Google switching to Ajax this week

Thu 16 April 2009 09:24, Bas van den Beld

The Google Analytics blog reports that Google is switching to Ajax starting this week.: "Starting this week, you may start seeing a new referring URL format for visitors coming from Google search result pages."

Last February the web started noticing the tests Google was doing, trying out a new interface for search results. The test didn't work out perfectly. Google didn't load a new page to display the results and browsers didn't send proper referrals when clicking on search results. Google fixed this by using a gateway URL.

So what will change? First and most of all the urls for search results will change. Now a URL looks like this: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=flowers&btnG=Google+Search. With referer it looks like this: http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&ct=res&cd=7&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.example.com%2Fmypage.htm&ei=0SjdSa-1N5O8M_qW8dQN&rct=j&q=flowers&usg=AFQjCNHJXSUh7Vw7oubPaO3tZOzz-F-u_w&sig2=X8uCFh6IoPtnwmvGMULQfw.

To make it simple: instead of "/search?" the URL contains a "/url?" This means that any referals should not depend on the "/search?" anymore.

Users of Google Analytics will not be affected by this because Analytics doesn't use the "/search?" string.

This wil also mean ranking data will be pushed into the URL-string. The "cd=7" in the above mentioned url is the number which indicates the position. This was first noticed by Patrick Altoft at Blogstorm and confirmed in the comments by Matt Cutts.

Users logged into their Google account already can see the information Google will be providing the rest of the world with. The change also means Google is getting even more data out of the searches. A Google search result now send more details about the actions to Google. What Google does with this information is not clear for now.

Below a video in which Matt Cutts talks about the Ajax-tests Google did back in February.

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Comments (5)

- Menno Flikkema
- [website]
I understand this is referrer is only used for people who have logged in. Here's hoping that they will expand it to all searches. Google seems to be listening to us! Great news.

Do 16 apr 2009, 10:18
- Bas van den Beld
- [website]
Menno, it is currently only available when logged in, but Google is expanding it this week

Do 16 apr 2009, 10:37
- virtual office
- [website]
Great news.

Do 16 apr 2009, 11:25
- Luke
"The Google Analytics blog reports that Google is switching to Ajax starting this week."

Wow - they said that without even using the word 'Ajax' in their blog post.

Do 16 apr 2009, 16:06
- Bas van den Beld
- [website]
hehe Luke, very true, but they are switching ;)

Do 16 apr 2009, 16:15

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