Science and Technology Review

Google’s search algorithm is offensive, what will happen? Professional Internet search engine Technorati founder Dave Sifry know the taste of them.

The survival of many businesses rely on the same network, Technorati Google relies heavily on the transfer by the flow. Google also has become a Technorati competitors, creating a blog search service, and founder of Technorati’s mission is to serve this market. Severy said, Technorati Google search in the crucial position in the ranking fell several times, causing a direct attack on the business.

“We have certainly been punished”

Speaking of this “downgrade”, Severy asserted: “We have certainly been punished.” As for Technorati is subject to the “special treatment”, or Google search technology into a comprehensive adjustment of the victims, together with other similar sites hit He would not know.

Google holds about business success or failure of the extraordinary power of the network. It’s mysterious algorithm determines which pages to its search results in a prominent position occupied, it is able to bring rolling traffic to other sites, nor can they banished to the Internet, “Siberia.”

This power is based on the hundreds of millions of Internet users trust Google search results. As Google’s executives have only talked about an old love, competition in the “one-click outside” – there is no obstacle to prevent Google users search elsewhere. However, the power of Google that has provoked no small bitterness and anxiety.

“Indeed there are many companies in its finger,” Silicon Valley venture capital firms Azure Capital Partners Mike Kwatinetz said. “I know some companies to reduce by half within one month of traffic. Some companies understand their punishment I sit down, they try to get out, just do not know how to do.”

Travel site Expedia Barry Diller, chairman complained that Google’s services on their own to give unfair preference. This is a Google unsettling example. Google push into professional services, tourism and other new areas, causing widespread concern.

Google decided people reading the content

This concerns not only remain in business areas. “This is a cultural policy issues,” University of Virginia professor Siva Vaidhyanathan Media Research said. “Google on what we happen to find, read our content and our views have a significant impact.”

Relations so big, it’s no wonder the power of indignation on Google will begin to cup overflows. After receiving three complaints, European Commission launched this year, an informal survey on Google. This is the first regulatory body to intervene living in the heart of Google’s technology, the internal operation mode.

At the same time, the French anti-trust regulators last month, the first on Google search advertising services to take action, ordered the withdrawal of a ban advertisers.

Google a great success, the core sorting algorithm operating mode also will be a great concern. Other search engines may also run the same way, but Google’s influence unmatched.

According to Google itself estimates that last year in the U.S. alone, its site search to bring 54 billion U.S. dollars of economic activity – Google said it is a conservative estimate.

Considering more than half of revenue comes from Google outside the U.S., indicating that “Google economy” has exceeded the total size of 100 billion U.S. dollars. Google search market share in Western Europe more than 90% in the United States is 70%.

Even a fan of Google also acknowledged the influence of such invincible should be closer to the monitoring. “As a regulator, can not ignore Google’s dominant position in the market. People are given a variety of cross-examination, this is a good thing.” Santa Clara University law professor Eric Goldman said. But Goldman also argues that the risk of losing customers, more than any regulatory body to maintain effective spur Google search quality.

50% of traffic to most websites rely on Google

Technorati CEO Richard Jalichandra, said about half of most web traffic to rely on Google. So when Google changes algorithms, resulting in a decline or a particular type of website ranking, the kind of pain can be enormous.

Including diari Charles Dera, including critics say some of their own is a professional search engine or from the Internet, “aggregate” content of the website, been treated like Google.

British and French comparison shopping site Foundem legal information search engine Ejustice have similar complaints, regulators in Europe are the two sites receiving the complaint. Brussels, Google also involved with the investigation contract dispute, the Complainant is Microsoft’s German site Ciao.

Foundem is Adam Raff, and Shivaun Raff couple founded to provide users with camera prices comparison services said four years ago, Foundem results pages in Google’s ranking suddenly drop its advertising on Google’s costs are driven up followed by bass bass, which indicates that Google users view the website of the relevant has been weakened, so advertising was also up.

services said, Foundem encounter these problems, because the Google ranking algorithm on a revision of its purpose “is to punish comparison shopping services and tourism services.” She said that the cause lies in a policy: to suppress much original content sites.

Google algorithm changes last year in more than 500

Google admits that the algorithm changes may indeed result in wide-ranging effects. Google last year, 500 of the algorithm is modified. Google search experts responsible for the algorithm Amit Singhal said: “Some changes may cause some sort greatly change the results of inquiries – which is natural.” But he denied that Google ranking in the revised rules, specifically for a particular site, or some sites will be selected to give “special treatment” to show “penalty.”

Singer guarantee, and Google bombs often echo the old PM: Google web search results from the objective filter rules, these rules better than the subjective human judgments. However, many observers say is a “myth.”

“Algorithm is the man to write out”

“Algorithm is written out of people,” Severy said. “I do not think it is close to the point of evil, but the algorithm is not from out of the pure rules.” Severy, who believe that by modifying the algorithm to change the outcome of a particular query, Google engineer’s judgments, and traditional media organizations is very similar to the editorial decision.

Even if the Google search ranking engineers in handling the issue of good intentions – such as Love couples such critics are willing to admit – this is probably good enough. Vidya That Sang said: “We can not say, ten years later Google will not fall, or that the dominant search engine does not matter which degenerated.” Moreover, even if Google’s intention is good, too may be offensive to its mysterious sort algorithm that companies have a devastating impact – because these companies decisive in the search ranking of how the world should be decided by those algorithms.

Google executives said that for the design of Web search results can be ranked among the top position, they will try to pass on know-how to the site owners. But they also said they can not reveal too much internal Google search engine running, so as not to be immoral use of the website operator.

that case, the risk of miscarriage of justice would be great, the price may be very high. He said: “If we link to the right place, they will respect us.” He was referring to a site if the popularity through hyperlinks to other websites which have established links in Google search ranking on the front may be . “But if the link to the wrong place, the result could be devastating.”