Google WM Tools data interpretation

[shags38]

Hi all,

Scenario - We are in Google Webmaster Tools looking at Search Queries (Top Queries) - there is a Filters tab - the filters you can select are Search, Location, Traffic. In the Search Filter there are choices in the dropdown of All, Image, Mobile, Mobile (smartphone), Video and Web.

You have searched Google HELP and have not found a laymans term explanation of what "Image" really means to your impressions and clicks results, however when you selet Web instead of the default All, you see a very significantly different set of impressions and clicks results.

You understand the other two filter criteria so that helps your ego so that you do not think you are a complete idiot.

So now you put a post in here asking those who are far more experienced than you to explain what it means and more importantly which set of results are the best indication of the performance of your keywords.

You then wait eagerly for response posts with a meaningful explanation in prane ingrish so that you know what the bloody hell you are looking at

 

[payattention]

Image traffic relates to the traffic you receive via the images that show up during a search and people searching for images with http://www.google.com/imghp

For example, let's say I search for "Porsche 911 GTS (white please)" with the intent to find a new wallpaper. I'll then click an image and it leads me to the image which is hosted on your website. That's the image traffic in your stats you're talking about.

It can be a great way to get extra traffic but the value of that traffic isn't as good as search related ones IMO because if you're a Porsche dealership, you want to sell cars, not wallpapers. Then again, I'll come back to buy one soon enough

 

[shags38]

Image traffic relates to the traffic you receive via the images that show up during a search and people searching for images with http://www.google.com/imghp

For example, let's say I search for "Porsche 911 GTS (white please)" with the intent to find a new wallpaper. I'll then click an image and it leads me to the image which is hosted on your website. That's the image traffic in your stats you're talking about.

It can be a great way to get extra traffic but the value of that traffic isn't as good as search related ones IMO because if you're a Porsche dealership, you want to sell cars, not wallpapers. Then again, I'll come back to buy one soon enough

So if my "impressions" stat for filter "image" is 3000 for a given keyword "bracelet" does it mean that there were 3000 times one or more of my images with the word bracelet in the .alt text description (I assume it has to be .alt or can it be .img) were included in the results for an image only search for "bracelet" or any image search for that matter containg the word bracelet (pretty little bracelet with thingymebobs on it) - right?

By this comment "It can be a great way to get extra traffic but the value of that traffic isn't as good as search related ones IMO because ...." do you mean the impressions stats shown using the filter "web" only??

 

[payattention]

I'm assuming it is broad match data so that would include gold bracelet, antique bracelets for sale etc etc.

Regarding the second comment, what I meant to convey was the intent of the searcher. IMO, someone searching for images when typing in a phrase doesn't hold as much value as someone searching for the same term with the intent to buy.