ClickStream data will be the most helpful search data moving forward?

Summary

Voices of Search Podcast – Episode: ClickStream Data Will Be the Most Helpful Search Data Moving Forward?

Release Date: June 24, 2025

Hosts: Tyson Stockton and Tyler Einberger
Guest: Tyler Einberger
Podcast Series: Voices of Search // A Search Engine Optimization (SEO) & Content Marketing Podcast
Network: I Hear Everything

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Introduction

In this insightful episode of Voices of Search, host Tyson Stockton engages with Tyler Einberger, an SEO expert, to explore the evolving landscape of search data—particularly focusing on the role of clickstream data in shaping future SEO and content marketing strategies. The discussion delves into the practicality, benefits, and limitations of clickstream data, and how it can be effectively integrated with other data sources to enhance organic growth.

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Main Discussion

The Role of ClickStream Data in SEO

The conversation kicks off with Tyler Einberger addressing a pivotal question: "Are you buying or selling clickstream data?" At the [02:33] mark, Tyler provides a nuanced perspective:

Tyler Einberger ([02:33]):
"You might expect me to say buy, but I'm going to sell this one really well."

Contrary to initial expectations, Tyler suggests that while clickstream data has its merits, it should be approached with caution. He acknowledges its value in providing directional insights and a bird’s-eye view of market trends. However, he points out significant limitations regarding accuracy and coverage.

Benefits of ClickStream Data

Clickstream data offers a wealth of information about user behavior and traffic patterns. Tyler highlights its usefulness in:

• Directional Insights: Providing a broad understanding of where the market is heading.
• High-Level Views: Offering a macro perspective that can inform strategic decisions.

However, Tyler is critical of relying solely on clickstream data due to its 10-30% accuracy margin, which he deems insufficient for precision-driven SEO strategies.

Limitations of ClickStream Data

At [02:45], Tyler addresses the shortcomings:

Tyler Einberger ([02:45]):
"If a website doesn't hit the large quantity of traffic that monthly, it might not be picked up well by clickstream panels."

This limitation indicates that smaller websites with lower traffic volumes may not benefit as much from clickstream data, reducing its overall effectiveness for certain segments.

Integrating ClickStream with Other Data Sources

To overcome the limitations of clickstream data, Tyler advocates for a multi-faceted approach:

Tyler Einberger ([02:50]):
"What I would buy is a package of clickstream platform data plus our dark horse here, server logs."

• Server Logs: Provide detailed information about website access, including data from user agents, which helps in understanding who is accessing the site and for what purposes.
• First-Party Data: Offers accurate and specific insights into individual website performance and user interactions.

By combining these data sources, marketers can achieve a more comprehensive and accurate understanding of website performance and user behavior, leading to more informed strategic decisions.

Crawl Efficiency in Traditional SEO

Later in the episode, Tyler shifts focus to crawl efficiency in traditional SEO practices, especially for large enterprise websites. At [05:09], he emphasizes the importance of optimizing where search engine bots spend their time:

Tyler Einberger ([05:09]):
"Understanding where Google bots are spending time... crafting where they're spending time."

He notes that even large websites have room for improvement in crawl efficiency, which can lead to better indexing and, consequently, improved search rankings. Optimizing crawl paths ensures that search engines effectively assess the most critical parts of a website, enhancing overall SEO performance.

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Conclusion

The episode concludes with a synthesis of the key points discussed:

1. ClickStream Data's Value and Limitations: While clickstream data is beneficial for high-level insights and understanding market trends, its accuracy and coverage limitations necessitate a cautious approach.

2. Importance of Data Integration: Combining clickstream data with server logs and first-party data yields a more accurate and holistic view of website performance, enabling better strategic decisions.

3. Optimizing Crawl Efficiency: For large enterprise websites, enhancing crawl efficiency is crucial for ensuring that search engine bots focus on the most impactful areas of the site, thereby improving SEO outcomes.

Tyler Einberger's insights underscore the necessity of utilizing a diverse set of data sources and continually optimizing SEO practices to navigate the complex and ever-evolving landscape of search engine marketing.

