?gQT= Parameters popping up in Google Search Console

Lately, I’ve been spotting a new parameter creeping into Google Search Console reports. Different URLs, same content. That means impressions, clicks, and rankings get scattered across variations instead of consolidating under the canonical version.

From what I’ve seen, ?gQT= parameters (and it’s variant  ?gQT=1 and ?gQT= 2) are being injected by Google Merchant Center. I have seen it across multiple eCommerce stores in Search Console, starting to around late october / November 2024.

Unchecked, these parameters can make reporting messy and inflate indexed URL counts in GSC. It’s not the biggest SEO issue out there, but if you like keeping GSC data clean and actionable, it’s something to stay on top of.

Image above: ?gQT= param in GSC

Why Does This Matter?

At first glance, these parameters might not seem like a major problem—Google is generally good at handling tracking parameters and consolidating them under the canonical version. However, when they start appearing in large volumes, they can:

• Dilute Performance Data – If Google is reporting clicks and impressions across multiple variations of the same URL, it becomes harder to assess how a product page is actually performing.
• Inflate Indexed URL Counts – While Google should ignore these parameters for indexing, there are cases where they get treated as separate URLs, leading to unnecessary indexation.
• Skew Internal Reporting – If you rely on Google Search Console data for SEO insights, having these extra parameters floating around can create a mess, especially when trying to track trends.

Right now, this seems to be more of a reporting annoyance than a major SEO problem, but it’s something to keep an eye on, especially if it starts impacting how Google indexes your pages.

If you’ve been seeing this parameter pop up, I’d be interested to hear if it’s causing any indexing or ranking issues for your site.

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