Intentional Google Bias Forcing Web Traffic?
December 3, 2010
So much for objective search results. I was fascinated by Benjamin Edelman’s analysis of Google results in “Hard-Coding Bias in Google “Algorithmic” Search Results.”
Google has nearly always loudly and publicly proclaimed its objectivity in search results. Yet, through many examples, Edelman shows how Google tweaks results to put its own links at the very top. These results change dramatically with any variation in search phrasing, which indicates hard-coding. For example, “sore throat” or “acne” result in prominent Google Heath results whereas “a sore throat” or “stop acne” do not.
Even the argument that this may better serve users falls short, as much of this hard-coding doesn’t even save a click. Some of Google’s hard-coding is, in fact, decidedly detrimental to the search. Edelman gives the example of patent searching where a prominent link to Google Patents links to an error message when Google has no information about that patent. How much does this really affect web searching? Edelman says:
It is well-known that the top-most algorithmic link enjoys a large share of search traffic — 34%+ according to Chitika. Meanwhile, even the second link gets less than half as many clicks — less than 17%. If these figures apply equally to Google’s hard-coded links, then every time Google puts its own link first, it takes a third of all available clicks for itself — while cutting by half the traffic provided to the site that would otherwise be ranked first. But Google’s hard-coded links tend to be distinctive and graphic-rich (pictures in Health results, charts in Finance, etc.), so the actual effect is likely to be even larger.
Edelman also points out that Google often uses its algorithms as a defense against antitrust accusations, a defense full of holes with Edelman’s analysis. Should we agree with Edelman that Google needs to address these charges and change its ways or face the consequences.
Alice Wasielewski, December 3, 2010
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