Google to Default to SSL Encrypted Search - No More Keyword Data Stats

[Fraggler]

I just saw this great news about Google moving logged in users to the encrypted version of their search engine by default: Official Google Blog: Making search more secure

This will mean no more keyword data coming from the referral and it is going to wreak havoc on tracking tools (including Google Analytics) as well as scripts used in targeted advertising and dynamic content.

The only place to get your keyword data will be through Google Webmaster Tools.

If history is anything to go by then Google will probably move to making this the default option for all users eventually. YahooooO!

[MarathonMan]

Should be an interesting update, although it seems it's going to affect webmasters much more then users. Seems like another move by Google to compartmentalize information and only release the data it wants us webmasters to have - the same complaint I have with Adsense.

[Fraggler]

It will be sold as a benefit to users as privacy is paramount.

[Fraggler]

I just came across another post on the Analytics team blog and it looks like they don't think this will be a problem at all as it only "affects a minority if your traffic". Google+ must be a failure if they don't think there are many Google account holders online, which also includes Gmail, You Tube, and Android owners.

They do confirm that even Analytics won't be able to pull any keyword data from the Search Query but provide some useful stats such as the amount of people using Google...

Google Analytics Blog: Making search more secure: Accessing search query data in Google Analytics

I focus my backlinking and conversion testing (content modification) on the keywords being used and this is going to be a nightmare to work with. Webmaster Tools is fine for an overview but it doesn't let you follow a visitor around your site to see exactly what they are doing.

[Steve Faber]

Quote from Google
"all web analytics services, including Google Analytics, will continue to recognize the visit as Google “organic” search, but will no longer report the query terms that the user searched on to reach your site. "

Sure, that will only affect webmasters, not typical users, but since the vast majority of us here fit that description, it constitutes a problem. It may only skew the data slightly, but the problem will arise if the typical behavior of the kind of person who browses while signed in to Google differs from web users as a whole.

If that is the case, those users will have a different affect on analytics data than the rest, and if they are unevenly distributed among niches. If so, then those niches will see a disproportionate skewing of the analytics data. Not a huge deal, but if you're one of those who regularly test and track everything (you do that, don't you??) It could make it harder in some niches to get those incremental improvements that eventually add up to big results.

[Fraggler]

Steve, like everything else Google has done this surely will move onto ALL users' eventually. Personalised search is not limited to those signed in for example.

[Steve Faber]

Originally Posted by Fraggler

Steve, like everything else Google has done this surely will move onto ALL users' eventually. Personalised search is not limited to those signed in for example.

It affects all users now, if they have a Google account and happen to stay signed in when browsing. What I meant was that average surfers aren't really concerned whether or not Google reports keyword referrals in it's analytics. That's typically a webmaster only worry.