Google’s New ?srsltid= Parameter in Organic Search: What You Should Know

Google has recently introduced a new parameter, ?srsltid=, that’s being appended to URLs in search results. This change has caught the attention of the SEO community, particularly those managing eCommerce websites.

🔍 What’s Going On?

• Originally, the ?srsltid= parameter was employed within Google Merchant Center to tag products in Analytics. However, it’s now appearing in organic search results, potentially leading users to unexpected or unintended pages.
• Already, over 600,000 pages have been indexed with this parameter!
• GA4 doesn’t detect session/user campaign.

🔧 Why Does This Matter?

• Broken Links: Websites that don’t support dynamic parameters might encounter broken links.
• Duplicate Content: The indexing of duplicate pages could rise if proper canonical tags aren’t in place.
• Position Tracking Fluctuations: SEO tools may report increased ranking volatility due to this new parameter.

If you’ve observed this parameter in your URLs, it’s crucial to implement canonical tags to mitigate duplicate content issues. The SEO community is actively discussing this concern across various forums, and it’s important to monitor how this development unfolds.

Let’s stay informed and proactive about this change!

😊Update

John Mueller has made some clarification on this matter. But how GA4 will recognize the source campaign is not yet known. GA4 shows (note set):

Update 23.08.2024

I attempted to disable auto-tagging for a particular site, and it appears that UTM parameters are no longer being tracked.

While John Mueller mentioned plans to potentially extend this feature to traditional search, it is still feasible to utilize a different UTM that distinguishes it from free listings.

How to Remove the ?srsltid=  from Your Website Links

Fortunately, you can easily get rid of the ?srsltid= code by disabling the auto-tagging feature in Google Merchant Center. Follow these steps to do it:

1. Access Google Merchant Center: Begin by logging into your Google Merchant Center account, where you oversee your online store’s activities.
2. Navigate to Settings: After logging in, locate the “Settings” option in the menu. This section allows you to control how your store interacts with Google.
3. Locate Conversion Settings: Within the settings, search for the “Conversion Settings” section. This area manages how Google monitors user interactions with your store.
4. Disable Auto-Tagging: In the conversion settings, you’ll find an option labeled “Auto-Tagging.” Turn this setting off. Disabling auto-tagging will prevent Google from appending the ?srsltid= code to your website URLs.
5. Review Your Website Links: After turning off auto-tagging, it may take a couple of days for the changes to fully propagate. Once this period has passed, inspect your website links in Google Search to ensure that the ?srsltid= code is no longer appearing.

Why Disabling Auto-Tagging Helps

By turning off auto-tagging, Google will stop adding the ?srsltid= code to your website links. This keeps your URLs clean and professional, which can enhance the user experience and boost trust in your site.