Google rant - Poor search results

[Mach]

More Google ranting, some may not even notice... that's your problem.... that a current search on Google gets you a bunch of pre-digested spam, I use to get some great information from Google, now I get a bunch of sales and marketing (to me personally), anyway, here is an article that touches on the subject.

http://www.highrankings.com/google-sucks-298


Since their poor results are being talked about with more fervor outside of the search marketing industry, it's possible that they have indeed crossed the line. Numerous mainstream publications and highly regarded bloggers have taken notice and written about the putrid results. While Google is used to negative press, the current wave of stories hits them at their core -- or at least what most people believe to be their core -- their search results.

:collins:.......... :D

[sevin]

It's weird because Google Adwords is unbelievably picky about what kind of ads they allow you to have. Yet the organic search results are total crap a lot of the time.

[tangent4ronpaul]

Could it be your search syntax - or lack of it?

-t

[rckt24]

poor search results relative to what?

[specsaregood]

All the cool kids bing (http://www.bing.com/) nowadays anyways. Get out of the 00's and into the 10's.

[HazyHusky420]

1. Turn off instant
2. add "-" right before common words in results you don't like. No spaces either.

I always clear my browser history so it is annoying to always have to turn instant off, but sadly only Google's results satisfy me =/

[trey4sports]

Blekko is taking over, try em out

blekko.com

[BlackTerrel]

Google entered a very crowded market and without spending a dime got to #1. Only happened cause they were the best at the time. If anything appears that is considerably better than Google they will be #1. But so far I haven't seen it.

[HazyHusky420]

Google entered a very crowded market and without spending a dime got to #1. Only happened cause they were the best at the time. If anything appears that is considerably better than Google they will be #1. But so far I haven't seen it.

Sadly Google's government ties also give them an advantage =(

[BarryDonegan]

Google is one of the best companies on the planet right now, and, in my opinion, their search algorithms are the best. Sure, lots of the front page content leads to products, but the content is typically useful as well. The way Google basically works is people with useful content reach the front page, so marketers pay for useful content. This is a good thing in my view, as I'd way rather get an ad after reading an article on what to do when my car overheats than any other form of advertising that ever existed prior. With the additional search syntax, you can find very specific stuff very easily.

'tis but my 2 cents.

[dannno]

All the cool kids bing (http://www.bing.com/) nowadays anyways. Get out of the 00's and into the 10's.

Ya, bmail is the shit :collins:

[HazyHusky420]

Google is one of the best companies on the planet right now, and, in my opinion, their search algorithms are the best. Sure, lots of the front page content leads to products, but the content is typically useful as well. The way Google basically works is people with useful content reach the front page, so marketers pay for useful content. This is a good thing in my view, as I'd way rather get an ad after reading an article on what to do when my car overheats than any other form of advertising that ever existed prior. With the additional search syntax, you can find very specific stuff very easily.

'tis but my 2 cents.

I agree with you as far as their engineering goes but otherwise they're pure evil. Total state-sponsored big brother scum.

[BlackTerrel]

Sadly Google's government ties also give them an advantage =(

Yeah I don't buy it. People forget how hard it was to find information on the internet before Google came around.

Since when has government been good at anything? It's odd that according to many on this site the government outperforms the free market when it comes to search engine algorithms, social networks, map applications, Voice over internet etc.... maybe we should let government run things if they are so good at getting things done.

[low preference guy]

Yeah I don't buy it. People forget how hard it was to find information on the internet before Google came around.

Since when has government been good at anything? It's odd that according to many on this site the government outperforms the free market when it comes to search engine algorithms, social networks, map applications, Voice over internet etc.... maybe we should let government run things if they are so good at getting things done.

government is good at keeping competitors out through regulations and barriers to entry. you are criticizing a straw man.

[doodle]

Google data mining practices would very likely be despised tomorrow like smoking and radiation laden cell phone fads of yesterday.

[specsaregood]

Yeah I don't buy it. People forget how hard it was to find information on the internet before Google came around.


Not really. There were some decent search engines before google, altavista being the best of the bunch. Their search engine itself wasn't how they became #1. They became #1 because of the slimmed down home page with nothing but a graphic and a box, and slimmed down search results without many ads and no images. The internet was still slow in those days and the other sites jammed in way too images and junk on all their pages. THAT is why google quickly leapt ahead --quick page load time and slimmed down design --, not because their search was that much better.

[tangent4ronpaul]

Not really. There were some decent search engines before google, altavista being the best of the bunch. Their search engine itself wasn't how they became #1. They became #1 because of the slimmed down home page with nothing but a graphic and a box, and slimmed down search results without many ads and no images. The internet was still slow in those days and the other sites jammed in way too images and junk on all their pages. THAT is why google quickly leapt ahead --quick page load time and slimmed down design --, not because their search was that much better.

