No more keyword reporting from google, unless you use adwords

[Dave]

Well, Google has just changed the entire dynamics on search engine optimizing in its entirety: All keyword traffic from Google is hidden. All of it: Post-PRISM, Google Confirms Quietly Moving To Make All Searches Secure, Except For Ad Clicks

If you are using adwords you can see the keywords that hit your site and the keywords in use while your ads are running.

This changes everything. What do you think?

 

[Linda Buquet]

Thanks for sharing Dave. Things keep getting trickier for marketers...

 

[Thaddaeus]

Isn't Google planning to sell this info to their Adwords customers, or is that just a rumor?

 

[Linda Buquet]

Some ideas: Making Do With Google's Not Provided

 

[Linda Buquet]

No Data For You: SEO Experts Offer Opinions On Google?s Move To Withhold Search Data

 

[Linda Buquet]

Not Provided? Not a Problem. (If you have the right tools, team and strategy.) - r2i | R2i

 

[Dave]

This response is irrelevant for local. WMT doesn't give local data. It provides national data. Think of local markets where attorney is more popular than lawyer. No help there.

 

[Linda Buquet]

Just sharing what I find in case there is anything helpful for anyone Dave.

 

[Dave]

Since the change by google I've been doing a lot of drilling down, trying to isolate areas where there is more insight in view of the lack of organic data.

WMT only gives data on a national basis. To be fair it includes data on phrases with geo modifiers. But for a phrase like attorney where you surfaced that in certain markets attorney is more used and in other markets lawyer is more used WMT might well be misleading.

Google is delivering to WMT what it wants to deliver. It may or may not be useful.

Actually I use a lot of adwords and I'm going to go back and check adwords data against WMT data. I'll report back later as to the phrases with geo modifiers.

On a broad basis though relative to my markets I couldn't care less how many folks across the country are searching for doctors, dentists, autos, plumbers etc. all across the country.

I want to know how many are searching in my region and WMT doesn't tell us that.

To date I find this whole thing frustrating.

 

[Dave]

Just did a quick follow up to check WMT against analytics and adwords on three important keywords:

For one of them WMT and my adwords campaign which covers a very vast area...and then I run for that same keyword in an even vaster area: On impressions WMT is off from adwords by 50%. Not good.

For a second keyword phrase important but not that voluminous WMT estimate and adwords impressions are very close. Good.

For a 3rd keyword phrase that is very local...oh....this data is terrible.

WMT says we had x clicks on that phrase. What does analytics say? 10 times as much. UGH 10x and that is with a lot of data hidden.

WMT may be a little helpful but its way off from precise. IMHO its what google wants to present, whether accurate or not.

Its very limited data.

If others have better ways to find granular data please share.

Its frustrating.