As I was searching to see if anyone else was experiencing Google Analytic tracking issues after linking Adwords to Google Base (shopping) – more specifically, has anyone else linked the two and then seen their reported direct traffic orders shoot up like a rocket (and if you have, please let me know) – I stumbled across a couple great change Google has released in the last couple days.

The first one was announced on the Google Webmaster blog ^[1] around lunchtime yesterday. If you haven’t logged into your Google Webmaster account, do so. Then check out your “Top Search Queries.” You’ll see they’ve made enhancements.

• They show clickthroughs on your top search queries
• Click the nondescript “more” link and you’ll find the data is tracked down to the page level for your site.

The data is almost useful.

Okay. That was harsh. But what Google Webmaster data still doesn’t do – and this is the part that drives me crazy – is tell you on what Google network your site is ranking for that keyword. You could be ranking on

• Google Search
• Images
• News
• Blogs
• Shopping
• Book Search
• and however they’re tracking the Social Media stuff

As much as I’m honored to be ranking shockingly well for the following terms:

• Zombies
• Hookah Lounge
• Wrigley Field
• Karen Gillan (watch Doctor Who on BBC America this weekend ^[2])
• Leroi Moore

I would still like to know on which Google Network I am ranking (and, “yes,” I know it’s mostly blog and image search for those terms). Now if I wasn’t diligently checking them over, I would never have known that some of the dream terms I’d given up on and hadn’t thought about I’m now in striking distance of page one rankings. I’m reinvigorated to go after them.

And there is that upside – Google Webmasters Top Search Queries was told me about low hanging fruit I was missing out on.

Maybe I’m being harsh. I have this dream that Google Webmaster Tools will be this place where I can find:

• what keywords I rank for
• what keyword rankings provide me the best traffic
• the Google offering(s) where I rank for this term
• what page ranks for these keywords
• a history of rankings, perhaps with versioning like in Google Docs and Google Wave
• a place to make internal reports

And then fuse w/ Google Analytics so I can see which of my credit backlinks provide me the best traffic (I know GA does that. I just want the data in one spot).

I know – API. But a person can dream.

Have you started using the new Google Webmaster Top Search Query Feature?

What have you discovered?

(And if you’re having GA tracking issues after linking adwords and google base, I’d like to know that too.)