Industry · Status at source date: Newsletter archive
Google rolls out /goto? redirects across Search-result links
Google is routing Search-result clicks through encrypted google.com/goto redirect URLs as an anti-abuse measure, hiding the final destination from the browser's hover preview. Derek Perkins reported a near-complete rollout across several residential IP providers, and Barry Schwartz obtained Google's confirmation.
What changed
Search Console reporting is not expected to change, but scraping and rank-tracking tools may need to follow each redirect.
Why it matters for advertisers
For you, this means third-party SERP data can break even while rankings remain stable, so check vendor coverage before diagnosing a sudden reporting gap as a search performance problem.
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Original newsletter text and archive evidence
Google rolls out /goto? redirects across Search-result links
Google is routing Search-result clicks through encrypted google.com/goto redirect URLs as an anti-abuse measure, hiding the final destination from the browser's hover preview. Derek Perkins reported a near-complete rollout across several residential IP providers, and Barry Schwartz obtained Google's confirmation. Search Console reporting is not expected to change, but scraping and rank-tracking tools may need to follow each redirect. For you, this means third-party SERP data can break even while rankings remain stable, so check vendor coverage before diagnosing a sudden reporting gap as a search performance problem.
Source captured . First-contributor labels follow the newsletter’s explicit wording.
