Google Inc., long considered the gold standard of Internet search, is changing the secret formula it uses to rank Web pages as it struggles to combat websites that have been able to game its system.The Internet giant, which handles nearly two-thirds of the world’s Web searches, has been under fire recently over the quality of its results. Google said it changed its mathematical formula late Thursday in order to better weed out “low-quality” sites that offer users little value. Some such sites offer just enough content to appear in search results and lure users to pages loaded with advertisements.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704150604576166390281747136.html
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/news/google-revamps-to-fight-cheaters/story-e6frg90x-1226012427301Also see:Google Tweaks Algorithm to Push Down Low-Quality Sites
Google said late Thursday that it had made a major change to its algorithm in an effort to improve the rankings of high-quality Web sites in its search results — and to reduce the visibility of low-quality sites. While the company did not say so explicitly, the change appears to be directed in part at so-called content farms like eHow and Answerbag, which generate articles based on popular search queries so they will rise to the top of the rankings and attract clicks.Google has been facing criticism from some users for allowing articles that aren’t useful to appear prominently in search results. That has now changed, according to the company.
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/25/google-tweaks-algorithm-to-push-down-low-quality-sites/Google Changes How It Ranks Search Results to Spotlight High-Quality Sites
Bruno Guillard, founder of 1PlusV, talks about the French web publisher’s complaint to European Union regulators against Google for refusing to allow so-called vertical search sites to use its advertising service. Guillard speaks from Brussels with Andrea Catherwood on Bloomberg Television’s “The Pulse.” (Source: Bloomberg)The change to Google’s algorithms, which it relies on to discern what users want when they search the Web, affects 12 percent of queries, the company said. Google made the change this week, aiming to give higher rankings to sites with original content, in-depth reports or “thoughtful” analysis.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-02-25/google-alters-how-it-searches-web-focuses-on-quality-results.htmlGoogle demotes ‘low-quality’ websites in search overhaul
Google is making a “pretty big” change that will demote “low-quality” or “shallow” websites from online search engine results, in a move designed to tackle so-called “content farms”.The change, which will affect around 12% of Google search queries in the US, follows pressure from the media industry and many of its users.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/feb/25/google-search-results