Internet critics complain that Big Brother is always watching. They dislike the amount of information that is readily shared online and some have even raised questions regarding the legality of shared information.
With all of the debate on user privacy and the Internet, one thing is for sure: Sites are starting to take notice. Recently Google announced it would be encrypting search results so that marketers and site owners can no longer identify what keywords logged-in users enter into Google before reaching your website. Basically, this means that Google can no longer report all of the keywords that were used to get to a site.
Google has stated that the reason behind their decision is based on their concern for user privacy and security. Users will now be redirected to a secured site (https://www.google.com) after signing into their Google Account. Organic search results will still alert marketers as to the source of the visitor, however will not disclose what specific keywords or terms were used during the search.
While this announcement may be worrisome to you, take heart. There's more to the story. First of all, the keyword here (no pun intended) is ‘logged-in users.” In other words, users who are not logged in (as well as paid search (PPC) reporting won't be affected. According to the Google Analytics team, the change will affect less than 10% of daily searches.
Since this change will only affect a small percentage of potential visitors, you don’t need to panic or overhaul your policies and procedures. However, this is a good time to check with your analytics provider and see how this change may affect your reporting.
Also, focus on other ways to analyze your site traffic. Try looking at sourcing, segmentation and conversion rates. Keywords are important, but it’s just one component of the larger SEO machine.
Oh, and it’s estimated that other search engines will soon follow suit, therefore better prepare yourself now so you won’t be sorry later.
Contact Machus today for more information on keyword integration and increasing SEO.
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