reclaiming your google referral data mozinar by tim resnik (share)

Reclaiming YOUR Search Data by Tim Resnik, SEOmoz, @tresnik

Tweet with Mozinar attendees: #mozinar

Technical problems or feedback:

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Tim Resnik

You have a lot of data and some of it is hiding

It starts with Nicolaus Copernicus

In his day, the 16th century, geocentric theory was accepted as the most logical way to describe universe, and it all revolved around us

He took his theory, heliocentricity, to the grave, and scientific progress briefly suffered

Copernicus – Heliocentricity

1500s Today

Astr

onom

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Building Blocks of Knowledge

Copernicus

1500s Today

Galileo – observed the moons of Jupiter

Astr

onom

ical

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Building Blocks of Knowledge

Copernicus

1500s Today

Galileo

Newton – theory of gravity

Astr

onom

ical

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Building Blocks of Knowledge

Copernicus

1500s Today

Galileo

Newton

Einstein – theory of relativity

Astr

onom

ical

Kno

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Building Blocks of Knowledge

Copernicus

1500s Today

Galileo

Newton

Einstein

Hubble - expansion

Astr

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Building Blocks of Knowledge

Observe

Scientific Methodology

Observe Hypothesize

Scientific Methodology

Observe Hypothesize

Test and confirm

Scientific Methodology

Observe Hypothesize

Test and confirmOptimize

Scientific Methodology

WE SIFT THROUGH PILES OF DATAhttp://lindachorney.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/shit-pile.jpg

2000 Today

Sear

ch K

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eData Opaqueness Erodes Knowledge

Google Referral Data Secure Search

Google Search API

2000 Today

Sear

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eData Opaqueness Erodes Knowledge

Google Referral Data

Deprecated

Google Search API

2000 Today

Google Keyword Volume Tools and APISear

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eData Opaqueness Erodes Knowledge

Google Referral Data

Access limited

Google Search API

2000 Today

Google Keyword Volume Tools and API

Google Webmaster Tools

Sear

ch K

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ledg

eData Opaqueness Erodes Knowledge

Google Referral Data

Half the story…

Google Search API

2000 Today

Google Keyword Volume Tools and API

Google Webmaster Tools

Community

Sear

ch K

now

ledg

eData Opaqueness Erodes Knowledge

Google Referral Data

Learn from each other

Google Search API

2000 Today

Google Keyword Volume Tools and API

Google Webmaster Tools

Community

3rd Party Tools

Sear

ch K

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ledg

eData Opaqueness Erodes Knowledge

Google Referral Data

Scraping, extrapolating, illuminating

:(not provided)

:(not provided)

Search Referral Traffic to SEOmoz

TipTip #1: Sizing the Market

http://www.coldplay.com/newsdetail.php?id=1011

DO NOT rely on a single source for your data

Get a net!

Triangulation

http://geology.isu.edu/geostac/Field_Exercise/topomaps/self_finding.htm

Triangulation

http://geology.isu.edu/geostac/Field_Exercise/topomaps/self_finding.htm

X MARKS THE SPOT

Keyword Market Triangulate

Topsy Adwords

Fresh Web Explorer

Keyword Market Triangulate

Topsy Adwords

Fresh Web Explorer

Twitter

Google Search

http://freshwebexplorer.seomoz.org

Keyword Market Triangulate

Topsy Adwords

Fresh Web Explorer

Sweet spot? It moves!

http://www.collectors-club-of-great-britain.co.uk/userfiles/articles/san-antonio.jpg

Keyword Market Triangulate

Social

Keyword Market Triangulate

Social

Keyword Market Triangulate

Adwords

Keyword Market Triangulate

Fresh Web Explorer

Keyword Market Triangulation

Social 5,139

Adwords12,100Fresh Web

Explorer4,608

“Fire Trucks”:

Last 30 days = Velocity

Rolling 12 month average = The Past

Craig O’Neil, Flikr

Keyword Market Triangulation

Social 32,000 Adwords

2,400

Fresh Web Explorer

9,835

Last 30 days = VelocityRolling 12 month average = The Past

“Players Championship”:

Keyword Market Triangulation

DO NOT rely on a single source for your data

Tip #2: Mapping Universal Search

http://faenasphere.com/

Hours after Einstein's death on April 18th 1955, an autopsy was conducted by Dr. Thomas Stoltz Harvey. This was not your ordinary autopsy as it involved the heisting of the most famous brain in history

Just as Copernicus kept his theory from all but a few, Dr. Harvey took the fate of the scientific study into his own hands by deciding which scientist (many of them his friends)

http://www.nj.com/inside-jersey/index.ssf/special_reports/the_secret_life_of_einsteins_brain.html

HE KEPT A FEW CHUNKS FOR HIMSELF

We have a Problemo

http://www.seomanontroppo.com/google-news-analytics-stuff/

Hey Tim, check this out! I hope

you speak Spanish.

