Google SEO Tips Google Analytics Not Provided Not Set, What does this mean?

[robertalert86]

The 'not provided' (not set) in keywords in Google Analytics is one of the nastiest tricks that Google played on the SEO community in 2011. Basically Google spun a big yarn that this was necessary to protect privacy; if a user is SIGNED IN to Google and lands on a non-https (non-secure) site, then Google does NOT share the keyword data.Google invented some nonsense that this was for privacy; while at the same time Google has all this data, and it shares the data with AdWords advertisers. It's a sad example of Google being evil, using its monopoly power and monopoly on search to distort the market. Sigh. Write your congressman (like they get it).Finally, they DO share this data in AdWords, so sometimes I recommend you run in AdWords so you can see the actual data (learn from it, and then go backwards). There are a few workarounds, such as expanding your time horizon as well. But not easy solution here, and the long-term future is rather grim on this subject.