How Did Google Manage To Degrade Their Search Engine?

[TwoTankAmin]

I have been searching on Google for years and am quite adept at it. I have always been able to get relevant answers back very easily. After the most recent changes the same searches now fail to bring in the relevant results, They initially bring back mostly commercial results. Finding the good information has become harder rather than easier for the first time since I began using Google. But I am sure it is making them more money.
 
So for the first time after being online since 1998 and being a Google user for most of that time, Google is no longer my default search engine. I am bummed.
 
Fortunately, these changes have effected only the general web search results. I am still able to find great stuff via Google Scholar.
 
The worst part is all the adverts that I can not figure out how to stop and/or block. If I do a search for "fish" the fist thing I see are adverts for anything local to do with fish- mostly restaurants. Then there are all the sponsored results which are usually a waste of one's search time and screen as well.
 
I tried to change my location to someplace near the artic circle but it would not take that.
 
Google has always been a great search engine. And every upgrade seemed to make it work better along the way. The recent changes moved the real search stuff in the wrong direction as far as I can tell. I wonder why. Was it all about more money or was it poor reprogramming?
 
 
 
 

 

[DrRob]

Didn't google recently float on the stock market?

 

[TwoTankAmin]

Google went public on the NASDAQ exchange on August 19, 2004- the issue price was $85 per share. It is now down from over $925.

 

[dredgy]

I know they are rolling out some changes to search results (it shows on my mobile, though nothing has changed on my PC).
 
Install AdBlock to remove the commercial results. It's available for Firefox and Opera, I think it is for Chrome (but stops working on my PC, assuming because Google owns Chrome), can't remember for IE. It also removes ads from YouTube videos.
 
 

Didn't google recently float on the stock market?

 
Google floated nearly 10 years ago. It was worth $27 billion at that time. It was worth $300 billion today, so it must be doing something right.

 

[TwoTankAmin]

I have adblock on firefox since it came out. I have tracking blockers, cookie and cache self destructors. Nothing helps and there is nothing on the net. google has worked hard to insure these ads are forced on users. their staff outsmarts the addon folks if they want to. I have ghostery. Better privacy for LSO cookies.
 
The best way to block Google ads is yahoo, bing, dogpile. HWhen forced i will resort to google. If the querry is specific enough there are usually no local ads.

 

[daizeUK]

I had heard that the purpose of the changes was to do the opposite, i.e. bring back more relevant results rather than 'top-rated' sites.  Can't say I've seen a huge difference myself.

 

[TwoTankAmin]

I just did a Google search for tropical fish. The first page at the top showed some links to images. Not a big deal, but I did not go to Google i=Images. So that stuff is taking up useful space.
 
Next came text ads for 7 different places not to far from me that sell tropical fish. Senseless BS and what makes Google rich and me frustrated. I did not ask "where to buy tropical fish near [my zip code]
 
Next came 9 of the more traditional looking Google returns. Of these, the first was a link to Wiki, about the last place I look for most information as it is usually out dated and incomplete or outright wrong.
 
Of the next 8, all but two were for commercial sites selling something fish related. Two linked to fish forums, neither of which are the larger most visited sites.
 
So the top listings page of the Google results gave back absolutely no real usable info on the subject of tropical fish.
 
daize- i am not saying the changes don't do what they are claimed to do. I am saying they have done the opposite. Searches are now even less relevant. they are geared toward the commercial rather than the informational. This effect does diminish the more specific the query as it is hard to return fish restaurants as having anything to do with asking about something like "rummy nose tetra"

 

[daizeUK]

The ads are off to one side on my page, they never bother me.
I quite like seeing the images at the top of the page, they don't take up any more space than a single regular result.
Maybe the US version of Google is worse than UK... I've noticed you guys tend to get bombarded with ads and rubbish on every website

 

[HAMBONE]

Google works hand in hand with the united states gubberment... It was probably some mandate that came down from the nsa..

Use duckduckgo for gubberment free websurfing..


To hecks with google

 

[Meeresstille]

We are with chrome, when I type in fish I don't get any restaurants but wikipedia first, then News for fish, National Geographic, Ministry of Natural Resources, a you-tube entry, Canadian Museum of Nature.....maybe it has something to do with the country you're in!

 

[shawsharp]

I have been searching on Google for years and am quite adept at it. I have always been able to get relevant answers back very easily. After the most recent changes the same searches now fail to bring in the relevant results, They initially bring back mostly commercial results. Finding the good information has become harder rather than easier for the first time since I began using Google. But I am sure it is making them more money.
 
So for the first time after being online since 1998 and being a Google user for most of that time, Google is no longer my default search engine. I am bummed.
 
Fortunately, these changes have effected only the general web search results. I am still able to find great stuff via Google Scholar.
 
The worst part is all the adverts that I can not figure out how to stop and/or block. If I do a search for "fish" the fist thing I see are adverts for anything local to do with fish- mostly restaurants. Then there are all the sponsored results which are usually a waste of one's search time and screen as well.
 
I tried to change my location to someplace near the artic circle but it would not take that.
 
Google has always been a great search engine. And every upgrade seemed to make it work better along the way. The recent changes moved the real search stuff in the wrong direction as far as I can tell. I wonder why. Was it all about more money or was it poor reprogramming?
 
 
 
 

Well!! I am trying to explain hope it would help you.
Google is trying to giove relevant searches to users (only information).
If you will type to buy something it will show either adverts or amazon or ebay link on the top.
Otherwise it will show only information about whatever you are searching for, all this is because of hummingbird update (semantic large queries).
 

 

[raptorrex]

I couldn't agree more with TTA's comments.
 
I feel Goggle have made the search "more relevent", TO THEIR ADVERTISERS. what you want to find, is irrelevant.
and they are no good for investors either, despit their massive profits. they aint paid a penny in dividends since they went public!

 

[daizeUK]

Google targeted adverts have never bothered me before BUT... now they are bothering me.
 
For some reason Google seems to have identified me as a lady who might be in need of a sports bra. Now nearly every webpage I visit has a video ad from a sports supplier featuring a pair of boobs bouncing up and down in an attempt to convince me to buy their sports bra.  Almost everywhere I go, there they are.  BOOBS