Keyword analytics - bad news!

I've posted this in the SEO forum as I guess it is applicable.

http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2011/...re-secure.html

This effectively means that you won't get exact keyword reports through analytics when the user has gone through HTTPs (which is when they are signed in, as most are nowadays with Gmail, Google+, Buzz etc.).

Rather you'll simply get a top 1000 referring keywords list from webmaster tools, not analytics.

What a pathetic move, why remove that data, it is doing no one harm and helping webmasters tailor content to better suit the users queries - something in both ours and Googles interest!

Keyword Analysis is the starting point and cornerstone of search marketing campaigns. Keyword analysis helps to increase conversions, find new markets, and optimize spend, but it requires time-consuming examination and decision making.

Yes, it's pretty shoddy of Google, especially as they're claiming it's for privacy, and then only applying it to the organic results and not the Adwords results.

Yes, I'd say the whole 'privacy' argument is pretty shaky. I bet premium analytics customers will probably get access to keywords as well, although I cant confirm that...

I guess Google is finally tired of sharing valuable data that belong to her for free, maybe the ad rev is starting to drop :)

Although it's kinda tedious to do that, I guess they considered that shift because of the relevance on the on-page factors but I get your points on that note that you can't spy the profitable keywords when the online surfers use the "https" or the secured search.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by humbucker

I guess Google is finally tired of sharing valuable data that belong to her for free

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True that! Google Maps is another case in point - starting to chart heavy users..

Maybe that's a feature that will be included in their PRO version of Analytics. They have a paid one right?

To be honest Google seems to be going downhill late. First their "I don't care" attitude is making it impossible to report scraper sites. Then they took down the YouTube channel of prospectives weekly.

Monopoly was never good for the end user.