Google Analytics Organic Search Keywords Suddenly Displaying FulL Urls
-
In my Google Analytics, the top keywords for Organic Search are suddenyl displaying full URLs. For example, now the third and fourth keywords are http://www.domain.com/highly-specific-URL.
These have all started recently around the same day, July 12th. I've checked back, and we've made no internal changes to the site around that time that could affect this.
Any thoughts on this?
Thanks!
P.S. It might be related to rich snippets, but I cannot tell at this point.
-
We are seeing this too! The homepage URL has become a top term among the usual top terms. For multiple clients, all beginning around July 14th.
Checked - devices, regions, OS, browser, landing page, visitor type, etc. Everything is different, so no one cause. Again, three different clients have gone from less than 5 URL visits a day to 50 -80 a day.
-
Hi Josh! Did you see Robert's response to your screencap? He raises some very good questions in it. Please let us know, thanks.
-
Matt,
First thing, is you said this started on 7/12. Was there anything done with GA code placement then or prior (say within the previous month)? And, do you have a bounce rate that is at or near zero?
Second, Can you give me any of the KW terms that are showing for you (don't need other data on that).
Next, can you take visitor flow for a week, and then juxtapose it against what you are showing re KW terms and urls to see if you have any "ahaa" moment.
From experience I can tell you that if you have GA code in more than once it will affect things but I do not recall ever seeing this type of occurrence. You are obviously in the right area on GA so you should see KWs with amounts to the right. (I am assuming your GA code is in the head tag).
Also, other than GA, are you running any other type of analytics program?
Now, if you take where you are and select secondary dimension, then select traffic sources and then landing page.
Does this change your urls on the left to keywords and the next item to the right being the url?I am going to send an email to a person who only does high end analysis and is G certified in GA. With all the redaction there is really no info, but I will ask him generally if he has seen that occur before. Let me know on the above as I do not know when he will respond this close to the weekend.
Let me know. Thanks
-
Hi Robert,
I'm attaching a redacted screenshot of the GA view I'm using.
Please let me know if you see anything!
Best,
Matt
-
Josh,
I use GA a lot and have not experienced that. If you can either put an image (use something where you can show everything like awesome screenshot) here or if it is better, PM me, I will look at it to see what is happening. If I don't have an answer, I will shoot an email to an expert (whose only works is GA and other analytics) with the screen shot.Thanks
-
Hi Robert,
I'm going to Traffic Sources - Search - Organic. The primary dimension is Keyword. There is no secondary dimension. Underneath Keyword column, URLs are appearing as top keywords. There are keywords mixed in, but they occur later.
Please let me know.
Thanks.
-
Josh,
Under Traffic Sources - Search - Organic, You are saying your primary dimension is Keyword, and under that first column, there are urls as opposed to keywords?
It is not under a secondary dimension, correct?Just clarifying before going further.
Got a burning SEO question?
Subscribe to Moz Pro to gain full access to Q&A, answer questions, and ask your own.
Browse Questions
Explore more categories
-
Moz Tools
Chat with the community about the Moz tools.
-
SEO Tactics
Discuss the SEO process with fellow marketers
-
Community
Discuss industry events, jobs, and news!
-
Digital Marketing
Chat about tactics outside of SEO
-
Research & Trends
Dive into research and trends in the search industry.
-
Support
Connect on product support and feature requests.
Related Questions
-
The difference between organic searches in Acquisition and organic searches in Default Channel Grouping
Hi guys, We have a question. In Google Analytics, there are 2 types of identifying organic searches: through Acquisition and through Default Channel Grouping. On our website, we have some differences between the number of organic sessions. Which one do you think is more relevant? Which one do you use? Many thanks in advance!
Reporting & Analytics | | RIDGID_Europe0 -
How is Google Analytics defining page depth?
We run two websites and as part of our KPIs we are treating those who visit 3 or more pages of our website as a client served. As a digital team we are not convinced that this is the best metric to use as the improvements we are making to the sites mean that people are able to find the information quicker. Additionally other organisations including forums etc link to us so those users will get the info they need in one click. What I would like to know is how Google calculates page depth in GA. Are they treating the landing page as ground zero and then when users clicks a link they go one page deep? Or is the landing page, page depth 1 . Is page depth a measure of how many clicks a user needs to find their information?
Reporting & Analytics | | MATOnlineServices0 -
Www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js what is this link doing on my website?
Hello Expert, I am using google tag manager and google analytic is already configured in that now i just want to confirm when i do inspect element of my home page in that i can see this link - http://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js where as if i do view source of my page then it is not visible. so what is this link - www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js and what role it play? Do we really need this link to be present on website? Regards, Raghuvinder
Reporting & Analytics | | raghuvinder0 -
Potential Security Issues Installing Google Analytics GTM
Greetings MOZ Community!! My SEO firm plans has requested that Google Analytics GTM be installed on my website to better track goals and events. My developer will be responsible for installing the GTM script on my website and the SEO firm will actually configure GTM to track goals. Is anyone aware of GTM causing server errors/issues when installed? My developer claims that running GTM would create additional vulnerability to hacking. Is anyone aware of potential security risks from running Google Tag Manager? Once Google Tag Manager is installed, will it make the site more difficult for my developer to administer? Will there be increased risk of the code breaking? Overall, is GTM a big improvement over the existing version of Google Analytics? Is it worth the effort to install? My SEO firm is very much in favor of this upgrade. I would like to move forward provided there is no major downside. I look forward to feedback. Thanks, Alan
Reporting & Analytics | | Kingalan10 -
Google analytics question
Ok so in my traffic sources break down I have 3 sections: direct, organic, and referral. My question is under the referral tab I have recently noticed a new traffic source, my own website.... How is this possible? My top referring site is my own website.... Is this considered direct traffic or how is this being traced?
Reporting & Analytics | | jameswalkerson0 -
Mobile Site on Google Analytics
Hi mozzers, We just launched a mobile site and I was wondering what are the main steps to follow for gettting your mobile site tracked via GA (m.example.com)? We have a profile for www.example.com GATC: javascript or PHP to install? Should the profile be on a subdomain? What else to consider when implementing a mobile site on GA? Thanks
Reporting & Analytics | | Ideas-Money-Art0 -
Google Webmaster Tools not displaying all backlinks
I was asked to take a look at a site that a friend redesigned and immediately plummeted in rankings. It was a flash site where the domain redirected to a flash landing page. When the site was redesigned, they removed the flash page and put in the new site on the domain URL without changing the redirect or putting a 301 in place on the old flash landing page URL. This site didn't have many backlinks to begin with, but it did ok for some important search phrases. Now when I look in Webmaster Tools, there are only 2 backlinks showing. Meanwhile I know there are more backlinks in existence, primarily from yellowpages and citysearch. I've had them put a 301 on the old flash landing page pointing at the domain URL and they've added a canonical URL. What have I missed here?
Reporting & Analytics | | BostonWright0 -
How Google handles keywords and punctuation?
How does Google handle punctuation of keywords within its search? If I have three keywords together, but on the site there is a question mark between them, does Google ignore the question mark? Or should I think of a new way of writing the content so Google likes it more? And would this apply with articles (a, the, etc) and prepositions such as (in, of, etc.)? Thanks a lot.
Reporting & Analytics | | Rocket.Fuel1