Google counting clicks
 

When did Google start counting/tracking clicks to results? I just noticed all results now go to a tracking URL on google.com rather than straight to the URL...

You got owned!

Basically, someone installed some software into your browser (probably without your concent) and now you are subject to their insane attempts to gain traffic/knowledge of key words (probably want to know what does the best) on google.

visit window's update daily and you probably wont run into this problem as often

To remove it, search your registry for the tracking domain (where your clicks get redirected to first) then delete all instances of it.. By the way, what is the domain name which you click on before you get your results?

This has happened to me a few times even though i stay current with all M$ Updates.

Ahh... edited this now..

I don't think that's it, is it? Unless Google 0wn3d me...

Do you not see the same thing... like Here?

I just see the normal site urls..no tracking stuff. Think notjoe's answer is probably correct, probably some spyware crap.

That's a bit effing clever then because it seems to be pointing to Google for the redirects, even in the HTML source. Just gonna try my other machines here...

Ok you're right - fuck knows how it works (if it's a 3rd party), but my other machines are tracking-url free.

Thanks.

Well, in case perhaps they're testing with a random bunch of IPs, this is the URL for the 1st result of the search 'test':
http://www.google.com/url?sa=U&start...est.com/&e=747

You'll notice it does redirect. Or you're gonna tell me it doesn't for you and it must be my ultra clever spyware. Let me know!

hmm went straight to test.com

Maybe you're a lucky test user! :)

Cheers,
Matt

> hmm went straight to test.com

Squarepants..... any idea who made that "unban pimpdog" banner?

Are you using the google toolbar with advanced tracking enabled?

This has been a test program with Google for a while. They aren't doing it on a large scale yet, but some lucky surfers are noticing this tracking. Not sure of the purpose but I can only guess to better determine relevancy based on how long a surfer stays at a site.

WG