Case Study: Groupon uncovers that up to 60% of "Direct" traffic is actually Search with BrightEdge

Groupon Finds Up to 60% of Direct Traffic Search

Groupon discovered a major analytics problem: much of what web tools labeled as "direct" traffic was actually search traffic with the referrer stripped, meaning search’s contribution was being undercounted. Director of Search Gene McKenna tested this hypothesis because unreliable referrer and query data would mislead marketing decisions and channel attribution.

To prove it he temporarily deindexed the site and tracked the impact—search visits fell and direct traffic on interior pages dipped in close correlation. The test showed that for every 10 search visitors lost, about 6 direct visitors were lost (and in some IE cases up to 75%), confirming substantial misattribution and underscoring the need for robust SEO measurement and platforms.

Groupon

Gene Mckenna

Groupon