How Do I Get Keyword Data With Google Analytics Keyword Not Provided?

Link Google Search Console and Analytics

The “Google Analytics keyword not provided” message can be a roadblock while understanding search performance. But don’t worry, there are ways to get around it, even if you’re not a tech-pro!

You can access valuable keyword data by linking Google Search Console with Google Analytics. It provides insights into queries that drive traffic to your site, giving you a glimpse into what keywords work.

You can also leverage the keyword data from your paid campaigns if you’re running Google Ads. This information can offer insights into user search behavior and help you infer the organic keywords.

Combining these strategies has allowed us to gain critical insights into search performance, even with the limitations imposed by the “keyword not provided” issue.

Combine Page Data and Query Data

Since keywords are no longer provided in Google Analytics, we use a combination of page data and Google Webmasters query data to estimate keyword traffic.

In Google Analytics (now GA4), you can view engagement and conversion data from organic sources. Using the “landing page” dimension, take a look at how different organic landing pages are performing and understand the quantity and quality of that traffic relative to other pages.

Then, select certain landing pages you’re interested in using Google Webmasters one at a time, and look at the queries that are ranking and driving traffic to those landing pages. While you won’t know exactly which keyword is driving individual actions, you’ll have a great idea of which clusters of keywords are sending traffic to certain pages, and how that traffic is performing.

Use Google Console and Third-Party Tools

There are a few ways to get around the “Google Analytics keyword not provided” message to get critical data and insights on search performance.

Use Google Search Console. Google Search Console (GSC) is a free tool that allows you to see the keywords that are driving traffic to your website from Google Search. While GSC doesn’t provide the exact keywords that people are using, it does provide a list of related keywords that are driving traffic. This information can be helpful in understanding what people are searching for when they find your website.

Use a third-party tool. There are a number of third-party tools that can help you get around the “keyword not provided” message in Google Analytics. These tools use a variety of methods to collect keyword data, including crawling Google Search results and analyzing user behavior. Some of the most popular third-party tools for getting keyword data include:

• SEMrush
• Ahrefs
• Moz
• SpyFu

Filter by Landing Page

For a good while, Google Analytics began obscuring certain search keyword data, replacing it with the now-infamous “keyword not provided” message. This change, while well-intentioned, presented a challenge for many marketers. Yet, we’ve discovered a method to glean valuable insights despite this limitation: filtering by landing page.

Landing page analysis in Google Analytics provides critical data about where users first interact with your website. By scrutinizing the performance of specific landing pages, you can infer the types of search queries that led users there. You see, pages are typically optimized around particular keywords.

Thus, if a page receives significant traffic, it’s a strong indication that those keywords are performing well in search. This approach bypasses the “keyword not provided” challenge, offering a window into user search behavior and informing your SEO strategy.

Analyze User Intent Signals

Analyzing user intent signals is necessary to solve the “Google Analytics keyword not provided” problem. This strategy was learned during time as a co-founder of Compare Banks to find hidden data treasures.

A sophisticated strategy is to examine the content of your landing page and map it to the awareness, contemplation, and decision stages of the buyer’s journey. The likely user intent underlying the organic traffic can be determined by the content’s focus. This knowledge directs keyword strategies and content optimization.

For instance, analyzing landing page engagements prompted adjustments to the content in accordance with particular signs of purpose. Within three months, this campaign helped to raise click-through rates by 25%.

Understanding user intent allows you to go beyond keyword limitations and match your audience approach.