Blueprint - General
Does Blueprint show trended ranking data for each query?
Blueprint is based on founder Vanessa Fox’s approach to SEO, and a large part of that philosophy is that individual keyword rankings aren’t useful or actionable. Blueprint is built around categories because there is value in looking at larger trends. But individual keyword ranking positions will always fluctuate. When you look at individual queries too closely, you miss the larger picture of what’s happening with the site and might spend a lot of time and resources that could be better spent elsewhere.
How flexible is Blueprint if some data is unavailable?
From time to time, Google Webmaster Tools data is unavailable. Blueprint reflects the data available from Google Webmaster Tools so reports up to the latest date available. Blueprint attempts to fetch the latest data each night and will fill in missing days when the fetch is successful. Any missing days are noted in the graphs, which are skipped when charting.
When server log data is unavailable (for instance, if logs have only been uploaded for some days rather than all), the graphs skip the missing days.
Do you require that companies use Google Analytics, Google Webmaster Tools and have access to their server logs?
The first version uses Google Webmaster Tools and server logs. If you aren’t able to provide server logs, then the Query Analytics portion of Blueprint can still be set up. We have a detailed document for IT departments and can work with them directly on logs and are typically able to find a way to get them. They provide extremely valuable data that’s not available elsewhere.
Analytics is not yet integrated into Blueprint, but once it is, we’ll first add Google Analytics support and the other platforms (such as Omniture) shortly after. In any case, the Query Analytics portion of Blueprint will continue to be available with the webmaster tools portion of the feature set even without analytics access.
How accurate is the data?
We are pulling data daily, so it’s as accurate as the information Google Webmaster Tools provides. For all <10 data, we convert to 1 (and exclude them from CTR calculations). This is to provide insights into super long tail traffic. Future versions will include integration with all major analytics platforms. Our server log data provides a complete picture into how search engines are crawling the site, as long as you provide complete server logs (vs. a sample).
Should I be concerned about the privacy of my data with Blueprint?
Blueprint is built with privacy in mind. No personally identifiable customer information is stored (Google webmaster tools provides only anonymous aggregated data and Blueprint processes only search engine bot entries from server logs). Your data is hosted on secure Amazon Web Services and Blue Box systems and all data is behind a secure login.
Our site is small and we don’t get much search traffic. Will Blueprint be able to provide value to us?
Blueprint query analytics are valuable as long as the site is getting enough search traffic for Google Webmaster Tools to report it. If Google reports > 10 impressions or clicks, we convert that to 1, which isn’t exact, but does at least surface lower volume queries. You can see segmented queries, find out what topics your audience is most interested in, and monitor improvements. Blueprint server log analytics are useful even if the site gets no search traffic at all, as you can see if search engines are fully crawling the site and what issues may be keeping the pages from getting indexed.
What data sources does Blueprint use?
The goal of Blueprint is to include all marketing data and provide a view of the bigger picture that you can only get from connecting the dots. The initial version begins with two data sources: Google Webmaster Tools and server logs. Blueprint provides analysis of search query data and incoming messages, as well as details on how search engine bots crawl the site. Upcoming releases will encompass additional Google Webmaster Tools data, Bing Webmaster Tools data, and web analytics.
Can I try out a demo of Blueprint?
Yes, you can try out our demo. Just use our demo request form and we’ll send you all the details.
Is the analysis of data based on search queries?
The current version of Blueprint includes query-based reports. The product roadmap includes URL-based data (using Google Webmaster Tool’s top URLs data, analytics data, and other input sources).
Our site is huge and we get tons of search traffic. Google Analytics only provides sampled data. Will Blueprint be able to provide value to us?
Blueprint was built to scale and can process any number of queries and any size log file. Since the initial release focuses on Google Webmaster Tools data, which reports only the top 2,000 queries each day, some long tail terms will likely not surface in Blueprint. To get a sense of what will be missing, check the total number of clicks vs. displayed clicks in the Google Webmaster Tools search queries report. Even if the displayed number is significantly less than the total number, Blueprint still provides substantial value as it shows you trends for each topic.