A Glimpse into the Google Analytics Black Hole of the “Not Provided” Keyword Segment

The “Not Provided” Keyword Segment

I think we have all started living in fear when Google Analytics introduced the “Not Provided” keyword segment. This still could be the end of keyword data as we know it. As Google+ gains legs the “not provided” segment continues to grow.

The thing that trips me up is that this segment is included in the filtered results when I start segmenting the data. When I pull Google Analytics reports for non-branded keyword visits, the holy-grail stat that SEO’s are graded on, the not-provided segment appears. In theory, if a bunch of branded keywords live in that segment, and non-branded keywords traffic shows heavy gains for that month, the results can be skewed.

Read more at http://www.searchenginejournal.com/a-glimpse-into-the-black-hole-of-the-not-provided-keyword-segment/47390/