BrightEdge sent over a new report called “Cracking the Content Code” and since I’m all about content, I had to share it with you.

To come up with the numbers, BrightEdge tapped into their giant Data Cube repository which contains information about billions of pieces of content from all over the web. Sounds like a machine that could take over the world. Luckily it’s on our side. . . for now.

The Data Cube sliced and diced to find out which was the most effective driver of traffic; organic search, paid, display /email or social. Want to guess which one came out on top? If you paid attention to the title of this post then you already know but I’ll make a dramatic reveal anyway.

The content marketing bandwagon continues to pick up more riders, allowing advertisers to build long-term relationships with customers and prospects based on utility and trust. But increasingly, the conversation around content marketing is less about how it works and more focused on how to make it work for the bottom line.

BrightEdge's CEO Jim Yu estimates that $18 billion will be spent on content this year as marketers try to reach consumers in new ways. With that kind of investment, establishing content's ROI is suddenly in the spotlight.

Ever since Google unleashed 100 percent secure search, SEOs have scrambled to fill gaps in measurement. In this session at BrightEdge’s Share 14 event, brands like Groupon, Red Door Interactive, and Global Strategies discussed how they’ve shifted their approach in a keyword "(not provided)" world.

Up first was Jordan Kasteler (@JordanKasteler) of Red Door Interactive. He asked, "Why did Google transition to secure search?"

But, first, he provided some background that showed the evolution of search results. He began with the Google Panda update, which aimed to improve search results with quality content.