Comparing referrer string from Google and Google Caffeine
Posted on August 11th, 2009 in development |
Google just recently opened up their next-generation infrastructure for their Google Search. Currently being called ‘Caffeine’, Its faster, more accurate and more comprehensive. You can try it out at http://www2.sandbox.google.com/
I noticed that the referrer string from Google is different in new version; it appeared to pass the position of the search result in the string so I tested it out in a couple of browsers to research it a bit more and see fully what information is passed in the referrer string.
Using Firefox version 3.5.2, Internet Explorer 8.0.6001.18702 and Google Chrome Beta version 3.0.195.6 I performed searches for ‘murrion’ and ‘gordon murray’ on the existing Google search at http://www.google.ie and compared the referral string to the new search at http://www2.sandbox.google.com/
Searching for “murrion” in Firefox
Using Google.ie (Firefox 3.5.2 ) Searching for “murrion” (Position 3)
Using Google Caffeine (Firefox 3.5.2 ) Searching for “murrion” (Position 3)
Searching for “murrion” in Internet Explorer
Using Google.ie (Internet Explorer 8.0.6001) Searching for “murrion” (Position 3)
http://www.google.ie/search?hl=en&q=murrion&meta=&aq=f&oq=&rlz=1W1GGLD_en
Using Google Caffeine (Internet Explorer 8.0.6001) Searching for “murrion” (Position 3)
http://www2.sandbox.google.com/search?hl=en&q=murrion&aq=f&oq=&aqi=g2
Searching for “murrion” in Google Chrome Beta
Using Google.ie (Google Chrome 3.0.195.6 ) Searching for “murrion” (position 2)
http://www.google.ie/search?hl=en&q=murrion&btnG=Google+Search&meta=&aq=f&oq=
Using Google Caffeine (Google Chrome 3.0.195.6) Searching for “murrion” (position 3)
http://www2.sandbox.google.com/search?hl=en&q=murrion&aq=f&oq=&aqi=g10
Searching for “gordon murray” in Firefox
Using Google.ie (Firefox 3.5.2) Searching for “gordon murray” (Position 3)
http://www.google.ie/search?hl=en&q=gordon+murray&btnG=Google+Search&meta=&aq=f&oq=
Using Google Caffeine (Firefox 3.5.2) Searching for “gordon murray” (position 7)
Searching for “gordon murray” in Internet Explorer
Using Google.ie (Internet Explorer 8.0.6001) Searching for “gordon murray” (Position 3)
http://www.google.ie/search?hl=en&q=gordon+murray&meta=&rlz=1W1GGLD_en&aq=f&oq=
Using Google Caffeine (Internet Explorer 8.0.6001) Searching for “gordon murray” (Position 7)
http://www2.sandbox.google.com/search?hl=en&q=gordon+murray&aq=f&oq=&aqi=
Searching for “gordon murray” in Google Chrome Beta
Using Google.ie (Google Chrome 3.0.195.6) Searching for “gordon murray” (position 3)
http://www.google.ie/search?hl=en&q=gordon+murray&btnG=Google+Search&meta=&aq=f&oq=
Using Google Caffeine (Google Chrome 3.0.195.6) Searching for “gordon murray” (position 7)
http://www2.sandbox.google.com/search?hl=en&q=gordon+murray&aq=f&oq=&aqi=g10
Using Google Caffeine with Mozilla Firefox gave the most information passed in the referral string. There are some new parameters I haven’t seen before.
The parameter q= continues to show the search term but there are a couple of new parameters. “cd=” is the main one I was interested in, it appears to show the position of the search result for that search.
The ‘cd=’ parameter shows ‘3’ when searching for ‘murrion’ and ‘7’ when searching for ‘gordon murray’, both are the current positions for those searches in the search results.
The ‘ei’ parameter changed every time I searched.
The ‘usg’ parameter stayed the same if I did multiple searches for the same phrase. It was also the same if I searched on another computer for the same phrase
The referral string searching for ‘murrion’ in Firefox using Google Caffeine
http://www2.sandbox.google.com/
url? (changed from ‘search?’ to ‘url?’)
sa=t (stayed showing ‘t’ all the time)
source=web (new)
ct=res (stayed showing ‘res’ all the time)
cd=3 (appears to be the position of the search result)
url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.murrion.ie%2F (the url I was going to)
ei=w4KBSoqyCoqEMfXEwPwH (Changed every time)
rct=j (stayed showing ‘j’ al l the time)
q=murrion (The search term, same as before)
usg=AFQjCNETdpvRK9baXAConZ5g397IO8c7vA (Stayed the same if I searched for the same term again even on a different computer)
It’ll be good to keep an eye on this to see if the referral string stays this way then Googles updated infrastructure becomes the norm.
If it does, I’ll be able to update my Whats Google Up to wordpress plugin which shows the search terms that a user used to find your blog on Google. I’ll be able to add search result number to it too withut scraping Google.
5 Responses
Interesting piece Gord. Probably the most interesting part is the “source=web” bit.
Does this indicate that a search might in future have the ability to mine info from multiple sources, say from your local machine via gears, without the need to run the likes of Google Desktop etc? Or even pull relevant corporate data from your Google Apps Cloud or Intranet webapps, and present them in the same results page?
Defo a watch this space.
Hi John,
I was thinking about that ’source’ too. I checked using my phone, unfortunately theres no mobile version of www2.sandbox.google.com yet to see if its different for mobile devices.
I wonder what else its being used for.
Gord.
[...] in the week, I wrote about differences in the referral address from Google and Google ‘Caffeine’, Googles new search engine algorithm. On the Blackdog SEO blog, Paul compares the two search tools [...]
Hi,
I have been trying to figure out what the different things google uses in their urls for a long time. This is the first time i have been able to find anyone who seems to be interested. i have did url comparisons like you did here but what is driving me insane is trying to figure out what is contained strings like this: ei=w4KBSoqyCoqEMfXEwPwH
Think there is anyway to ever figure it out or am i doomed to insanity?
Hi Vincent,
I have no idea what the ‘ei’ variable stands for, unfortunately. I haven’t looked at it in a while, I might try out a few things over the next couple of days.
Have you any feeling on what it might be for?
Gordon.