Not-provided: The term “Not-provided” appears in Google Analytics reports as a placeholder for organic search traffic data that has been withheld. This occurs when the specific keywords that users search for to find a website are encrypted and thus not disclosed in the interests of user privacy. As a result, the Keywords report will display “Not-provided” in lieu of the actual search terms that are driving traffic to a site.
First introduced in 2011, this encryption was designed to enhance the security and confidentiality of search data, particularly for users who are logged into their accounts. The absence of this data presents a challenge for SEO professionals, as it hampers the ability to accurately attribute website traffic to individual keywords and complicates the process of optimizing content for search visibility. To navigate this limitation and uncover the hidden keywords, SEO practitioners often turn to alternative analytics tools that can provide insights into organic search traffic.