Where are Keywords in Google Analytics?

Trying to find which organic search keywords brought visitors to your site in Google Analytics 4 can feel frustrating. You open the keyword report, ready for a treasure trove of insights, only to find the vast majority of your traffic is lumped under a single, unhelpful label: "(not provided)". This article will explain exactly why that happens and, more importantly, show you how to find the valuable keyword data you're actually looking for.

Why Does Google Analytics Show "(not provided)"?

If you've been working with Google Analytics for a while, you may remember a time when you could see nearly every keyword someone used to find your website. Those days, however, are long gone. The rise of "(not provided)" isn't a bug, it's a feature born from a focus on user privacy.

Back in 2011, Google began its shift toward secure search (moving from http:// to https://). When a user who is logged into a Google account performs a search, their activity is encrypted. As part of this privacy measure, the specific search term they used is stripped from the referral data that gets passed on to Google Analytics. In other words, Google knows how they got to your site (Google organic search), but it keeps what they searched for private.

In Universal Analytics, this created the infamous "(not provided)" line item that dominated keyword reports. In Google Analytics 4, the situation is similar. While frustrating for marketers, user privacy is paramount, so this is unlikely to change.

But don’t worry - this isn’t a dead end. Google provides a different, completely free tool that gives you all the keyword data you need, and you can integrate it directly into GA4.

The Best Way to See Keywords: Connect Google Search Console

The solution to the "(not provided)" problem is Google Search Console (GSC). If GA4 tells you what users do on your site, GSC tells you how they found you in organic search. Best of all, they are designed to work together.

Google Search Console is a free service that helps you monitor, maintain, and troubleshoot your site's presence in Google Search results. It's where you find the unadulterated data on what people are actually typing into Google to find you. By linking GSC with your GA4 property, you can pull this invaluable query data directly into your Analytics reports.

Step-by-Step: How to Link Google Search Console to GA4

Before you begin, make sure you have "Editor" level access to your GA4 property and that you are a verified owner of the Google Search Console property for your site.

• Step 1: Navigate to the Admin section in Google Analytics 4 by clicking the gear icon at the bottom-left of the screen.
• Step 2: In the "Property" column, scroll down to the "Product Links" section and click on Search Console Links.
• Step 3: In the upper right of the link table, click the blue Link button.
• Step 4: A new window will appear. Click Choose accounts and a list of GSC properties for which you're a verified owner will appear. Select the one you wish to link and click Confirm.
• Step 5: Click Next. Then, you'll need to select the web stream for your site. Click Select, choose your website's data stream, and hit Next again.
• Step 6: Review the configuration details to make sure everything is correct, then click Submit.

That's it! Once linked, it may take 24-48 hours for the data to populate in GA4. After that, you'll find a brand new set of handy reports available.

Accessing Your Google Search Console Keyword Reports in GA4

After you link the accounts, GA4 will automatically add a new collection of reports. You should see a "Search Console" card in your Reports snapshot.

But where's the full report? If you don’t see it on the left-hand navigation menu right away under the "Acquisition" topic, you might need to enable it:

1. Navigate to Reports.
2. At the bottom of the left sidebar, click Library. This is where all available reports and collections are stored.
3. Find the "Search Console" collection and click the three vertical dots on the card.
4. Click Publish. This will add the Search Console reports directly to your standard reporting sidebar.

Now, head back to your reports. You'll see the "Search Console" section. Inside are two very useful reports.

• Google organic search traffic: This gives you a view of your landing pages combined with GA4 metrics like engagement rate and conversions.
• Queries: This is the one you want. This report lists the actual Google Search queries that brought users to your site, along with key performance metrics directly from GSC: clicks, impressions, click-through rate (CTR), and average position.

Finally, you can see exactly which keywords are driving your organic traffic, ridding yourself of the "(not provided)" mystery once and for all.

Finding Keywords from Your Google Ads Campaigns

Another excellent source for keyword data already inside GA4 is your paid search ads report, provided you're running Google Ads. Similar to Search Console, you'll need to link your Google Ads account to your GA4 property. This can be done in the Admin section under "Google Ads Links".

The keywords that trigger ads for your business are an incredibly honest look at what your potential customers want. Once your accounts are linked, you can uncover this data:

• From your report navigation, go to Acquisition > Traffic Acquisition.
• The report will default to show "Session default channel grouping". Set this view to include channels you want to analyze further, e.g., Paid Search, Social, etc.
• On the right-hand side of some channel groupings, look for the "Search Query" dimension and click on it to see additional insights.
• In the report that appears, you'll find a listing of all your paid search channels with a second column showing the actual search queries that triggered the ads.

This data is useful beyond just campaign optimization. It informs you of the keywords and phrases that people who actually have buying intent are searching for. Investing in keyword analysis within ads could be a huge win.

Final Thoughts

While seeing every organic keyword in GA4 is gone, you do have access to a lot of valuable insights. By connecting Google Search Console and linking your Google Ads accounts, you can obtain precise search traffic analytics. Understanding your Google Ads and organic search data can provide information that helps tailor your strategy for effective keyword targeting.

With the right setup, you can start to see all the meaningful insights from your search queries. Unlocking those keywords is not just about getting detailed reports, it's about understanding your audience more profoundly. Use these insights to connect with your audience in a meaningful way using Graphed for strategy execution and to ensure your message resonates and achieves real results.