That they have searched and indexed more of the web than anyone else, effectively rand by popularity while also making it possible to drill down for fine grain results might have something to do with it too. They also correct typo's and spelling mistakes.

-t

[specsaregood]

That they have searched and indexed more of the web than anyone else, effectively rand by popularity while also making it possible to drill down for fine grain results might have something to do with it too. They also correct typo's and spelling mistakes.

-t

They didn't have all that in the beginning. Sure now, but not then. Which is what the statement I was replying to claimed.
They got big quick, primarily because of the slimmed down aspect of their site.

[BlackTerrel]

Not really. There were some decent search engines before google, altavista being the best of the bunch. Their search engine itself wasn't how they became #1. They became #1 because of the slimmed down home page with nothing but a graphic and a box, and slimmed down search results without many ads and no images. The internet was still slow in those days and the other sites jammed in way too images and junk on all their pages. THAT is why google quickly leapt ahead --quick page load time and slimmed down design --, not because their search was that much better.

That's part of it. I remember their results being more accurate.

Regardless they won by doing search better than anyone else. If someone else can do it considerably betterb than them. People have no loyalty to Google - if there is something significantly better it will win.

[Kludge]

That's part of it. I remember their results being more accurate.

Regardless they won by doing search better than anyone else. If someone else can do it considerably betterb than them. People have no loyalty to Google - if there is something significantly better it will win.

I will debunk this personally. I am grateful to Google for significantly streamlining tedious activity for me and saving me $.

Google Voice has allowed me to go without a phone service while still being able to receive and send calls with satisfactory clarity -- for free.

Google Docs permits me to easily collaborate with others -- wife, specifically, to make lists of what needs to be done and how to do it.

Google has been experimenting with extremely high-bandwidth ISP service. I am excited by what may eventually come of it.

I use Chrome because of its fast Javascript rendering, minimalist UI, and assigning a different thread to each tab.

Google Adwords has allowed me to easily promote liberty candidates, and their generous gifts of free credit permits me to do it at no cost. Google Adsense allows me to make money off the people using Adwords with almost no effort.

Google Maps allows me to easily and quickly find directions to wherever I want to go, and also allows me to browse real estate in the area.

And these are off the top of my head -- there's also Gmail & Youtube (which has been incredibly useful to the RP campaigns) which I use. While it is because I cannot find a better (not necessarily due to the merits of the code/hardware) platform to do what I want, I very much appreciate what Google has done for me personally and would be hesitant to try a competitor's product.

[BarryDonegan]

I will debunk this personally. I am grateful to Google for significantly streamlining tedious activity for me and saving me $.

Google Voice has allowed me to go without a phone service while still being able to receive and send calls with satisfactory clarity -- for free.

Google Docs permits me to easily collaborate with others -- wife, specifically, to make lists of what needs to be done and how to do it.

Google has been experimenting with extremely high-bandwidth ISP service. I am excited by what may eventually come of it.

I use Chrome because of its fast Javascript rendering, minimalist UI, and assigning a different thread to each tab.

Google Adwords has allowed me to easily promote liberty candidates, and their generous gifts of free credit permits me to do it at no cost. Google Adsense allows me to make money off the people using Adwords with almost no effort.

Google Maps allows me to easily and quickly find directions to wherever I want to go, and also allows me to browse real estate in the area.

And these are off the top of my head -- there's also Gmail & Youtube (which has been incredibly useful to the RP campaigns) which I use. While it is because I cannot find a better (not necessarily due to the merits of the code/hardware) platform to do what I want, I very much appreciate what Google has done for me personally and would be hesitant to try a competitor's product.

QFT.

Google Documents is an awesome collaborative text editor which by itself has changed my life. Several Google products have changed my life. Google Goggles has the potential to become Terminator 2 vision down the road.

Google is an awesome company.

[tangent4ronpaul]

I kind of wish they would tell you a bit more about limits. Like the max number of rows you can put into a Google spreadsheet. That was an uncomfortable "bump" when we hit it.

But overall, yeah - excellent tools!

Google is great!

-t

[Texan4Life]

ppssh Bing blows. Google is still the best IMO. Though I freakin HATE the google instant searching.... yeah I already turned it off on my search preference.

[angelatc]

I can't find the article right now, but just in the past week I read that Google was again revamping its search algorithm for exactly the reason the OP mentioned. Rumor is that linking back and forth might not have the same positive effect it once did.

I see the junk spam too - usually written by someone whose first language isn't English.

[TNforPaul45]

Yes google searches have become completely aweful. Infinite metadata gargabe and search term hijackimg. Sites that have every word on the english language and that have their own search feature embedded so that your search term parks in their code, ready to be searched there. These are sites that have no real content but they are "workimg the system" and makimg sure any and all searches show up on their metadata lists.

Google should change its ad revenue model instead of their code, which works fine.