Will Google Take a Blow for “Not Provided” Keyword Hypocrisy?

Google sure knows how to make marketers sound alarms when it comes to search engine optimization (SEO). The latest controversy stems from the new discovery that Google increasingly will report fewer organic keywords in Google Analytics. Soon, all organic keyword phrases used on Google could be hidden behind the dreaded “Not Provided” label. Search Engine Land has written a comprehensive piece on the topic.

NOTE: The above chart is from our own Content Marketing Institute analytics provided by Google. In 2012, just a small percentage of organic searches were "Not Provided" by Google. As of September 2013, "Not Provided" searches are now 80% of our total organic search results. This is why if you are a website owner, this is of critical concern!

How should marketers react to the latest maneuver by Google? Do you have any options? For some answers and insights, I connected with SEO expert Mike Murray, president of Online Marketing Coach. In his career, Mike has kept a watchful eye on everything related to search engines and worked with brands like Little Tikes, KeyBank, MTD, Bissell and FedEx Custom Critical.

Q. Has Google gone too far this time?
A. I don’t think Google has it out for SEO professionals. I suspect this questionable move is merely driven by legal pressures that the company refuses to explain. Clearly, they’re going overboard. They’d rather go to an extreme rather than be reasonable. For all the good Google does – like indexing the world for us – the company sometimes can’t appreciate the fallout of being audacious.

Q. What do you mean by fallout?
A. I’m not saying there will be a boycott or that businesses will find a way to stick it to Google. But one of the most significant companies of this era is quickly losing credibility. Audacity can be a good trait. But Google makes bold moves. It’s like Google stomps through businesses while saying, “Get out of the way. We’re calling the shots here.” Despite their attitude, I like many of their products. And yet, shouldn't the goal be for me to embrace the brand rather than merely use it for my needs? Just today, I went to an Apple store because I’m switching from a PC to a Mac. I had a great experience with the company and its employees. With Google, I’ve simply lost respect. Over time, Google’s brand will suffer.

Q. You think Google’s brand will be eroded by the “Not Provided” issue?

A. It’s more than just the “Not Provided.” The company keeps making poor decisions that will have negative effects over time. Google recently gutted a great keyword research tool. For years, it’s cracked down on how we obtain and share links. We’re all left to wonder, “What’s coming next?” I wish I knew the motivations behind their moves. Without their candor, I can’t help but be skeptical. It’s arrogance – plain and simple. And even worse, it’s hypocrisy at the highest level.

Q. How is Google hypocritical?
A. The hypocrisy stems from the poor justification for “Not Provided.” When “Not Provided” started two years ago, Google representatives said the company wanted to respect the privacy of people who search while logged into Google. It was a joke then and still is today. If you buy ads on Google, you get to see keywords that people used before clicking on an ad – even those logged into their Google accounts. The whole thing is ridiculous. If I see a natural keyword phrase, I don’t know who used it. Besides, how can Google claim it cares about privacy when it makes a huge exception to keep its customers happy with the paid keyword data they expect to see? Now they’re starting to provide this “extra protection” to searchers who aren’t even logged into Google.

­­­­­­­­­­­­­Q. What should Google do?
A. Open up the data. Think about it. Google will tell an advertiser:

It’s OK to spend $25,000 a month with us and we’ll show you all of the paid keywords. Thanks for the cash. Keep it coming in. But we don’t care enough about you to support your organic strategy.

If paid ads are that awesome, maybe Google should stop displaying organic results. At least that way they wouldn't need to play games with colors and try to make paid ads look like natural results.

Q. How should marketers respond?
A. Be patient. It looks like enterprise SEO platforms are rolling out proprietary systems so their customers can get some type of handle on natural keyword data. In the meantime,

• Hold onto historic data.
• Keep tracking rankings from multiple sources.
• Monitor landing pages.
• Evaluate natural keyword trends that still seem to be available to a degree in Google Webmaster Tools.

But above all, find ways not to depend on Google.

It’s not the end of the line for SEO. But it’s a wake-up call that SEO should be used to increase leads and sales (and not just increase web site traffic and improve brand awareness). For example, some companies think beyond SEO and generate outstanding content marketing leads by creating compelling eBooks that they distribute through major online publishers. Remember that SEO should always be about more than on-site strategies. Boost coveted search engine rankings through social media programs and by developing content that attracts inbound links from authoritative web sites. And of course, you can always track your SEO performance with Yahoo! and Bing. Strangely, they don’t conceal natural keyword activity from marketers or the customers they value.

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Do you agree that Google is going too far this time? Do you feel the worst is yet to come or that Google might backtrack on this decision? I would love to hear your thoughts.

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@JoePulizzi is founder of the Content Marketing Institute, which runs the industry's largest content marketing event, Content Marketing World. He is also overly passionate about the color orange. His third book, Epic Content Marketing, is now available.