Notable Quotes:

• "You might expect me to say buy, but I'm going to sell this one really well." — Tyler Einberger ([02:33])
• "If a website doesn't hit the large quantity of traffic that monthly, it might not be picked up well by clickstream panels." — Tyler Einberger ([02:45])
• "What I would buy is a package of clickstream platform data plus our dark horse here, server logs." — Tyler Einberger ([02:50])
• "Understanding where Google bots are spending time... crafting where they're spending time." — Tyler Einberger ([05:09])

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Key Takeaways

• ClickStream Data: Valuable for high-level market insights but limited by accuracy and coverage.
• Data Integration: Essential to combine clickstream data with server logs and first-party data for comprehensive analysis.
• Crawl Efficiency: Critical for large websites to optimize SEO performance by guiding search engine bots effectively.
• Holistic SEO Strategies: Employing multiple data sources and continuous optimization leads to more effective and informed SEO outcomes.

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For more insights on SEO and content marketing, be sure to subscribe to Voices of Search and stay updated with the latest strategies to enhance your organic growth.

Transcript

[Tyson Stockton]

The Voices of Search Podcast is a proud member of the I Hear Everything Podcast Network. Looking to launch or scale your podcast, I Hear Everything delivers podcast production, growth and monetization solutions that transform your words into profit. Ready to give your brand a voice then visit iheareverything.com welcome to the Voices of Search Podcast. A member of the I Hear Everything Podcast Network, ready to expedite your company's organic growth efforts. Sit back, relax and get ready for your daily dose of search engine optimization wisdom. Here's today's host of the Voices of Search Podcast, Tyson Stockton.

[Tyler Einberger]

With that though, this is gonna kind of bring us to the lightning round of the interview. And so this I'm gonna be throwing.

[Unknown]

A few more short form questions at you.

[Tyler Einberger]

There'll be a theme kind of to each and we can kind of riff on it and we'll move on to yeah, each one. Nice first one.

[Unknown]

Buy or sell? Are you buying or selling?

[Tyler Einberger]

That clickstream data will be one of.

[Unknown]

The most useful data sources moving forward.

This podcast is also sponsored by Ahrefs.

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You might expect me to say buy, but I'm going to sell this one really well. I think that from one perspective, plus minus 10 to 30% accuracy is that's a pretty big chunk, but it's good for directional use, good for 30,000 foot views, not good for precision. But what is but it's also there's so many limitations. Like if a website doesn't hit the large quantity of traffic that monthly like it might not be picked up well by clickstream panels. What I would buy is a package of clickstream and I think clickstream helps us see where the market is heading and then something more like first party data helps us to measure how we're performing in that market. But I would buy a package of clickstream platform data plus our dark horse here, server logs. And I think server logs are really, really helpful because there's a lot that user agents can tell us about who and what is accessing our website.

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I did.

[Tyler Einberger]

Not expect that last one 100% agree. I mean especially like feels weird saying this but like traditional SEO, any enterprise website it's like that would be one of my like top stops as far as looking for improvements is understanding you know where Google bots spending time and I don't think I've seen many enterprise like large large websites that don't have room for improvement of improving kind of crawl efficiency. I wouldn't say blow but more of like crafting where they're spending time. So I like that. I like that answer there.

[Unknown]

Well, that's gonna wrap up this episode of the podcast. Thanks again to Tyler Einberger for joining us and I feel like I could have continued this conversation much longer, but I've kept Tyler a little bit too long. If you'd like to get in touch with Tyler, you can find a link to his LinkedIn profile in the show notes or go on and check out his company's website@momentic marketing.com also be sure to check out the kind of local meetup group in Milwaukee, Milwaukee's Digital Marketing Club. We're going to be doing some stuff with them in the near future, so if you are in the area, be sure to check them out. And if you haven't subscribed yet and would like a daily stream of SEO and content marketing knowledge in your podcast feed.

And a special thanks to Ahrefs for sponsoring this podcast. Monitoring your website used to require multiple expensive tools, but that's not the case anymore thanks to Ahrefs because they just launched their Ahrefs Webmaster Tools product which monitors your SEO health, helps you keep track of your backlinks, and gives you the insight into what keywords are performing for free. So check out Ahrefs webmaster [e-mail] awt that's ahrefs a h r e f s.com awt hit that subscribe button in.

Your podcast app or on YouTube and we'll be back in your feed in the next following day. And that is all for today. Thanks for stopping by the Voice of Search and we will see you in the next episode.

[Sam]

Sam.