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Google Algorithm Discriminates Against Bad Reviews

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the this-algorithm-sucks dept.

j_col writes "According to the official Google blog, Google has altered their PageRank algorithm to not give back linking points to bad reviews of websites belonging to online retailers, following the publication of a recent article in the New York Times describing one woman's experiences in being harassed by an online retailer she found via Google. The specific changes to the algorithm are of course a guarded secret. So considering that these changes are already live, how do we know how the algorithm determines a bad review from a good one, and whether or not innocent online retailers will be wrongly punished by having their rankings downgraded?"

3 of 175 comments (clear)

  1. Poor summary... by msauve · · Score: 5, Informative

    "Google has altered their PageRank algorithm to not give back linking points to bad reviews of websites belonging to online retailers"

    Uh, no. Google changed it so that websites of poorly reviewed retailers lose points, not the reviews themselves.

    --
    "National Security is the chief cause of national insecurity." - Celine's First Law
  2. Re:DecorMyEyes is the 4th result on the 2nd page by Shikaku · · Score: 3, Informative

    It may as well be.

    http://www.marketingpilgrim.com/2008/04/iprospect-blended-search-study.html

    There are studies that says that beyond the first page the majority of people don't bother continuing to search and use more words or different search engines.

  3. The Reson this happened? Bad Press. by acomj · · Score: 3, Informative

    Its a long interesting read.
    Quite the character mr. Borker is.

    http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/28/business/28borker.html