Is search security and user privacy more important than organic keyword data being available?  Google’s answer is yes.

While the change has occurred over the past two years, the fact is that eventually all keyword data will be unavailable and be put behind encrypted searches.  There are several reasons that Google may be doing this from user concerns about NSA invasions of privacy to just protecting their users.  Google did state that they are not doing it to assist Adwords or advertisers.

What’s next, what will be the next best solution for keyword data?  There’s always the option of connecting your Adwords account to your Webmaster Tools.

Then there’s also third party reporting tools, but Google may eventually either block those or even simpler, make the use of third party tools a violation of terms.

There has always been a benefit to combining the two tools in that the combination provides some insight into organic search performance and paid.  It also gives users a faster way to identify optimization opportunities ascertained from the performance of either.

While Google’s real reasons for this change may never really be known, it is clear that most of the speculation does point to the data being shielded is eating into Google profits in one way or another.  Some have even suggested that Google may eventually charge SEO companies for keyword data and that they are just putting the hurt on the competition.