Google to Disable Ability to Track Keywords?
A possible new update to the way Google displays search results might break all of your website tracking software and statistics – are you prepared?
There’s been a backlash in the last couple of weeks against a possible update to the way Google displays search results and Google has admitted to testing AJAX-formatted search results.
What is AJAX? It’s a method of displaying web pages dynamically. You’ve probably run across it all over the web. An example of AJAX is in Gmail – when you click an email from the inbox, the message is brought up without reloading the entire page.
So, if they’re already using it all over the web, what’s the big deal?
It could completely remove anyone’s ability to track what keywords lead users to their website. If you don’t know how users are finding your website, how can you know if what you’re doing is working, or what you’re missing?
While things are never as bad as they might seem, it’s important that you know the capabilities of your current website tracking software. Do you already have Google Analytics installed? Are you using an outdated website statistics program? Have you registered your website with Google’s Webmaster Tools? Can your current website statistics be upgraded to handle the upcoming changes?
Knowing what changes are coming and how to react is key with any major update the search engines put out. It’s particularly crucial when an update like this comes along so that you don’t find yourself losing all info about how people find your website.