3 {{ upvoteCount | shortNum }}
3 {{ upvoteCount | shortNum }}

Is this technically feasable using a proxy?

by carlos123
2 replies
Hi everyone,

Just a quick question...

I would like to add numbers to the search results returned by Google so that I don't have to count anymore to determine where my sites rank (I know, I know there are programs that will do this for me but for various reasons I would rather do it myself).

Now I do not wish to blatantly violate the terms of Google's TOS by accessing Google via automated means (never mind that a browser is an automated way of sending HTTP protocol commands but...we'll leave that aside for now).

One way I think this can be done is to use a proxy that will only process the Google SERP pages on the return.

In other words my browser would access Google like normal with respect to making a non-"automated" request (but through the proxy). But it would take what Google returns, run it through a script to add numbers to the search result or do whatever else I want with it, and present it to me in the way I like it on my browser.

The proxy would be run on my localhost computer. The script would also execute on my localhost.

Can a proxy be used that way? To only do something with the data returned but do nothing with the outgoing request for that data?

Does anyone know of an open source proxy that would allow me to place a script "hook" into the proxy? Where the script in question would only be activated on the return and not on the outgoing request?

Any input would be appreciated.

Thanks.

Carlos
#feasable #proxy #technically
  • Profile picture of the author m4rx
    Well that would be anti-productive to run a proxy on your own computer, you might as well just use it without a proxy.

    There is a good list of proxy's that you can use
    CoDeeN -- A CDN on PlanetLab
    Many of them work pretty well and that should be your path for using a proxy, so that you have a unique IP. With your other problem, I couldn't think of any way to do it other than just looking at the results.

    I guess you could parse each page of google, and count each instance of <li class="g">
    then go to the next page, and keep on doing that until it finds the specified page.

    --m4rx
    Signature
    We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a HABIT. ~Aristotle
    Bored. Learn everything you need to know about Organic Gardening.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[1677550].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author carlos123
      Originally Posted by m4rx View Post

      I guess you could parse each page of google, and count each instance of <li class="g">
      then go to the next page, and keep on doing that until it finds the specified page.
      That is the reason that I need a localhost proxy on my computer m4rx. Because I need to be able to hook into the proxy and redirect what is returned to me HTTP wise (i.e. the SERP page), reformat according to how I like it, and then present it through my browser to me.

      In other words I would simply be intercepting the HTTP data stream returned to me (that would normally be presented on my browser as is), doing some formatting on it (such as numbering the search results) and then passing it along for normal browser display.

      I think conceptually this is doable. I just don't know of a proxy that will easily allow me to hook into it such that a custom script will only process the HTTP traffic on the return while letting all outgoing traffic from out of my computer pass through.

      I hope I am making sense.

      By using a proxy this way I believe I can still abide by Google's TOS too. Of not accessing their service directly using a script.

      Anyway it was just an idea I was toying with. I'll Google around some more and see if there is some proxy that will allow me to do that.

      Thanks.

      Carlos
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[1677591].message }}

Trending Topics