More changes to Google Analytics
If you’ve looked at Google Analytics search keywords lately, you might have seen something unexpected. (not provided) will be showing up here a lot more frequently from now on. Google has decided to encrypt search information relating to signed-in users. Supposedly that will only mean information disappears for a small percentage of users on the average site, but some are already reporting considerable swings. And if more people start browsing and searching while signed-in, as Google no doubt intends, the impact of this decision is only going to get heavier.
Why did they do this? Well, the official statement cited privacy concerns but people some have other ideas. In fact, quite a lot of people have other ideas and most of them don’t like new scheme one little bit.
Of course, this isn’t the only change they’ve made lately. The new toys provided in Google Analytics/Webmaster tools are intended to help with SEO, but at first glance there doesn’t seem to be much data in there that couldn’t be obtained elsewhere in a neater, rather more informative package. It seems they’ve taken away more than they’ve given.
The change to search keyword reporting is more likely to irritate the analytics community than it is to cause huge uncertaintly for individual websites, but as always, being aware of changes to algorithms and reporting platforms is the best way to make sure that a new pattern isn’t mistakenly attributed. If you see (not provided) popping up, it’s nothing to do with a change in your traffic, just a change in what Google is willing to tell you about it.