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"Computers" - Google #1 site: www.apple.com
Yahoo #1 site: www.howstuffworks.com
"Cosmetics" - Google #1 site: www.marleneklein.com
Yahoo #1 site: www.makeupalley.com
These look suspiciously like paid results. They are certainly different from any results I have seen on any other SE. I wonder if this is a sign of things to come?
When I previously looked, except for the first the entire first ten was pulled from the directory, with an out-dated non-directory listing from last summer following. Now it's the same as what's at Google.
It's a little different with moderate or strict adult preferences on, but both with Google proper and Yahoo search there's a problem with the adult filtering. There's a site that shouldn't be in there at all that's clearly in an adult category and is in both the Yahoo and Google directories.
With the Yahoo SERP the index page of that site is at #4 with moderate filtering on - with the red arrow for the Yahoo directory. With strict filtering on, it's not the index page, but an interior page without the directory arrow that's at #11 - the photo gallery.
Even if a site is moderate and careful with language to not trip the filter, there should not be a link to adult directory categories on a serp that's strictly for family products. That's a Yahoo issue, but it's there on Google's end also.
Added:
It's showing the current for the more competitive search term in that product search, but for the alternate phrase the Google SERP from last summer is still showing, with the old, old title that was changed back in August.
Seems there are still some bugs to iron out, but if they're inserting anything out of order without disclosure that it's paid listings, they'd better remedy that or they'll have the FTC breathing down their necks.
[edited by: Marcia at 7:43 pm (utc) on April 10, 2003]
It has been happening for the past couple months on some terms. It is usually tied to some shopping / highly competitive searches.
A few past threads have pointed this out before.
Check the top three spots for these terms:
Bowling:
Google:
Bowling For Columbine!
www.bowlingforcolumbine.com/ - 5k - Cached - Similar pages
Bowling Green State University
www.bgsu.edu/ - 9k - Cached - Similar pages
Bowling: BowlingIndex.com - Your Bowling Ball Supply Headquarters ...
www.bowlingindex.com/ - 41k - Cached - Similar pages
Yahoo:
Bowl.com - offers bowling industry news, feature stories, events, tournaments and results, games, trivia, newsletter, tips, and more.
www.bowl.com/ search within this site
More sites about: Sports > Bowling
Bowling Zone - extensive directory of bowling web sites.
www.bowlingzone.com/ search within this site
More sites about: Bowling > Web Directories
Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) - official site featuring player profiles, stats, rankings, and a schedule of PBA Tour events.
www.pba.com/ search within this site
More sites about: Professional Bowlers Association (PBA)
Mortgages:
Google:
Consumer Information on Reverse Mortgages from the National ...
www.reverse.org/ - 10k - Cached - Similar pages
Bankrate.com: Today's best mortgage rates
www.bankrate.com/brm/rate/mtg_home.asp - Similar pages
Mortgages Online - uk - Independent Mortgage Advice on the ...
www.mortgages-online.co.uk/ - 7k - Cached - Similar pages
Yahoo:
Mortgage-Net - shopping for mortgages made easy. Apply online for purchases or refinances with lenders or brokers. Features mortgage calculators, interest rate trends, and reference desk.
www.mortgage-net.com search within this site
More sites about: Real Estate Financing > Directories
Mortgage 101 - includes market information, downloadable forms, general reference, step-by-step guides, and more.
www.mortgage101.com/ search within this site
More sites about: Real Estate > Mortgage Resources
Bankrate.com: Mortgages - providing the latest news, mortgage rates, feature articles, and trends.
www.bankrate.com/brm/rate/mtg_home.asp search within this site
I have others as well
Hotels:
Google:
Travel, hotels, discount hotel reservations and lodgings
Hotels and hotel reservations by All-Hotels, travel, lodgings and discount hotels
worldwide. Instant reservations at 77000 hotels in 10000 locations. ...
www.all-hotels.com/ - 42k - Cached - Similar pages
Hilton
www.hilton.com/ - Similar pages - Stock quotes: HLT
Reservations for Marriott hotels, resorts, and inns worldwide at ...
www.marriott.com/ - 56k - Cached - Similar pages - Stock quotes: MAR
Yahoo:
All Hotels - online hotel directory and reservations.
www.all-hotels.com/ search within this site
More sites about: Lodging > Hotels
hotels.com (Nasdaq: ROOM) - online provider of bookings for hotels, resorts, and inns around the world.
www.hotels.com/ search within this site
More sites about: Lodging > Reservation Services
Historical Hotels of America - identifies hotels that are at least 50 years old that have maintained their historic architecture and ambience. Browse hotels by location or view an alphabetical list.
www.nationaltrust.org/historic_hotels/ search within this site
More sites about: Hotels > Directories
NOTE: <descriptions in Google edited to save space>
[169.207.238.189...]
>>Maybe they are doing somwhat of a featured listing like MSN does...but just not labeling it.
They'll have to label it if they know what's good for them. The FTC issued a friendly request a while back that paid listings or ads be clearly labelled as such. If it happens that they're not, and get mixed in unmarked with regular search listings, especially the top spot, next thing we know we'll be looking at government regulation and enforcement, and that's the last thing we need or want.
We understand that the search results will be different; that's expected. And if it's quality results everyone will benefit. But that isn't what appears to be going on now. I'd have thought this should have been clearly touted as BETA before announcing it as the real thing. It's plain that there wasn't enough testing beforehand to offer anything like a finished product, especially one that seems so likely to be coming under negative public scrutiny.
I originally thought that these listing were paid but after seeing mixed results and that includes SERPS that go beyond the first listing (see above) I'm now in conclusion that its some sort of glitch with the new search functionality. My first guess was that Inktomi results were dispersed into the SERPS but a check of Inktomi pure search shows different #1 listing altogether with the exception of 'hotels'.
This is really unconcerting to me as I would expect that the consistency of results be similiar across all of Google distribution partners for the most part because thats what we optimize for. If we don't know what were up against how do we optimize for it?
The Google results under the same keyword shows 1 of 21,700 results.
SO what does this say? Obviously, Yahoo didn't buy Inktomi just to hang it as a trophy on the wall. So, this could be the beginning of a long awaited changed from Yahoo...
bRaSs_MoNkEy
[edited by: brass_monkey at 9:18 pm (utc) on April 10, 2003]
1-9 are from an unknown source, not Ink. All these listings are big companies.
9-on are google.
Any thoughts?
I have been following this for a while and even Google Guy asked me to send him the precise information to determine if it was a glitch on their end.
Well apparently it was not. While sub categories still show Google results, increasingly, more and more main category keywords are showing wierd results. The #1 site in my main category keyword has now disappeared from the top 50 results.
Yesterday, I saw "sponsored" results from Overture followed by Yahoo's new garbage results. It has disappeared today. Has anyone else seen this? Has anyone figured out where Yahoo is getting their web results for these category keywords? From what I am seeing, it seems obvious that Yahoo is now going the paid route (using Overture results) followed by web results from God knows where. From what I am seeing, petty soon all Yahoo results will differ from Google.
