Recently director of SEO at SEO.com presented at SMX Toronto. These are the slides he used during his presentation.

1. Keyword Research in
a (not provided)
World

2. (not provided) = Not a Big Deal!
…when you consider all the data we CAN see
that is impossible to get offline.
#seocom #smx

3. Remarkable referrer data
• Cross-domain referrer data = websites talking
to each other
• Websites talking to each other = keyword
data, ranking data, and more!
Keyword Rank
#seocom #smx

4. Remarkable referrer data
• Sample search referrer string for “seo”
Keyword Rank
#seocom #smx

9. Then came secure search
• This: Keyword Rank
• Changed to this: Keyword Rank
#seocom #smx

10. (not provided)
Keyword 1
Keyword 2
• It will get worse! Keyword 3
Keyword 4
– Firefox using SSL by default Keyword 5
Keyword 6
– 25% of web users! Keyword 7
Keyword 8
Keyword 9
Keyword 10
Keyword 11
Keyword 12
Keyword 13
Keyword 14
Keyword 15
Keyword 16
Keyword 17
…
#seocom #smx

11. (not provided)
In March 2012, (not provided) accounted for
20%
of all referring keywords, across hundreds of
sites that we manage
#seocom #smx

12. (not provided)
Some websites saw up to
40%
of organic traffic hidden behind (not provided)
in March 2012
#seocom #smx

13. Enough about what we CAN’T see.
• WE CAN see:
– Webmaster tools
– Between 60-80% of
keywords
– Adwords data hasn’t skipped
a beat (and why not,
right?...)
#seocom #smx

14. Webmaster Tools (WMT)

15. Webmaster Tools (WMT)
• Pros
– (not provided) doesn’t apply
– Shows trending reports
– Shows impressions
– Shows ranking (avg. position)
• Cons
– Only gives us 35 days of data
– Rounds numbers to arbitrary levels
#seocom #smx

16. Record and analyze WMT data
• Download the Search Query Report monthly
to see quarterly, yearly trends
– Recommended script (Python):
http://code.google.com/p/webmaster-tools-downloads/
– Simplified tutorial for beginner-intermediate PC users:
http://goo.gl/dmd4K
#seocom #smx

17. Let content guide your KW research
• Use the WMT Content Keywords report, cross-
reference with the Search Queries report
Search Queries Report Content Keywords Report
#seocom #smx

18. Let content guide your KW research
• And can I get a URL to go with those
keywords?
#seocom #smx

19. Tackling (not provided)

20. Tackling (not provided)
Keyword 1
Keyword 2
Keyword 3
Keyword 4
Keyword 5
Keyword 6
Keyword 7
Keyword 8
Keyword 9
Keyword 10
Keyword 11
Keyword 12
Keyword 13
Keyword 14
Keyword 15
Keyword 16
Keyword 17
…
#seocom #smx

21. #seocom #smx

22. “The larger a sample is, the more likely it is to be
representative. ”
- Mark Chu-Carroll , PhD, Google Engineer Source
#seocom #smx

24. Calculating (not provided) data
1. Take keyword list
2. Filter by Google-organic only
3. Measure percentage of total known visits
represented by each keyword
4. Multiply that percentage with (not provided),
add to total
#seocom #smx

25. (not provided) sampling equation
To extrapolate total visitors for a given keyword:
Total KW Visitors = ((rv/trv)*npv)+rv
rv = Reported Visits (for current keyword)
trv = Total Reported Visits (sum of all known keywords, don’t include (not provided)
here)
npv = (Not Provided) Visits
•Apply to Revenue, Goal Completion, and other
metrics
#seocom #smx

26. Calculating (not provided)
• Google Spreadsheet: http://goo.gl/2uq5H
#seocom #smx

27. (not provided) tip: segment keywords!
• There is safety in
numbers
– Group similar keywords
together for aggregate
data (branded, non-
branded, by topic)
#seocom #smx

28. Segmenting keywords
• Example: Non-Branded Keywords
– Could be a specific product line, topic, etc.
#seocom #smx

29. Keyword research in reverse
#seocom #smx

30. Sample Landing Page Report
#seocom #smx

31. Key takeaways
• Be targeted in choosing keywords – when
possible, base selections on revenue, goals,
phone calls, rank/position strength, etc.
• Keyword segments = higher clarity
• Let content guide you to low-hanging fruit
• Educate clients or direct-reports on lack of
complete keyword clarity, need for data
sampling for more accurate data

32. Key Takeaways Moving Forward
• Implement new best practices for measuring
(not provided) data for higher accuracy in
reporting and analyzing keyword sets
• Create new best practices
#seocom #smx

33. Thank you!
• Twitter: twitter.com/claye
• Google+: http://goo.gl/cEhGC
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/claye
Special thanks to @PrestonVanDyke and @JosephBergevin for their brilliance and
collaboration.
#seocom #smx