there AdWords results without recording the data. If your not familiar with this, it is a tool inside of Google AdWords to test your results without recording data. I believe one of the reason’s Google is going in this direction is not only for security purposes in the grand scheme of thing’s but to combat issues surrounding the use of software programs running constant analysis.
This software when run is compounding the data and actually producing false results by causing software generated impressions to the search engines instead of it actually producing a real human impression. IE… CAPCHA entries when running these various types of software programs such as Seo Power Suite. Great applications by the way. This makes sense because the keyword tool provided by Google in AdWords is only producing keywords from PPC impressions and not organic impressions. This completely relates to what your saying about getting data based on AdWord campaigns.
I am curious to whether or not the data that has been recorded will still be accessible as it has always been up until this point into the future through analytic’s. I was really getting into the new design with Google analytic’s today and still noticed organic keywords showing in the reports. But did notice the “not provided” data as well. I think Google may have other plans and we all will just have to wait to see the final outcome.