Google AJAX Search API - a huge bug?

    Dedicated to the developers of the Google SOAP API ...

    For those who do not know what it is - this is an API with which you can make queries to the Google search engine.
    The thing, it would seem very useful, because registration of keys to the SOAP Search API was discontinued more than 3 years ago,
    and parsing HTML-issuance has a bunch of drawbacks except for one advantage - the identity of the data received by the user, with the identity of the data received by the program.
    The output JSON data format, which is much easier to use than SOAP, can also be used client-side on JS or Flash.

    I met this API about a year ago, and was very disappointed in it.
    Why do you ask? The answer is simple - the results generated through the API are very different from the search engine via the Web.
    Although, according to the logic of things, they should be, if not identical, then very close in meaning.

    But, seeing that they were not in production at the moment, I sincerely hoped that by the time I exit Labs the problems would be resolved.
    So, the AJAX Search API went into production, the SOAP Search API will be closed on August 31, because according to Google is not needed.

    I decided to check how things were, and compared the current search engine results, SOAP API and AJAX API.
    The object of comparison is the number of pages found for a search query, keywords were not specifically selected.

    Too lazy to look - the results are very different, which reduces the value of the Google AJAX Search API to zero.

    Further test results:

    Simple request


    Number of ResultsDifference (%)
    InquiryWebSOAPAjaxSOAPAjax
    concrete80 300 00079 800 00014 100 0000.6282,44
    block retaining wall1,140,0001,170,0001,090,000-2.634.39
    block walls15,700,00015.6 million4,830,0000.6469.24
    brick patio1,030,0001,040,000814,000-0.9720.97
    build retaining wall473,000468,000173,0001.0663,42
    building material132,000,000137,000,000114,000,000-3.7913.64
    building materials73 100 00074 900 00059,400,000-2.4618.74
    carolinas concrete masonry association63,60062,70049,2001.4222.64
    ccma327,000324,000113,0000.9265,44
    cement block6 650 0006 620 0004,740,0000.4528.72
    cement blocks16,200,00016.3 million15,200,000-0.626.17
    concrete block4 070 0004 070 0002,350,0000.0042.26
    concrete block homes4 130 0004,200,0002,570,000-1.6937.77
    concrete block houses2 210 0002 210 0001,400,0000.0036.65
    concrete building159 million18 600 00017,600,00088.3088.93
    concrete company16.6 million17,600,00016,400,000-6.021.20
    concrete construction16.8 million16 500 00015 300 0001.798.93
    concrete contractor4 800 0004,760,0002,250,0000.8353.13
    concrete contractors4,990,0004 870 0002,400,0002.4051.90
    concrete countertop4,530,000772,000495,00082.9689.07
    concrete flooring17,300,00017,400,00015,400,000-0.5810.98
    concrete home52,200,00052 800 00015,400,000-1.1570.50
    concrete homes43,200,00044,000,00019,400,000-1.8555.09
    concrete masonry unit1,180,0001,110,0001,080,0005.938.47
    concrete mixer2 120 0002 100 000961,0000.9454.67
    concrete overlay311,000308,000194,0000.9637.62
    concrete pavers577,000578,000359,000-0.1737.78
    concrete products16.8 million17,600,00015 500 000-4.767.74
    concrete retaining wall386,000893,000325,000-131.3515,80
    concrete sealer332,000331,000206,0000.3037.95
    concrete steps2 640 00018 300 0002 110 000-593.1820.08
    concrete work20 100 00019 900 00019,200,0001.004.48
    construction masonry1,370,0001,410,0001,270,000-2.927.30
    green building materials120 million123,000,000119,000,000-2.500.83
    landscape pavers936,000927,000164,0000.9682,48
    landscaping rock1,190,0006 520 0001,140,000-447.904.20
    masonry13.3 million13,200,0002 460 0000.7581.50
    masonry block524,0002,780,000448,000-430.5314.50
    masonry contractors1,620,0001,640,0001 010 000-1.2337.65
    pavers3,000,0002 960 000615,0001.3379.50
    paving14,200,00014,200,0002,490,0000.0082.46
    paving stone1,460,0001,470,0001,060,000-0.6827.40
    paving stones1,540,0001,540,000219,0000.0085.78
    precast concrete1,130,0001,120,000351,0000.8868.94
    retaining wall2,260,0002,270,0001,040,000-0.4453.98
    retaining wall blocks3,480,0001,180,0001,100,00066.0968.39


