Seeing "not provided" in your Google Analytics reports can be frustrating. As an SEO with over 15 years of experience, I know how valuable keyword data is. You want to know which terms are driving traffic, but Google won‘t show you the keywords.
The good news? With some work, you can uncover many of these mysterious "not provided" keywords.
In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll share all my knowledge to help you:
- Understand what "not provided" means
- Access historical Google Analytics data
- Unlock "not provided" keywords in Universal Analytics
- Track keywords properly in Google Analytics 4
- Use additional tools for more insights
Let‘s dig in…
Contents
What Does "Not Provided" Mean in Google Analytics?
When viewing your Google Analytics reports, you may notice "(not provided)" under the keywords section for your organic traffic:
[Image showing "not provided" in Google Analytics]As an SEO expert, I can tell you this means Google is not providing the specific keywords for those searches.
According to Ahrefs, over 70% of all Google searches are now encrypted. So you‘re very likely to see "not provided" keywords.
There are two main reasons you‘ll see the dreaded "not provided" label:
Secure & Encrypted Searches
Back in 2011, Google started encrypting search queries for logged-in users to improve privacy. For these secure searches, Google Analytics cannot determine the exact keywords used.
Keyword Data Not Available
In some cases, Google simply doesn‘t have keyword data available to share due to technical limitations. Issues like tracking failures can cause keywords to show up as "not provided."
Either way, "(not provided)" aggregates all the searches where Google can‘t share the keyword details. This means you‘re missing out on incredibly valuable data about the specific terms people use to find your site.
Later in this guide, I‘ll share tips to access this lost keyword data. But first, let‘s cover how to view your historical Google Analytics data…
How to Access Your Historical Google Analytics Data
If you‘ve been using Google Analytics for a while, the first step is accessing your old reports.
Your existing Universal Analytics (UA) properties contain a wealth of historical keyword information. Even if you recently switched to the new Google Analytics 4 (GA4), you can still view archived UA reports.
Here‘s how I recommend accessing your Universal Analytics data:
Check for UA Properties
In your Google Analytics account, look for properties with a "UA-" tracking code prefix. Those are Universal Analytics properties. They may be labeled as "Previous Version".
Open UA Property
Click to open your UA property. This lets you access historical reports from before making the switch.
View Keyword Report
Go to Acquisition > All Traffic > Source/Medium. Look under "Organic Search". This shows keyword data.
You‘ll likely see "(not provided)" here for any encrypted or unavailabe keywords.
Tip: You can link your UA and GA4 properties together for unified reporting. But the UA property will be your only source for old keyword data.
Now let‘s get into the good stuff…how to recover those lost "(not provided)" keywords!
Unlocking "Not Provided" Keywords in Universal Analytics
Recovering your missing organic keyword data from Universal Analytics involves linking up with Google Search Console.
If you connected Google Search Console in the past, you can view keyword details that were previously shown as "not provided".
Based on my experience, here are the steps:
Check if Google Search Console is Linked
In your UA property, click Admin and select "All Products". Look under Linked Products. If Google Search Console is there, it‘s connected.
View Keywords in Search Console
If linked, navigate to Acquisition > Search Console > Queries. This reveals keywords!
Access Partial Keyword History
Google Search Console stores 16 months of data. So you‘re limited to recent keywords, but it‘s better than nothing!
The key is linking GSC and UA as early as possible. This lets you gather keyword data over time.
For most sites though, unlocking all legacy "(not provided)" keywords isn‘t really feasible unfortunately. Only a partial keyword history will be available.
How to Track Keywords in Google Analytics 4
With Google Analytics 4, organic keyword reporting goes away. GA4 focuses on topics and themes rather than specific keywords.
But you‘re not completely in the dark. By linking Google Search Console, you can continue tracking keyword data in GA4.
Here are the steps I recommend based on my analytics experience:
Add Your Site to Google Search Console
If you haven‘t already, add your website to Google Search Console. This gives you access to its reports.
Connect Google Search Console & GA4
In GA4, go to Admin > Data Streams > Search Console. Click +Search Console to link them.
Enter Verification Code
Enter your site‘s verification code from Google Search Console. Click verify.
View Keyword Reports
Once connected, you‘ll see GA4 keyword reports like Top Queries and Query > Page.
Getting Google Search Console linked immediately is crucial. This allows you to collect keyword data from day one, rather than losing months of insights.
Additional Tips for Tracking Keywords
Here are a few other tips I recommend based on my 15+ years as an SEO:
Leverage Google Search Console
Use Google Search Console for its standalone keyword reports. The Performance report shows clicks and impressions.
Consider Additional Tracking Tools
Tools like SEMrush, Ahrefs, and Moz can help surface more keyword insights. They use external data sources beyond Google.
Add UTM Tags to URLs
UTM campaign tags with the keyword can track searches to your site. This provides keyword tagging when GA lacks data.
View Conversions by Keyword
In Google Analytics, view conversion goals and ecommerce data by keyword. See which terms drive actions on your site.
Getting keyword insights is crucial for SEO and marketing. With some diligent tracking, you can uncover "(not provided)" keywords and restore this lost data.
I hope this complete guide helps you reconnect with the keyword insights you need to take your website to the next level! Please reach out if you need any help unlocking your "not provided" keywords in Google Analytics.
