The Dojo is the official blog of the marketing software company TraceWorks.

Getting Google messed up

Pelle Nov 15th

Once in a while people ask why data in the section Google “Search terms” is so distorted. By which they mean that Headlight often can’t track all search terms people use (please note that search terms are not the same as keywords bought).

I noticed during this week that actually using specific add ons for Firefox (and probably also other browsers) you can click on the display URL.

Google display URL's

The obvious problem to advertisers is that using the “headline link” gives you the ability to track everything (using whatever marketing tool), but the other one… well a click on that link wouldn’t track anything, since it’s basically a click on something that isn’t a link. Jikes!

5 Responses to “Getting Google messed up”

  1. Jesper  November 16th

    Free advertising on Google, wicked!

    What is the name of that add on?

  2. Pelle  November 16th

    It’s called Linkification.

  3. Pelle  November 16th

    And so the plot thickens…
    Using this query string: http://www.google.dk/search?hl=en&q=ostekage&btnG=Search

    makes the display URL a link whereas
    http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=ostekage&btnG=Search
    does not.

    Confused? Oh yeah!!!

  4. Jesper  November 16th

    oh, so it’s only free advertising on Google Denmark. Bummer!

  5. Pelle  November 19th

    Let’s take it country by country :)

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