As Google loses the battle against search engine spam, it becomes worse

As Google loses the battle against search engine spam, it becomes worse

 

• A recent study found that search engines, such as Google, are becoming less beneficial.

• They are more likely to see websites with affiliate links that are monetized through SEO optimization.

• This kind of page "shows signs of lower text quality," the report states.

 

It seems to be accurate that search engines, such as Google, are becoming worse.

 

According to a recent study by a German research team, search engine results are flooded with spam these days. Additionally, it is making it more difficult for users to obtain useful information online, which is the main purpose of the Internet.

 

When looking for product reviews, the researchers looked for ones that "offer tests and purchase recommendations." Nearly 7,400 of these searches were examined over a year on three different search engines: Google, Bing, and DuckDuckGo.

 

Their initial conclusion was that affiliate links, or paid connections that direct a buyer to a seller, present "serious issues" for search engines. Although there aren't many product reviews online with affiliate connections, the researchers found that these reviews are disproportionately displayed in search engine results. The researchers concluded that "trust" is the crux of the issue with affiliate links.

 

"Since users often trust their search engines already, the affiliate inherits this trust as a byproduct of a high ranking," the authors stated. However, because affiliates are more likely to develop websites to optimize their ranks rather than invest in higher-quality product reviews, this also causes friction between search providers, users, and affiliates.

 

Despite being more optimized and having more affiliate links, websites with these features also typically "show signs of lower text quality," according to the experts.

 

Additionally, the researchers predicted that search engine rankings would deteriorate as artificial intelligence-generated information proliferates online.

 

The problem "deserves more attention," but as far as the researchers are concerned, there isn't a perfect answer.

 

Coauthor of the article and research assistant at Leipzig University, Janek Bevendorff, told The Register that affiliate marketing "is in part responsible for what online content looks like today."

 

According to Bevendorff, "banning it entirely is probably not a solution" because affiliate marketing and SEO optimization are significant sources of income for a website.