mromero - 3:31 pm on Apr 22, 2011 (gmt 0)

"I'm not sure I'm going to run off and remove all adsense. It definitely indicates that ads are part of formula even though everyone is down playing it. I will definitely have to consider where to incorporate this in my big sites. Do I put ads where no one will click on them?"

You may want to practice on a couple of sites. I believe the new G is semi-allergic to Adsense, provided the site is not on the big media / government /wikipedia white list.

If I do a search in one of our niche areas, almost uniformly we see the top 10 to be:

1. Wikipedia (main entry)
2. Wikipedia (side entry)
3. State Dept. (main entry)
4. State Dept. (side entry)
5. CIA (main entry)
6. BBC (side entry)
7. Lonely Planet Books (Wholly owned by the BBC)
8. Target Country Government Financed Site
9. Target country Chamber of Commerce
10. Independent country website

Of the above only #7 and #10. run adverts - Adsense.

Despite whatever tune of the day the search engine is singing a non empirical analysis indicates there is a relationship with Wikipedia, government and Big Media.

Of course the results layered at the top and bottom maps, videos, books etc. are mostly G products.

Makes for bland, skewed results but for sure safe SERPS and a funnel back to G.