This unique, confusing parameter seems to impact results but not rankings, and has marketers and website owners confused.

A graphic showing webmasters and SEO experts.

Highlights:

  • The ‘srsltid’ parameter is a Google Merchant Center auto-tagging feature intended for conversion tracking from organic product listings, but it’s appearing in unexpected places, causing widespread confusion.
  • This parameter is leading to significant issues, including inflated URL counts in site audits, data fragmentation in analytics, and reported loss of visibility.

A new, perplexing query parameter, ‘srsltid’, has begun appearing in Google’s organic search results, stirring up significant confusion among webmasters and SEO professionals. This unexpected addition to Google URLs is creating what many are calling an organic search anomaly, challenging existing assumptions about URL structure and data tracking.

What is ‘srsltid’?

According to Google, the `’srsltid’ parameter is a tracking parameter primarily linked to Google Merchant Center’s auto-tagging feature. Its intended purpose is to aid merchants in attributing conversions from organic product listings connected to their product feeds. When enabled, this parameter is appended to URLs in search results, aiming for better downstream behavior attribution. However, its widespread and sometimes unexplainable appearance is causing unforeseen complications.

The Impact on SEO and Data Integrity

While Google maintains that these parameterized URLs are not indexed, third-party SEO tools are reporting them as appearing in indexed pages, leading to inflated URL counts in site audits. This misrepresentation can impact crawl reports and make it challenging to conduct accurate site audit processes. Furthermore, analytics platforms are fragmenting traffic between existing and these new parameterized URLs, severely impacting data accuracy and tracking.

One of the most concerning impacts reported is the loss of visibility within Google Search Console. Some sites have observed clicks and impressions for ‘srsltid’ URLs dropping to zero, even as these pages continue to appear in search results. This discrepancy creates a significant challenge for those relying on Search Console for accurate performance insights, including marketers and business owners alike.

Unintended Reach and Google’s Changes

The parameter’s reach seems to extend beyond its intended scope, appearing on static pages, blog posts, and category hubs, not just product listings. This unexpected behavior highlights the ongoing evolution of Google changes and the continuous need for adaptability in search engine optimization.

For webmasters and those utilizing webmaster tools, understanding and mitigating the effects of ‘srsltid’ is becoming crucial. Many are toying with different approaches like filtering these parameters in analytics or, in some cases, disabling auto-tagging if it’s found to be the source of the issue.

The ‘srsltid’ parameter reminds us once more about the unstable nature of search and the constant vigilance required for URL tracking and overall SEO health. As Google continues to refine its tracking mechanisms, professionals must remain up to date on how to track these anomalies and ensure their data remains clean and actionable.

The SEO experts at Search Berg can help you stay updated with these changes. Get in touch with us for a free consultation or to get started on your audit.