Google's Problem Results Report

Do they see sour grapes or helpful imput?

[peewhy]

I wonder how many 'abuse reports' Google receives on a daily basis.

From that pile I wonder how much Google deems as 'Sour Grapes' from disgruntled competition and puts it on the back burner for more quieter times.

I wouldn't mind betting that there are also a number of known self proclaimed 'spam police' that spend a fair bit of their time digging around looking for offenders to report.

Then there will be a remainder that Google feel is an out and out blatant spam of the highest proportions.

It reminds me of the UK Department of Highways 'cones hotline'.

See a cone without a workman ... ring the hotline!

See a stray cone ... report it!

Neighbour using a cone for parking control ... report it.

It wasn't meant to be for that purpose and it got blocked by irate drivers, suck in traffic with only a mobile phone.

Are we becoming irate webmasters, stuck in a log jam of other websites all gunning for that same position and someone beats us to it.. we rush for our 'view source' and report the offender to Google. We then get even more frustrated because Google seems to do nothing.

Did Google create a monster within their abuse reporting system?

[Brett_Tabke]

I'd guess less than 1% are even valid reports.

[peewhy]

And Google probably share your view too.

It's like the old comedy sketch, the door says 'Complaints Department' on the other side, no room, no floor just a big drop down.

In fairness, their bin is full of Sour Grapes, do we really expect Google to investigate each end every one.

[Mohamed_E]

I suspect that they have an automated system that weeds out a very high proportion of the reports before any human even gets to look at them.

Using "webmasterworld" or "googleguy" probably triggers human review, but if the report is garbage it still gets tossed.

[steveb]

Spam reports I've filed have been acted on most of the time... either that or the algorithm caught up with the spammers, and that happens sometimes because of other spam reports filed. Sure, some people file reports because the other sites outrank them but I don't see Brett's number as even humanly possible. There is so much Google-defined spam out there that it would be hard to file a report that did not cover some form of spam.

From what people post here, and most people who can't find webmasterworld won't be able to find the spam report, a very decent percentage do report google-defined spam.

[peewhy]

If Google's spam filters are good and up to date...spammers will eventually be caught. Their reporting system could be a customer relations ruse;)