ajax search is returning different results than www.google.com

[Josu]

Hi,

I'm using the REST interface and I'm getting different results. I've
seen issue 43 in code.google.com that is talking about this. However
I've realized that is open since May-2008. Will be fixed? Do we need
to change anything in the queries?

Best Regards,

Jordi Suñer

[searchtools-avi]

As far as I know, it's not fixed.

I think there will always be *some* differences, because the google
web search servers are so dynamic and updates percolate differently.
So far, I've never done a Custom Search call and had different number
of results, but it's easy to see in the web search interface.

Best of luck,

Avi

[Landyman]

Hello -
I know that the search results are usually a little different, but not
enough to affect the reliability of the results.
About a month ago, I noticed an issue where a certain site was just
not in the search API results for any of the queries that it would
normally come up in, but was all over search results on Google.com
(even on the first search result page).

Has anyone else experienced this? I'm not really sure how to file a
bug since the Developer Documentation says to post it here on the
Group.

Thanks.

-Landy

On Nov 9, 2:13 pm, searchtools-avi <searchto...@gmail.com> wrote:
> As far as I know, it's not fixed.
>
> I think there will always be *some* differences, because the google
> web search servers are so dynamic and updates percolate differently.
> So far, I've never done a Custom Search call and haddifferentnumber

> ofresults, but it's easy to see in the web search interface.

>
> Best of luck,
>
> Avi
>
> On Nov 7, 4:40 am, Josu <jordisu...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
>
> > Hi,
>

> > I'm using the REST interface and I'm gettingdifferentresults. I've

[jonathanstark]

I'm experiencing the same issue. It's particularly painful in my case
because I'm searching for terms that are extremely rare. It's not
uncommon to get only 1 hit on google.com and none via the API. My
guess is that queries via the API are hitting a different batch of
servers that are not as up to date as google.com. Anyway, if anyone
has more information it would be appreciated.

[Landyman]

It started happening for a different site now too. The keywords are
pretty targeted, and the site (in this case, on the first page) is
just not anywhere in the API results. Anyone have any more info on
this?

Thanks.

On Nov 24, 9:23 am, jonathanstark <jstark...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I'm experiencing the same issue. It's particularly painful in my case
> because I'm searching for terms that are extremely rare. It's not
> uncommon to get only 1 hit on google.com and none via the API. My
> guess is that queries via the API are hitting a different batch of
> servers that are not as up to date as google.com. Anyway, if anyone
> has more information it would be appreciated.
>

[Kieran]

I've experienced the same problem. Here's an example:

http://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/services/search/web?q=%22Horace+Bumblebee%22&filter=0&safe=off&rsz=large&v=1.0

This yields 1 result:
* http://www.pap.lib.tx.us/obits/pap_panews-1994.htm

Executing a query for "Horace Bumblebee" on the google.com web
interface yields 3 results:
* oldestandwisest.com/linked/first%20character%20appearance.doc
* www.pap.lib.tx.us/obits/pap_panews-1994.htm
* blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view...

Some things I've tried varying are: the User-Agent, Referer / Key,
safe search and duplicating filtering.

There doesn't seem to be much to do about it, based on what I've
read. But I do wonder the following: can anyone try to replicate the
exact search results above? I would be curious to know if everyone's
AJAX requests are nerfed the same way, or whether different people's
mileages vary.

Best,

Kieran

[Gerhard W. Recher (abuse)]

Hi Kieran,

I can reproduce this for me:

-- gerhard

stdClass Object
(
[responseData] => stdClass Object
(
[results] => Array
(
[0] => stdClass Object
(
[GsearchResultClass] => GwebSearch
[unescapedUrl] =>
http://www.pap.lib.tx.us/obits/pap_panews-1994.htm
[url] =>
http://www.pap.lib.tx.us/obits/pap_panews-1994.htm
[visibleUrl] => www.pap.lib.tx.us
[cacheUrl] =>
http://www.google.com/search?q=cache:nyYX__Mzt0EJ:www.pap.lib.tx.us
[title] => Obits 1994
[titleNoFormatting] => Obits 1994
[content] => JONES, <b>HORACE
(BUMBLEBEE</b>), 19940918, 7C. JONES, JESSIE MAE, 72, 19940812, 5C.
JONES, KRYSLYNN MICHELLE, INF, 19941121, 8A. JONES, LENORA E. 56,
19940726, 6B <b>...</b>
)

)

[cursor] => stdClass Object
(
[pages] => Array
(
[0] => stdClass Object
(
[start] => 0
[label] => 1
)

)

[estimatedResultCount] => 1
[currentPageIndex] => 0
[moreResultsUrl] =>
http://www.google.com/search?oe=utf8&ie=utf8&source=uds&start=0&safe=off&filter=0&hl=en&q=%22Horace+Bumblebee%22
)

)

[responseDetails] =>
[responseStatus] => 200
)

> --
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>
>
>

[Landyman]

I've also tried changing settings, and still get these bad results. I
wish Google would do something about it -- it's very frustrating, and
I don't have this problem with other APIs.

On Dec 2, 1:32 am, "Gerhard W. Recher (abuse)" <ab...@clean-mx.de>
wrote:

>                     [moreResultsUrl] =>http://www.google.com/search?oe=utf8&ie=utf8&source=uds&start=0&safe=...

>                 )
>
>         )
>
>     [responseDetails] =>
>     [responseStatus] => 200
> )
>
>
>
> Kieran wrote:
> > I've experienced the same problem.  Here's an example:
>

> >http://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/services/search/web?q=%22Horace+Bumbl...
>
> > This yields 1 result:
> >    *http://www.pap.lib.tx.us/obits/pap_panews-1994.htm

[Jordan]

I am trying to check the possition for my site, but I obtain different
results too between ajax search and web search.

any news on the story ?

[Jeremy Geerdes]

This is a known issue. You can star it at the link below to indicate to the dev team that you want it fixed.

http://code.google.com/p/google-ajax-apis/issues/detail?id=43

That said, the AJAX Search API was not designed to be used as a SEO tool. The TOS has specific provisions designed to discourage it, and the API itself was designed to return only 64 results, presumably to limit its usefulness in SEO applications.

Jeremy R. Geerdes
Effective website design & development
Des Moines, IA

For more information or a project quote:
http://jgeerdes.home.mchsi.com
jrge...@gmail.com

If you're in the Des Moines, IA, area, check out Debra Heights Wesleyan Church!