    Exact match request



    Number of ResultsDifference (%)
    InquiryWebSOAPAjaxSOAPAjax
    'concrete'80 500 00079 800 00014,200,0000.8782.36
    'block retaining wall'33,20033 1006 9500.3079.07
    'block walls'227,000224,00059,7001.3273.70
    'brick patio'246,000244,00043,9000.8182.15
    'build retaining wall'17 10013 5001 99021.0588.36
    'building material'3 470 0003,480,000638,000-0.2981.61
    'building materials'17,400,00017 500 0003,890,000-0.5777.64
    'carolinas concrete masonry association'2 6002,5803270.7787.42
    'ccma'326,000324,000113,0000.6165.34
    'cement block'224,000221,00049,8001.3477.77
    'cement blocks'169,000167,00040 3001.1876.15
    'concrete block'2 040 0002 030 000351,0000.4982.79
    'concrete block homes'5,3205,2801 2100.7577.26
    'concrete block houses'6,0805,9301,5102.4775.16
    'concrete building'770,000354,00084,70054.0389.00
    'concrete company'176,000177,00032,200-0.5781.70
    'concrete construction'1,560,0001,520,000229,0002,5685.32
    'concrete contractor'383,000383,00059,5000.0084.46
    'concrete contractors'2 630 0002 620 000374,0000.3885.78
    'concrete countertop'50,60050 50013,6000.2073.12
    'concrete flooring'402,000401,00072,6000.2581.94
    'concrete home'124,000124,00024,7000.0080.08
    'concrete homes'74 90075,50018,700-0.8075.03
    'concrete masonry unit'31,50031,0007 3901,5976.54
    'concrete mixer'1,290,0001,280,000481,0000.7862.71
    'concrete overlay'96,40095 90020,7000.5278.53
    'concrete pavers'214,000214,00053,4000.0075.05
    'concrete products'1 820 0001 830 000299,000-0.5583.57
    'concrete retaining wall'65,80065,50013,2000.4679.94
    'concrete sealer'90 30090 40020,200-0.1177.63
    'concrete steps'607,000603,000159,0000.6673.81
    'concrete work'758,000754,000127,0000.5383.25
    'construction masonry'145,000111,00013,00023.4591.03
    'green building materials'114,000114,00035 3000.0069.04
    'landscape pavers'14,20014 1003 1400.7077.89
    'landscaping rock'41,30041,1006,0600.4885.33
    'masonry'13.3 million13,200,0002 460 0000.7581.50
    'masonry block'74 10073 90016 3000.2778.00
    'masonry contractors'601,000602,00070,800-0.1788.22
    'pavers'2 990 0002 980 000617,0000.3379.36
    'paving'14,200,00014,200,0002,480,0000.0082.54
    'paving stone'700,000442,00076 90036.8689.01
    'paving stones'1 010 0001,020,000110,000-0.9989.11
    'precast concrete'992,000990,000228,0000.2077.02
    'retaining wall'1,600,0001,610,000398,000-0.6375.13
    'retaining wall blocks'20,60020,6005 1100.0075.19


    With this post I want to attract the attention of developers - please make sure that the results of your product do not show the weather in Africa, but at least the results of the SOAP Search API.

    And for myself, I

    concluded: If you need the identity of the results in your projects, in no case use the Google AJAX Search API.

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