How To Access ‘Not Provided’ Keywords In Google Analytics
This may sound like a completely impossible task, yet with a little effort and some inside knowledge, you can access at least some of the possible keywords that frustratingly appear, in growing numbers, as ‘not provided’ in Google Analytics.
Hopefully, you are already regularly checking what keywords your website is being found for in your Google Analytics account, and if so, you would no doubt have noticed that there is a large amount of keyword data which states ‘not provided’. This typically means that these searches have been conducted while a user is logged into their Google account. The search has therefore taken place on an SSL (secure) link and therefore the data cannot be shared with any third parties, even your Analytics account.
However, all is not lost! You can still get access to what some of these search terms might be so let’s take a look at some of the ways in which you can do this, which will no doubt help you to understand more about how your website is being found organically.
Google AdWords Data
If you are running Google AdWords, one of the easiest ways to find more keywords for your site is to look at what keywords in AdWords are getting you clicks. Simply go into your chosen campaign, then select ‘Keywords’, and then click on ‘Details’ and then ‘Search Terms – All’. This will show you all the keywords for which your ads have appeared and been clicked on in your chosen date range. It doesn’t give you keywords which have been searched and not clicked on though. This will still give you an insight into what your customers are searching for before landing on your website.
Search Console Data
The newly named Search Console (previously known as Google Webmaster Tools) is another good place to find keywords. Simply navigate to ‘Search Traffic’ and then ‘Search Analytics’. These can then be broken down into ‘Clicks’ and ‘Impressions’ to show which keywords got clicks and which got impressions, which is great to differentiate.
Use Filters in Analytics
While you won’t be able to get the not provided keywords out of Google Analytics, you can set up a filter for the not provided keyword data to segment it by landing page. You can then work out which are your most popular landing pages for these not provided keywords and make some educated guesses about what keywords this traffic may be coming from.
Site Search Data
If you have search functionality for users on your own website, take a look at what they are looking for once they land on your website. This can give you valuable insights for exactly what people are looking for once they have arrived at your site, which can be very specific data.
These are just some of the ways you can access some additional keyword data and try and get back some of the not provided keywords that are so elusive on Google Analytics.
What are your best ways to find not provided data? We’d love to hear them!
Karen Dauncey has been working in SEO since 2003. She specialises in helping businesses get found online through Google using Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). Karen has been running, Blue Cherry Online Marketing since 2008 and running her own SEO and Google Ads agency has brought her a wealth of SEO knowledge and practical digital marketing experience. Karen has optimised over 800 websites, managed millions of dollars’ worth of spend on Google Ads and has a solid understanding of the constantly shifting industry of digital marketing and SEO. This gives her a unique advantage when it comes to being able to recommend the right online marketing strategies for your business.
Karen is also the founder and creator of The SEO School, an online SEO course to help teach business owners how to do their own SEO. She regularly delivers educational programs for both Local, State and Federal Government and is an advisor for the ASBAS Digital Solutions Program. Karen’s passion and commitment to help small business owners get found online is the driving force behind her online school, making SEO advice accessible to all with free resources and online courses.
Karen has attended search engine conferences in London, Stockholm, Adelaide and Sydney, and was also invited to attend a pilot Business Coaching Course at Google’s Head Office. She has a Diploma in Marketing from the Chartered Institute of Marketing in the UK.
To keep up to date with the latest in SEO, join her Facebook group The SEO School Community or follow her on Facebook or LinkedIn.
