THE CRAPIFICATION OF GOOGLE SEARCH
$572 million verdict handed down in Oklahoma opioid trial The Oklahoman. One of the more subtle and most pernicious effects of Google’s search algo is that it prioritizes global sources over local ones. I would far rather link to The Oklahoman on an Oklahoma story than the BCC, yet the BBC is at the top of Google results and I had to go look for The Oklahoman which, at the link, consolidates plenty of other coverage of this continuing story.
Surely Google’s programmers are well-paid and smart enough to work out that The Oklahoman is “authoritative” on an Oklahoma story, and to surface links accordingly?
Unless Google actively wishes to destroy local newsrooms, of course, by starving them of links and visibility. Same deal when I was looking for reporting on Biden’s visit to Hanover on Friday for petal’s post; the wire services and the Post were up top, but I had to dig for the Manchester Union-Leader, where the coverage was better.
Google has utterly, utterly crapified search.
Yves Smith
Filed under: #!!# |
Hans Howe 