When we talk about direct traffic, we refer to the volume of users that enter our website directly. That is, they do not arrive through links on other pages. They use the search engine to find our URL directly, there are no intermediate steps. Direct traffic also includes all the searches that the user performs through their bookmarks or favorites. Thanks to direct traffic we know to what extent our website is known and if it is easy to remember the name of the brand.

 

Google Analytics and direct traffic

In addition to the direct search of our website by users, Google Analytics interprets the following options as direct traffic.

  • Links that come from documents with formats such as PDF, Word, Power Point, etc …
  • Links that redirect to a secure https: page, but the site does not have the SSL certificate.
  • Links located within emails as long as an email application is used on the device itself. In the event that the mail has arrived by Gmail, Hotmail or Yahoo, the name of the server will appear at the beginning of the registration.
  • Visits that are received through the history saved by the device used.
  • Links found with JavaScript, this is what usually happens with most banner ads
  • Links that are found through a proxy server or that are within an intranet.

It is not something that happens only with Google Analytics. The rest of the search engine analysis tools have similar problems to interpret direct traffic.

Bibliotecaria frustrada que un día descubrió el potencial que tenía de creatividad y después de varios cursos de marketing decidió explotarlo en redes sociales y terminó haciéndose community mánager de diferentes empresas y artistas. Le encanta el silencio pero es melómana hasta la médula, puro espíritu de contradicción. Fanática de libros, películas y series de terror. Vive mirando una estrella, siempre en estado de espera.