Using Matomo · Knowledge
Search, direct, referrers: how do I read visitor sources?
Matomo sorts every visit into channels: search engines, direct entries, referring websites, campaigns. Reading them right requires knowing what each label hides.
The two honest footnotes: “direct” is a residual bucket (bookmark, typed URL, apps, lost referrers – and every untagged newsletter), and search keywords are mostly gone – search engines stopped passing them years ago.
Channel by channel: what it means, what it feeds
Search engines: visits whose referrer identifies a search engine. The volume trend is your SEO pulse – which pages land searchers is in the entry-pages view, but the once-beloved keyword column is essentially empty by design: engines withhold the query, so keyword truth lives in the search console of the respective engine, not in Matomo. Websites (referrers): someone linked you and a human clicked – the report is a small radar for mentions, partnerships and forum threads; a new referrer with real visits is often worth a look and sometimes a relationship. Campaigns: only as good as your parameter discipline from the campaign question – tagged links populate it, everything untagged leaks into… Direct: the residual bucket. True direct traffic (bookmarks, typed URLs, loyal readers) mixes with technically lost referrers – mail programs, many apps, some HTTPS transitions strip the origin. Two consequences: never celebrate or mourn “direct” in isolation, and shrink the bucket actively by tagging every link you control. Reading rhythm: monthly at channel level for trends, into the detail only with a question – “which referrer sent readers who actually stayed?” is answered by combining the referrer report with visit duration, and that is the level where source reading turns into publishing strategy.
Key facts
- Channels: search engines · direct · websites (referrers) · campaigns – Acquisition section.
- Keyword reality: engines withhold queries – keyword truth lives in their search consoles.
- “Direct” = residual: true loyalty mixed with stripped referrers (mail, apps) and untagged links.
- Shrink the bucket: tag every link you control – campaign discipline pays here.
- Depth on demand: combine referrers with visit duration to find sources that send stayers.