If you've recently noticed something unusual when hovering over a Google Search result, you're not imagining it. Instead of seeing the destination website's URL in the browser status bar, some Google Search results now point to a URL beginning with: google.com/goto?url=... Clicking the result still takes you to the same website. The difference is that Google now sits in the middle of the journey. Search Engine Land reported Google's confirmation on August 26, 2026, while Sear