Algorithms

Why do they constantly change?

[Nicky_uk]

I'm relatively new to SEO and basically read tons and tons of comments regarding Googles algorithm changes and the affects its had on peoples rankings.

One thing baffles me, if Google's priorities are making sure that when someone comes to thier site to search for information/product, why do their algorithms continue to change? They know the results they want people to find, surely if you program a robot to do a specific thing you wouldnt need to keep re-programming it? There is probably a simple answer to this.

Just also to mention, Googles results now are not as good as they used to be, too many government/college/amazon, results from other search engine websites are coming up. It make's no sense, but I just somehow think google are trying to get the best results for thier searchers but I dont think they have done a good job this time, and thats not me talking from a SEO point of view, I've used Google for ages for searches and find I have to go a few pages down for the results relavant to what I am looking for?

[troels nybo nielsen]

Welcome to WebmasterWorld.

Search engines change their algorithms for two reasons:

1. In a constant search for perfection.

2. In a constant fight against those webmasters who try to abuse search results.

[sem4u]

3. Drive traffic to sponsored links :)

[troels nybo nielsen]

4. Getting PR in discussion forums. :)

[Duckula]

surely if you program a robot to do a specific thing you wouldnt need to keep re-programming it?

Actually reprogramming it all the time is the best way to do it, in particular to perform very complex actions (like the experiment of stopping an arbitrarily swinging hammer on a rail just a fraction of millimeter short of a wine glass). That's the way neural networks work, and the way most living things operate.

It's just that we're at such a primitive point in cybernetics that it's very very hard to make a good self updating system.

[edited by: Duckula at 11:42 am (utc) on Dec. 9, 2003]

[george123]

the answer is so simple my dear friends .Google is becoming not a Democratic search engine but a money eater search engine that means ....you have a web page that your whole investment is up to Google results?....OK pay as a sponsor money so we can put your URL in our stuped boxes adds (that no one pays attention or click there because the surfer knows that they are commercial results) as for searching...I am going back to the good old AV.
PS: (I believe that very soon they will realize the big mistake they have done...already people coming up in main mass media like BBC and talking about the damage Google did in their companies with those unbelievable search results. I believe in that forum there are many guys working for Google well i can tell themto transfer that message to there bosses) anyway we will see a lot of trials in the very near future......guys go back in the good old times and try to find new algo's there are always ways to cheat you even the most newbe webmaster.....ho ho ho

[troels nybo nielsen]

Competition with other search engines means quite a bit. Frankly I don't know how often Inktomi, Altavista, Alltheweb, Teoma, Askjeeves and all the minor search engines change their algorithms, but with the dominant search engine changing all the time they have to do something simply to keep in business.

(Sorry for broadening the perspective, but after all this is not supposed to be a Google thread.)

[Nicky_uk]

Cheers for you comments.

I've just been playing around on AV, and the results they come up with are surprisingly alot more relavant than google as far as going direct to a site to purchase a product, whereas Google seem to be more interested in you going to a site to compare prices on different products, even Amazon came above a site to buy an actual product in Google!

I can understand Google's reasoning on this especially if someone is going to buy something expensive and wants to check for the best prices first, but prioritising selling a book on a product rather than the product itself?

Anyway, I just found this interesting.