As search marketers we like to share the love, such as this guy who first wrote about VED

Google Referral String

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&ved=0CDIQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fradiohead.com%2F&ei=8zAQUf_DGIHO9AT76oHACA&usg=AFQjCNEuIlxuET2Onkcq_gLo6qAMpILDew&bvm=bv.41867550,d.eWU

Google Referral String

Google Referral String

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&ved=0CDIQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fradiohead.com%2F&ei=8zAQUf_DGIHO9AT76oHACA&usg=AFQjCNEuIlxuET2Onkcq_gLo6qAMpILDew&bvm=bv.41867550,d.eWU

We think there is some magic here!

Google Referral String

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&ved=0CDIQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fradiohead.com%2F&ei=8zAQUf_DGIHO9AT76oHACA&usg=AFQjCNEuIlxuET2Onkcq_gLo6qAMpILDew&bvm=bv.41867550,d.eWU

More specifically here!

VED Anatomy

ved=0CDIQF jA A

VED Anatomy

ved=0CDIQF jA A

VED Anatomy

ved=0CDIQF jA A

Search Vertical

VED Anatomy

ved=0CDIQF jA A

Absolute and

Relative Position

VED Anatomy

ved=0CDIQF jA A

?

Some (tested) Theories

Organic Search= QF j

Some (tested) Theories

News OneBox = QqQIw

Some (tested) Theories

News OneBox Image= QpwI

Some (tested) Theories

Image OneBox= Q9QEw

Some (tested) Theories

Video OneBox = Qtw lw

Some (tested) Theories

Video OneBox Image= QuA Iw

Some (tested) Theories

Organic, Sitelink = Q jBPosition of Sitelink = 3

Some (tested) Theories

Knowledge Graph Img (1)= BEPwdKnowledge Graph Img (x)= BEP4d

VED Summary

Vertical (Universal Search) Code

Q F j Organic Search

Q q Q I w News OneBox (link)

Q p w I News OneBox (image)

Q 9 Q E w Image OneBox

Q t w l w Video OneBox (link)

Q u A I w Video OneBox (image)

Q j B Organic Search - Sitelink

B E P w d Knowledge Graph image (leading)

B E P 4 d Knowledge Graph image (non-leading)

Appears in Google SERP

99%

1%

Contains Google Referral StringDoes Not

Appears Google Analytics

50%50%

Contains Google Referral StringDoes Not

Google Referral String

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&ved=0CDIQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fradiohead.com%2F&ei=8zAQUf_DGIHO9AT76oHACA&usg=AFQjCNEuIlxuET2Onkcq_gLo6qAMpILDew&bvm=bv.41867550,d.eWU

VED is still present even with Secure Search queries…

How awesome is that?

Put it to use in Google Analytics

STEP 1: SETUP A PROFILE FILTER

Profile Setup – New Account Profile

Profile Setup – 2 New Filters

You’ll need 2 profile filters to make this work

Profile Setup – Universal Extract

Regex to capture VED in referral string

Profile Setup – Universal Extract

Regex to capture CD in referral string

Profile Setup – Universal Extract

We’ll use this in the next filter: “VED – CD”

Profile Setup – Universal Display

Profile Setup – Universal Display

Calls the custom field we just created: “VED – CD”

Profile Setup – Universal Display

Extracts the referring search engine

Profile Setup – Universal Display

Displays “(VED – CD) Source” under traffic sources > sources > search > organic /dimension = source

Profile Setup – Example

Put it to use in Google Analytics

STEP 2: SETUP ADVANCED SEGMENTS

Advanced Segment Setup

Without Universal Information

Viola! – With Universal Information

Put it to use in Google Analytics

STEP 3: GET IN THERE

Get in there: Example 1

Great News coverage in Universal search

Get in there: Example 1

Not so great

Get in there: Example 2

CD = absolute position. This will tell you which Sitelink position is being clicked

Get in there: Example 2

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2

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0 5000 10000 15000 20000 25000 30000

VisitsPosition

Get in there: Example 2

Underperforming Sitelink? Do something about it!

Get in there: Example 2

If one of your Sitelinks is sucking, tell Google to demote it in Webmaster Tools.

Something Else

Knowing

Q&A Time!

@tresnik

www.seomoz.org

tim@seomoz.org

http://seomoz.org/webinars