There’s discussion that the search encryption is related to hiding the data from the NSA. A little research shows that the truth of the matter may be something as simple as protecting user privacy, as Google asserts. It’s important to understand the reasons for things because it will inform your future decisions and making decisions with a sound footing is always preferable.
Google says they encrypted the keyword data in order to protect users. In the age of public and open Wi-Fi, it makes sense to encrypt the search data. Google has been moving toward this goal since at least 2010. It has been a reality for searches that are signed in to their Google Accounts, for users of Gmail and other Google services and even their Chrome browser. The fact is that Google has been transitioning their user base to an encrypted search experience on a gradual basis for years. This is the final and last service that had not been encrypted. So the question is: Why now? I will explain. One of the challenges has been the ability to provide a fast experience. SSL encryption typically slowed down the user experience. Here is a blog post from 2010 that explains as much:
…since SSL connections require additional time to set up the encryption between your browser and the remote web server, your experience with search over SSL might be slightly slower than your regular Google search experience.
There it is. Google has been upgrading their data centers in preparation for this final transition. It’s done.
Information is an asset
What incentive does Google have for giving away the keyword data? Google has a history of safeguarding it’s data. From not showing all backlink data to limiting how many results are show in the SERPs. This is understandable as far as preventing the reverse engineering its algo. There is a benefit to Google for hiding this data from the marketing community. But there is also a greater benefit from safeguarding user information from public Wi-Fi sniffers. Google has been looking out for users for at least a decade, when Google first started blocking malware infected websites from their SERPs. Google has a long history of ensuring that their users are safe and that their privacy is guarded. This move toward encrypted search fits in with Google’s past actions. It is not something sudden. It has been part of a decade long pattern.
Are you entitled to the keyword data?
Some are advocating taking a stand against Google for not providing this data. But the truth is that the data belongs to Google and to the users of its search product. It does not belong to the sites that Google users visit. The fact is that web publishers will have to adapt to the absence of the keyword data and no doubt new strategies are evovling. I’m not defending Google. I would prefer to have the data. But it needs to be pointed out that the data belongs to Google and we have no claim on it. We are not entitled to it.
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