When Google turned on secure search last Monday, it meant webmasters were seeing nearly all their keyword referral data as “(not provided)”. The best workaround to get organic search data was to access similar keyword data under Search Queries within the Search Traffic section of Google Webmaster Tools.
However, once the secure search switch was flipped, that keyword data stopped being updated or provided in Google Webmaster Tools. Well, webmasters can breathe a sigh of relief, as the missing keyword data in Google Webmaster Tools was simply a bug, Google has confirmed.
“We’ve recently fixed a small bug related to data reporting in Webmaster Tools. We expect reporting to return to normal in the coming days,” a Google spokesperson told Search Engine Watch.
This is great news, as currently Webmaster Tools is the only way to get actual data from Google regarding the keywords that searchers are using when they land on your website. It’s great that this source of keyword information will be staying around despite the secure search change.
Just yesterday, no search query data appeared in Google Webmaster Tools beyond Sept. 23. Now keyword data is available through September 25.