Comment on Reactive prefetch on Google Search: 100-150ms speedupparentComments−magicalist11yThat's fine but not especially relevant to the GP's point. The Google redirect and <a ping> don't require JavaScript.−ksk11yAh okay, I didn't know that. I thought that Google returned direct links when you disabled JS.−magicalist11yYeah, it appears that they both add and remove the direct links in JS, so with JS disabled you never see the direct link (at least, that's what I get when I disable javascript).
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That's fine but not especially relevant to the GP's point. The Google redirect and <a ping> don't require JavaScript.
Ah okay, I didn't know that. I thought that Google returned direct links when you disabled JS.
Yeah, it appears that they both add and remove the direct links in JS, so with JS disabled you never see the direct link (at least, that's what I get when I disable javascript).