cross-posted from !google@lemdro.id

  • Google may be altering billions of search queries daily to generate results that increase purchases.
  • Testimony in an antitrust case revealed an internal Google slide about changes to its search algorithm, involving “semantic matching” to generate more commercial results.
  • Google covertly changes user queries, substituting them with ones that generate more revenue for the company and display shopping-oriented results.
  • This manipulation benefits Google’s profits but harms search quality and raises advertiser costs.
  • Despite legal challenges, Google’s market dominance allows it to continue these practices, impacting users’ ability to access unbiased information.
  • Crotaro@beehaw.org
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    1 year ago

    This would explain why I feel like Google results have rarely been high quality unless I’m just trying to scratch at the surface of a topic or include “reddit” at the end of my search term.

    • stealth_cookies@lemmy.ca
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      1 year ago

      Even though results have gotten worse, every time I’ve tried another search engine the results have been even worse than Google.

      • dan@upvote.au
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        1 year ago

        Have you tried Kagi? It’s a paid service (which is good for people that don’t like ads) and the results seem pretty good. They have a trial plan where you can do 100 searches. Where possible, it prioritises small sites that don’t always appear in Google results at all, and it has far less SEO spam than Google.

        • tlf@feddit.de
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          1 year ago

          Thank you for the recommendation, if a product delivers what i expect for it’s price I’m gonna be using it. The trial searches will hopefully help me evaluate that

  • tlf@feddit.de
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    1 year ago

    I felt that change. Everytime i used it the results in the suggestion box had nothing to do with what I was searching for.