The Rise and Growth of Direct Traffic

The Digital Marketing Podcast
Hosts: Daniel Rowles & Ciaran Rogers
Date: December 27, 2016

Episode Overview

In this episode, Daniel Rowles and Ciaran Rogers explore the perplexing rise and growth of direct traffic in website analytics. They dive into what "direct traffic" really means, why it’s increasing, the impact of changing user behavior (especially on mobile devices), and why proper tracking and attribution is more difficult—but more important—than ever. The conversation is woven with real-world examples, practical advice, and the duo’s signature humor and insight, making the subject approachable for marketers at all levels.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. What is Direct Traffic Really? (00:20–02:04)

• Traditional View: Direct traffic is thought to be users typing your website directly into their browser.
• Reality: “What direct traffic really is is basically traffic where the analytics package has got no idea where you've come from.” (Daniel, 00:29)
  • Caused by missing or lost referral data—often because of apps, secure browsers, or missing tracking codes.

2. Display Ads and the Hidden Increase in Direct Traffic (01:29–05:03)

• Example: Daniel recounts running display ads and seeing not only an increase in display-attributed traffic, but a mysterious parallel surge in direct traffic.
• Apps as Culprits: “When somebody clicks on a link in an app, more often than not, that will show up as direct traffic because you just aren't showing where that's coming from unless you add tracking code into that as well.” (Daniel, 02:19)
• Delayed Interest: Users see an ad, remember the brand, but only visit later by typing the URL or searching—leading to misattributed direct or search traffic.

3. Changing User Behavior Drives Direct Traffic Up (05:03–06:33)

• Mobile and Tablet Trends: “It’s not unusual to see, you know, 50, 55, sometimes 60% of the traffic…from mobile stroke tablet devices. And when they're using those, typically what they tend to do is just type words…into the browser address bar…and the browser will instantly link to previous websites…” (Ciaran, 05:13)
• Browsers and operating systems (notably iOS) are optimizing to quickly reconnect users with previously visited sites, often skirting search engines—boosting direct traffic stats.

4. Attribution Chaos & Analytics Limitations (06:33–08:46)

• Connected Devices: Apple/iOS syncs browser tabs, cutting out the search engine from user journeys.
• Many analytics tools struggle with accurately tying together multi-device, multi-touchpoint user journeys.
• Key Observation: “All analytics does is it tells you what; it very rarely answers with conviction the why.” (Ciaran, 07:51)
• Motivation matters: To truly understand your data, you need to “walk in your customer’s shoes” and hypothesize about intent and journey.

5. Don’t Ditch a Channel too Quickly (08:46–11:32)

• Marketers often abandon channels (like display ads or Twitter) after lackluster initial results, without sufficient testing of all variables.
• Integrated Channel Impact: Isolated campaigns (PPC vs Display) yield certain results, but combined, the “sum of the parts is actually greater”—multiple touchpoints amplify the brand impact.
• Anecdote: Daniel describes buying an “umbrella that opens upwards” after seeing Facebook ads repeatedly, highlighting the cumulative effect of multi-channel exposure.

6. Rethinking Click Through Rate (CTR) in Display Campaigns (12:12–13:28)

• “Actually, if you were trying to justify display campaigns on click through rate alone, you were lost.” (Ciaran, 12:17)
• For branding or retargeting, CTR is limited; offers and effective targeting can still drive higher CTRs though.
• Facebook praised for precise audience targeting—sometimes humorously: “Perhaps people sipping wine. Daniel, whole new area of advertising, pay per sip could that take?” (Ciaran, 13:13)

7. Retargeting: Smarter Not Harder (14:20–15:24)

• Pitfall: Bombarding users with repeated ads for the same product can backfire: “…you will eventually drive me to distraction.” (Daniel, 15:24)
• Solutions: Frequency capping, ad variation, and using retargeting creatively for loyalty and cross-sell, not mere repetition.

8. Practical Tips for Marketers (16:00–17:57)

• Tracking is Key: “To minimize [misattributed] direct traffic, make sure you have tracking code for your analytics on everything…”
• Look for Connections: Observe how channels interact and avoid making decisions purely on direct traffic spikes.
• Time Lag: Allow at least 2-3 days to see the full effect of a display campaign: “In my experience, there’s always a minimum of kind of two to three days between showing the display ads and the effect that you get.” (Ciaran, 17:03)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the “mystery” behind direct traffic:
  “What direct traffic really is is basically traffic where the analytics package has got no idea where you've come from.”
  — Daniel Rowles (00:29)
• On analyzing user motivation:
  “All analytics does is it tells you what; it very rarely answers with conviction the why. And actually a what story is quite dull.”
  — Ciaran Rogers (07:51)
• On multi-channel marketing:
  “When you run [channels] at the same time, the sum of the parts is actually greater... If I can keep engaging with you across different things, I’m going to have a cumulative impact.”
  — Daniel Rowles (10:59)
• On proper measurement vs “branding” as an excuse:
  “Branding is used as an excuse in digital marketing because you say to them, why did you do that campaign? So it was a branding campaign, which basically means they don't know why they did it and they don't know how to measure it.”
  — Daniel Rowles (14:26)
• Practical closing advice:
  “To minimize it, make sure you have tracking code for your analytics on everything... then have a look at the connection between each of the things you’re doing and how that’s impacting your search traffic, your direct... it’s not necessarily easy to do when you’re doing lots.”
  — Daniel Rowles (16:00)
• On lag time:
  “There’s always a minimum of kind of two to three days between showing the display ads and the effect that you get.”
  — Ciaran Rogers (17:02)

Key Timestamps

• 00:20: What “direct traffic” actually means
• 01:29: Impact of display ads on “direct” analytics
• 05:03: User behavior shift—mobile, tablets, and browsers boosting direct traffic
• 06:33: Challenges of analytics, attribution, and multi-device use
• 08:46: Pitfalls of giving up too soon on channels
• 10:59: Multi-channel synergy example; personal purchase story
• 12:12: Click through rates in display vs PPC
• 14:20: Branding excuse, retargeting best practices
• 16:00: Actionable advice on tracking and analysis
• 17:02: Lag time between campaign and effect

Tone & Style

The hosts employ a conversational, lightly humorous, and approachable style, complimented by genuine expertise and actionable advice. The dialogue is peppered with relatable examples and emphasizes curiosity in understanding user motives and behavior.

Summary Takeaways

• Direct traffic isn’t always direct.
  It’s often a catch-all for “unknown” sources—apps, secure sessions, or simply lost referral info.

• Display and other channels often have knock-on effects.
  Don’t just look at CTR—consider how brand awareness and “memory” drive future direct/search traffic.

• Mobile user behavior and tech advances “short-circuit” measurement.
  Browsers and OS features now lead to more direct navigation, reducing reliance on search engines and making attribution harder.

• Test thoroughly and layer your channels.
  Multi-channel approaches (PPC, display, retargeting, email) work better together. Don’t give up on a channel too soon.

• Track everything possible—and be wary of measurement “excuses.”
  Use UTM/tracking codes, analyze time lags, and be honest about what you can actually measure.

For digital marketers, this episode offers a fresh lens on interpreting analytics—especially the enigmatic rise of direct traffic—and encourages a more nuanced, customer-focused approach to both measurement and channel strategy.