From time to time, DirectiveGroup team members will share their views on a piece by an industry thought leader. Here, Kim discusses her experience relating to access for paid search data.
Not many people would be surprised to hear that Google has been blocking visibility into organic keywords as this privacy measure has been in place for about a year now. Long before the official announcement was even made, SEO experts forecasted this change. But, one question has remained for advertisers everywhere, “Will Google block search terms for PPC campaigns?”
This Search Engine Watch article, written by Jennifer Slegg, provides perspectives from Google as well as other key industry leaders.
A few months ago, Google made the official announcement stating they would soon be blocking access to paid search keyword data. Since then, I’ve been methodically watching and monitoring visibility from the most popular sources that provide paid search keywords data. This is what I’ve experienced:
- Google Analtyics – Over the last few months, I have experienced an average of 20% increase in “Not Provided” keywords.
- Google Adwords – Search Terms Report – I have not noticed any difference in the keywords being reported.
- Google Adwords – Paid/Organic Report – I have not noticed any difference in the keywords being reported. In fact, this report continues to be very valuable in provided organic keyword data as well.
- 3rd Party Platforms Using API’s – My contacts in these companies have reported that they have lost all access and ability to pull paid search keyword data.
In summary, at least for now, it appears that Google is still providing paid search keyword data through the Google Adwords platform. However, it may not be easy to find for someone who does not have a high level of expertise in the Adwords Platform. This is due to the requirement of account access linking to analytics as well as webmaster tools.
If you are finding it difficult to identify your profitable keywords or have more questions relating to any of the recent changes made by Google, contact DirectiveGroup. We are always here to help you take your business to the next level.
