this post was submitted on 04 May 2024

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Google Kneecaps Loads Of Very Big Websites After SEO Change (aftermath.site)

submitted 7 months ago by dantheclamman to c/technology

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[–] ronmaide 171 points 7 months ago (3 children)

I’m kind of conflicted about this. On one hand it’s dangerous that the public’s access to information is so tightly coupled to a single organizations decisions, and I can see the danger in Google making a change like this.

On the other hand, clickbait and SEO gaming has gone on so long that using a site like Google has become significantly less useful to actually finding information, and if a site like Kotakus traffic is down by 60% as a result—is that due to Google being dangerous, or Kotaku having a pile of garbage content meant to game the system and bring in traffic?

For what it’s worth I’m using Kotaku as an example because the article used Kotaku as an example—I have no actual opinion or evidence around the actual content on that particular site.

[–] dantheclamman 93 points 7 months ago (5 children)

It's an example of why monopolies are harmful. They create distorted economies that don't serve consumers. Like ecosystems overcome by a monoculture, monopolies are inherently less resilient, less functional and prone to sudden disruption.

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[–] [email protected] 1 points 7 months ago

On the other hand, clickbait and SEO gaming has gone on so long that using a site like Google has become significantly less useful

That's the same old game of "whack-a-mole" that every search engine since the beginning of the internet has had to play.

Search engines try to provide useful results to keep users trusting them enough to keep coming back, and advertisers keep trying to use SEO to manipulate themselves to the top of the search results

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[–] UnculturedSwine 68 points 7 months ago (2 children)

Google search has enshittified far faster than I ever thought possible. It used to work like magic. Too bad capitalism dictates that usefulness has a ceiling.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (10 children)

I've switched to Kagi recently and honestly it's better than Google ever was. You can assign weights to sites to see more or less of them in your results, it automatically cuts the listicle crap out, it has various built in filters for specific things like forums or scientific studies.

Downside: it's $10/mo. But I'm at the "I'd rather pay with money than data" stage of my life. Especially if it actually makes the experience fucking usable again.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 7 months ago

Another happy Kagi user here, it’s great.

[–] UnculturedSwine 2 points 7 months ago

I'm at that point as well I think. Thank you for the suggestion!

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 7 months ago

The world is a much worse place with bad search. We need a search system that is treated like a utility and paid based on success not ad views.

[–] capt_wolf 61 points 7 months ago (2 children)

This sort of thing is why Google's monopoly on the internet is so dangerous.

[–] [email protected] 43 points 7 months ago (6 children)

Because they are making so that we get less results that are just cheating the system to show up at the top?

SEO is a bastardization of a useful tool, solely meant to game the system artificially

[–] grue 29 points 7 months ago (2 children)

SEO is only feasible in the first place because we have one dominant search engine instead of a bunch of equally-prominent ones with different algorithms that would need to be optimized for differently (and maybe even mutually-exclusively).

[–] [email protected] 4 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Copy paste.

There are a ton of them, the problem is none of them are as good as google.

I hear there are good pay ones, though I have never tried one.

I can usually find what I need on google pretty damn quick, although I have seen the end page more than once

[–] [email protected] 2 points 7 months ago (6 children)

I found search results surprisingly bad when I had to use is on another computer. I use Kagi (and yes it costs money but I rather pay that than pay with my data) which gives me way more accurate results. Google might have been the best search engine until a few years ago but from my experience it is not anymore.

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 7 months ago

This is not in any way true.

SEO is an almost impossible to solve problem because sites know any search engine exists.

[–] capt_wolf 14 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (5 children)

Well, yes, but in a broader sense, they have way too much of a stake in the control of global communications altogether. Even just a hiccup on their servers or slight change to their system has a global impact, as obviously evidenced here. The world is dangerously reliant on a centralized private company for daily functioning.

Such a powerful entity shouldn't be controlled by private parties and needs to be governed in a way that the benefit of the people is kept paramount.

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[–] abhibeckert 7 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (1 children)

Because they are making so that we get less results that are just cheating the system to show up at the top?

No, because they are failing to hide low quality search results. Something the would invest more money in if an alternative search engine existed.

There are so many websites now that just shouldn't exist at all. And they wouldn't exist if Google didn't send tons of traffic their way.

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[–] jacksilver 4 points 7 months ago (4 children)

If there were more search systems/engines there would be a wider variety of ways search results are optimized. Meaning SEO would have a greater level of diminishing returns. Having a single player creates a single point of weakness in search.

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[–] [email protected] 8 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Because they down ranked sites blatantly shoveling shit for the sole purpose of gaming their algorithm?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 7 months ago

sites blatantly shoveling shit for the sole purpose of gaming their algorithm

That's the definition of SEO right there.

[–] Reddfugee42 49 points 7 months ago

Good. Websites are spammy garbage now. I can't fucking believe how shitty the experience is when I'm not using a browser with uBlock origin.

If this is a way to punish that, punish away.

[–] [email protected] 48 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (2 children)

Who wrote this? I’m supposed to be upset that a bunch of big websites are lower on Google results? Why should anyone besides their shareholders care?

Edit: Oh, he co-founded the website hosting this article. So he does indeed have a vested personal interest.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

I see it as just more proof that Google's shit is becoming increasingly useless. So much so, it doesn't even give results for the big boys who pay to stay number 1. Can't find the niche things, can't find the big obvious things... What the fuck does it find?

[–] [email protected] 6 points 7 months ago

It's not as if Google's results have improved in that time span. They are significantly worse now.

[–] [email protected] 39 points 7 months ago

That big list of sites looks suspiciously like the big list of shit I have to scroll past in order to find actually relevant results.

I welcome this change.

[–] Ensign_Crab 26 points 7 months ago

I don't see pinterest on this list.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (1 children)

Pornhub, xtube, I know these names better than Google knows my own grandmother's. Youporn, xxn, redtube, panty jobs, homegrown Simpsons stuff....

Edit: This isn't my fault it's the source articles for using that image.

[–] BowtiesAreCool 3 points 7 months ago

That’s one of the most trash articles I’ve ever read.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 7 months ago

Google creates the SEO algorithm which is their secondary product, which enabled them sell their primary product which is advertising

Other companies seek to take advantage of SEO optimization to drive traffic to their site for content, both useful and garbage, which again is their secondary product, as their first product is advertising

Everyone is trying to game the system to bring in the most eyeballs so they can sell advertising to others

[–] [email protected] 6 points 7 months ago (5 children)

Does anyone know the best lemmy community to ask about SEO and web/finance tech in relation to a small business? I have a small business that is doing very well, but SEO and word of mouth is a direct contributor to its success, and I think I'm getting screwed over in cost by the company I've been paying to run my site building, hosting and, SEO.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 7 months ago

you can also DM me. Lead gen manager for a $5MM software company, 11 years experience digital marketing.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 7 months ago

You can dm me if you want. I ran an agency that did SEO for a several years before I sold it in 2021. I’m can’t provide you with much in the ways of strategy anymore but I can give you an idea if your current provider is doing reputable work or not

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[–] [email protected] 5 points 7 months ago

But google is NOT a monopoly. Right?

[–] rodneylives 3 points 7 months ago

What the heck is Dexerto?

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