In 2024, Google introduced the srsltid= parameter, sparking discussions within the SEO community. Initially used in Google Merchant Center to ensure proper attribution between organic and shopping traffic, this parameter is now appearing in organic search results. This article explains what srsltid= means for SEO and attribution, and how it impacts organic traffic.

Why Did Google Add srsltid= to Organic Results?

Google has started adding srsltid= to URLs in an effort to better track traffic coming from organic searches to e-commerce sites. Originally designed for Google Shopping, this parameter helped ensure correct attribution between Google Merchant Center and the target page. Now, however, this parameter remains in URLs when shared from organic search results, leading to misattribution issues.

Impact on Organic Search and Attribution

1. Mixing Google Shopping and Organic Search: Adding srsltid= to organic results can cause e-commerce site traffic to be mistakenly attributed to Google Shopping. This makes it harder to differentiate between traffic generated by organic search and that from Google Shopping, leading to distorted data and inaccurate reporting.

2. Spread of Parameter Through Link Sharing: When users share URLs from organic search results, they often don’t notice the added parameter. These links then spread across social media, websites, and other channels, perpetuating the incorrect attribution to Google Shopping.

3. Crawling and Indexing Implications: Although Google claims that the srsltid= parameter does not affect page indexing or ranking, the presence of many URLs with different parameters can complicate the crawler’s job. It can be challenging for search engines to identify the main URL among duplicates, potentially diluting PageRank.

SEO Impacts and Recommendations

The addition of srsltid= in organic results breaks some basic SEO guidelines:

• Avoid Unnecessary Parameters: Google itself warns against using unnecessary parameters, which can increase the number of URLs for the same content.
• Use Rel=canonical: This tag should identify the primary URL to avoid duplicate content issues. However, if each organic URL is marked with a unique parameter, the effectiveness of the canonical tag may be undermined.

What Actions Can Be Taken?

For effective management of attribution data, we recommend:

• Monitor and Analyze Traffic: Track whether srsltid= negatively impacts your traffic metrics.
• Implement Filters in Analytics Tools: Use filters to remove srsltid= from URLs to improve traffic monitoring accuracy.

The introduction of the srsltid= parameter in organic results raises questions about accurate attribution and transparency in traffic measurement.