Google Analytics traffic sources

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Why does google analytics include adwords traffic in search traffic and not referral traffic? Nearly 90% of my traffic for one of my sites comes from adwords yet google shows I get 43% from search. Really? Adwords <> search in my opinion.

Anyone else see these kind of issues with the numbers reported by google?
#analytics #google #sources #traffic
  • Profile picture of the author semaximizer
    check if the Analytics code is inserted properly. I suspect that's the reason. I had a similar problem sometime back.
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    • Profile picture of the author aygabtu
      Originally Posted by semaximizer View Post

      check if the Analytics code is inserted properly. I suspect that's the reason. I had a similar problem sometime back.
      Inserted properly? I have several sites and I include it the same way in each through a php include_once in my header file. Hard to see that as an issue.
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    • Profile picture of the author Trevor
      Originally Posted by semaximizer View Post

      check if the Analytics code is inserted properly. I suspect that's the reason. I had a similar problem sometime back.
      Yep, the code has to be installed on all the pages you are getting traffic to.
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  • Profile picture of the author MikeFriedman
    Originally Posted by aygabtu View Post

    Why does google analytics include adwords traffic in search traffic and not referral traffic? Nearly 90% of my traffic for one of my sites comes from adwords yet google shows I get 43% from search. Really? Adwords <> search in my opinion.

    Anyone else see these kind of issues with the numbers reported by google?
    Well, technically, the user has to go to Google and type in a search query to see the ads. So in that way, it is search engine traffic.
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    • Profile picture of the author aygabtu
      Originally Posted by MikeFriedman View Post

      Well, technically, the user has to go to Google and type in a search query to see the ads. So in that way, it is search engine traffic.
      In the sources->all traffic, they do break things down for google between referral and organic, but for sites like ask it shows as all organic. I am sure most of my ask traffic is not organic. Did they search? Yes. But they did on google too, but they broke it down between search and referral there.

      Bottom line, I want to know how much traffic is organic and what is coming from ads(that I am paying for). Google disappoints with their data.
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      Check top 300 Google SERP results free. WhatsMySERP.com tracks and graphs changes for multiple domains/keywords/regions. Also includes advanced keyword density tool.

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      • Profile picture of the author trustumar
        Analytics gives 3 options
        non-paid | total | paid

        or go to adwords category
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  • Profile picture of the author SASA Techno
    Google Analytics traffice sources lot's of service provide like referring sites, searching sites, and Direct traffic so this is best in Google analytics.
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  • Profile picture of the author Jennycall
    My understanding is that Google automatically removes bots from their analytics reports. Unless a bot is unknown to Google, it’s probably not in your numbers. My other thought: I can’t imagine that bots would account for a significant volume. Do you have any reason to suspect bots are visiting your site and impacting your stats?
    thanks
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  • Profile picture of the author ADHardwick
    Why would you include once in the header? That seems like an unnecessary call when you could just drop the code right into the header file itself.

    Anyway, I believe there are tracking options when you first set up analytics. That could bs where the issue is. But to be honest it sounds like you're just misinterpreting the new analytics interface. Don't worry, the new interface confuses me all the time.
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