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Topic Type: News Story (Jump to http://www.semvironment.com)
Category: Google AdWords
Google changed their auto-tagging function and made a popular Google AdWords filter useless. This is another stab at small business owners and their ability to compete on AdWords!
6 Comments



Comments
This really sounds almost criminal to me. These guys figured out a way to see what the real search queries were on Google AdWords just by using filters in Google Analytics. The data was out for everyone to see, not like in the Google Search Query Report where half of the clicks are just listed as "Other Unique Queries". Google apparently has shut off access to this data now so the data can't be seen.
What does Google have to hide? They want us to be relevent with our advertising, so why don't they give us the tools to make our advertising relevant. Broad matching keywords is increadibly irrelevant without utilizing the negative keywords gleaned from the Search Query Report. But the Search Query Report is half a loaf because Google hides almost half the clicks in some instances by using "Other Unique Queries" instead of the actual search query.
These guys obviously found out how to see all the search query data and Google shut them down. But the cat is out of the bag now, Google can share all of this information but refuses too.
The post that started this whole stink: http://www.semvironment.com/nude-adwords-keyword-data-exposed-with-google-analytics/
Thanks for sphinning this! I feel stupid admiting I didn't see this one...ugh, crazy month/week!
We may have been notified of a fix...and we'll post it soon if it works! We're testing it right now as I'm writing this comment.
On a tip from Dan Thies we set this filter up for a few clients http://www.ga-experts.co.uk/blog/2006/11/how-to-get-detailed-ppc-keyword-data-from-google-analytics/ Apparently these filters are in regular use, so don't see Google "censoring" anything here, probably more of a compatibility issue as the tools evolve imo.
Adam, those are the exact filters that aren't working for a lot of people... :)
Here is the AdWords data fix:
http://www.semvironment.com/adwordsanalytics-keyword-data-fix-thanks-jeff/