Google Testing AJAX Search Results – What Does That Mean To Me?

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We should begin with that fact Google says they don’t plan to mess with the referrer data. Google has been testing a new design for their search results (since last Nov.) that has been creating a bit of a panic in the Search Analytics world. When someone clicks on an organic search result, information is passed through the web browser that allows WebTrends and other analytics providers to determine the referring engine and search phrase used. Many of us use this information to optimize our web sites for the best placement in search engines (SEO). The design currently being tested, blocks this information from the web browser. Techniques used for tracking paid search in WebTrends Ad Director, Analytics, Warehouse and Visitor Intelligence don’t rely on the referrer and would be unaffected by any such change.

Google made the following statement:

“We’re continually testing new interfaces and features to enhance the user experience. We are currently experimenting with a javascript enhanced result page because we believe that it may ultimately provide a faster experience for our users. At this time only a small percentage of users will see this experiment. It is not our intention to disrupt referrer tracking, and we are continuing to iterate on this project. For more information on the experiments that we run on Google search: http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2006/04/this-is-test-this-is-only-test.html”

We believe that Google is unlikely to release a change of this magnitude. WebTrends is keeping a close eye on this topic and will be ready to respond to any changes that may be required of us. I applaud their discipline in testing and look forward to seeing if their use of AJAX makes the search experience better.

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