Google's Click Tracking script change to 3 parameters

it added a ct: maybe content type: 'res'

[chedong]

Google use Click Tracking at JavaScript function loads web bean onmousedown for years:
[webmasterworld.com...]

The original JavaScript function

function clk(n,el) {
if(document.images){
(new Image()).src="/url?sa=T&start="+n+"&url="+escape(el.href);
}
return true;}

How it works

The listings' urls within the serps look like this:
<a href="http:*//www.webmasterworld.com/forum3/" onmousedown="return clk(2,this)">Google News</a>

the results position and result url was recorded while referers with keywords offset and other parameters.....

So after you click on any listing, a invisible image gets loaded:
http:*//google.com/url?sa=T&start=2&url=http ://www.webmasterworld.com/forum3/

Recently scripts changed to 3 parameters: el ct cd

function clk(el,ct,cd) {if(document.images){(new Image()).src="/url?sa=T&ct="+ct+"&cd="+cd+"&url="+escape(el.href);}return true;}

Example:
<a href=http://cvsbook.red-bean.com/ onmousedown="return clk(this,'res',4)" target=nw>A <font color=CC0033>CVS</font> Book</a><br>

it added a ct: maybe content type: 'res'

[Brett_Tabke]

Ya, reported many times in the forums over the years.

Thanks for the update though.

I wonder what Google could tell us about Yahoo? hmmm

[bluelook]

Nice first post :)
I can see that you registered more than 6 months ago, and this was your first post, so keep up posting. Maybe you can find some other interesting stuff.

[AffiliateDreamer]

Yeah great post!

I always wondered why Google didn't (at least according to me) track what people clicked on when they searched the
'natural' search results.

so it loads an invisible image that they use to track the clicked listing..hmmm....

[nakulgoyal]

That's interesting. Let's see what google has in store for all of us...they MIGHT release some public versions of this data, like the overture tools, but I see the probability of this MIGHT very less.

[cayleyv]

and if the user has JavaScript disabled... 0

[chedong]

Yes, image bean based click tracking is widely used for years. I wrote a article on click density (in Chinese)
http://www.chedong.com/tech/click.html

here is an output sample:
http://www.chedong.com/tech/sohusms.png

[edited by: engine at 1:09 pm (utc) on June 14, 2004]

[stuntdubl]

Welcome to Webmasterworld (posting anyhow) Chedong. Thanks for the heads up, and great first post! Keep up the good work.

I think you probably hold the record for the best new member "post to front page ratio". You definitely get my nomination for "WW rookie of the year":)

[pleeker]

Good stuff, chedong.

I think you probably hold the record for the best new member "post to front page ratio".

Yes, some of us waited two years for the honor. :)