Why omitting keyword_data_is_not_the_end_of_seo

1. Why Omitting Keyword Data Is NOT the End of SEO
This week, Google quietly made some small adjustments to their user protocol that has had massive
implications on the way in which data is being reported, ultimately setting the blogosphere and the SEO
industry on its head: With organic searches now operating on Google’s secure server, organic search
keywords are now fully encrypted and will no longer be provided in Google Analytics reports.
This means webmasters and Analytics users everywhere will no longer be able to see what keyword
query brought a user to their site. On this very site, the decision was even claimed to be another nail in
the coffin for SEO professionals. Though there is no denying that the SEO industry is certainly taking
note of the search engine’s decision, the change in data is neither unexpected, nor is it all that dramatic
or damaging. Let’s take a closer look and find out why.
Before we delve into this further, let’s look at the history of (not provided) keywords. Beginning in about
October of 2011, Google started introducing a parameter in Analytics in which users that were logged in
to a Google account, using the https protocol, were rendered anonymous. This left their behavior online
‘private’, and unable to be reported in Analytics. Between GMail, Chrome, Google Drive, YouTube,
Blogger, and a host of other services under the Google umbrella, it’s no surprise that the number of
keywords listed as (not provided) continued to climb, as these services attracted a high number of
regular users. The website notprovidedcount.com even provided clear evidence of a spike in withheld
keywords across the board, using a small sample of about 60 sites or so to indicate the climbing
percentage and alarming rate at which Google was omitting information.
Google also unleashed a subtle rebrand of its homepage, replacing the black bar with a clean, all white
bar, and an app launcher similar to that of its Chrome browser, and the tagline: “One password. All of
Google.” At this point, keen marketers may have been able to see where this was leading: as Google
tried to rope users into ensuring they were signed in, they also adjusted the protocol on their search
engine across all platforms to ensure all queries were equipped with the secure tag, meaning that all
keyword data would be withheld.
It seems that many are pointing to NSA and PRISM as particular motivating factors for Google’s switch.
Google didn’t like seeing other secure search providers getting jumps in traffic, and didn’t like the loss in
PR, as the global conversation continues to keep privacy a priority. However, paradoxically, Google
provided this data for those who had active AdWords campaigns for sites. With today’s (not provided)
keyword data currently climbing to 100 percent, as it stands, keyword data still remains visible for those

2. with AdWords accounts. It’s easy to see how cynics and stalwarts alike can’t help but think this is a
surefire way to increase ad revenue. Why else would a company that provides itself on user experience
remove a function that can be used to improve UX?
The switch to secure servers can be a daunting one, as it primarily robs marketers or data-driven
Analytics experts of one thing, and one thing alone: Convenience. However, below, you will find three
reasons why this really doesn’t matter all that much.
1. SEO has always been about more than just keywords.
Search engine optimization services generally offer the opportunity to better expose your website for
specific keywords; the way in which each company quantifies their success in this regard varies from
company to company. With my experience in SEO, I can confidently say that while we work with clients
to identify target keywords to promote, our work benefits a huge amount of keyword variations that
end up driving traffic to the site rather than just the specific keywords we may have identified. In nearly
every case, I regularly see that while our target keyword may have brought traffic to the site, keyword
variations regularly account for even more. Similarly, a sophisticated SEO strategy will not solely work on
exact-match keyword phrases, but a host of relevant phrases, variations and compelling content to drive
visits. As a result, the goal is to capture not just a phrase or a set of phrases, but an entire register of
keywords that may be relevant to your niche. By removing keyword data from the organic search report
in Analytics, this may be harder to qualify, but judging by other metrics, like bounce rate and the time
spent on site, we can clearly see whether or not users are arriving to the site and leaving with a satisfied
search query and a good experience. Furthermore, this data already exists by the buckets: As stated in
the previous piece on this site, Google Webmaster Tools offers users a glimpse into keywords that
regularly generate first-page impressions of your site in the Search Queries report. Explore the
impressions, clicks, click through rate, and changes, and quickly discover which keywords represent
successful queries, and which are sending users back to the drawing board. As long as overall traffic,
organic search traffic and referral traffic continue to grow, coupled with increased conversions, it is safe
to say that the efforts from your SEO campaign are paying off.
2. The Keywords Driving Traffic to Your Site Are Already on Your Site.
With rare exception, we don't see keywords driving traffic to a site that are a total shock. Generally,
keywords that are driving traffic to your site are intuitive; you have put them in your page titles,
headings throughout your content, and also in the content that you’ve marketed to build referrals,
building domain authority and page authority, in the process, allowing you to rank for these keywords.
Admittedly, these should be in the GWT report referenced above, but regular rankings reports can offer
you a compelling lens through which to view your site’s performance. Check the pages that are most

3. visited on your site, or even try sorting them by Page Title. You may find that title tags optimized for
particular keywords are performing very well, or find that others could use some improvement in terms
of the way they are presented. Similarly, you may have localized rankings for a particularly competitive
keyword that is regularly converting for you from a particular location in the demographics section.
While lacking the keyword data robs you of this convenience, it frees marketers from the burden of
worrying about the performance of particular keywords, and instead allows them to focus on what
happens to users once they are on the page. What pages are successful, leading to conversions, and
what locations continue to drive traffic? Of course, strange keywords can still drive traffic to your site. I
remember working with a couple of clients that were getting substantial traffic from obscure references
in blog posts on divergent topics; however, these were resulting in an alarming bounce rate, and were
easy to spot with or without the organic keywords on hand.
3. Content Remains King - Even in Analytics!
With this last move, Google is really taking the chains off of the way in which people market websites. I
firmly believe that taking the onus off of a particular keyword or set of keywords allows marketers to
pay more attention to page performance, location, demographics, bounce rate, time spent on site and
conversions. First of all, by using the aforementioned reports in content, we can see what pages are
getting the most visits, what pages are getting the most exits and look closely at different paths to
identify potential roadblocks in the way users navigate around a site. From In-Page Analytics to Behavior
Flow, Exit Pages, Content Drilldown--these are all transformative reports that will provide a clearer
understanding of the average user’s experience, regardless of how they arrived. Immersing our
marketing efforts in these reports offers marketers the opportunity to create happier clients. This will
definitely make the job of the search marketer more conversion-heavy; instead, we need to illustrate
how to improve a site to constantly remove roadblocks, enhance experience and increase conversions.
Addendum:
For those still on the fence, removing keyword data offers a powerful cross-sell opportunity for an
AdWords campaign for the data obsessed. Furthermore, plenty of third-party Analytics vendors must be
thrilled at expanding their customer base for what still is a pretty powerful tool.
Though (not provided) keywords certainly sent a jolt through the Internet Marketing industry this week,
it seems clear that this obstacle, like others, can be easily circumvented by the way in which you present
data to clients and colleagues. Keep your eye on increasing traffic and conversions and improving
rankings overall, and SEO can still be among the most successful components of your marketing
campaign.