Is Google's Search Quality Declining? Recent Study Reveals Concerns. A recent study suggests that Google's dominance in online search may be waning due to a decline in search result quality, with an influx of low-value SEO spam infiltrating top search results.
Conducted by researchers from Leipzig University, Bauhaus-University Weimar, and the Center for Scalable Data Analytics and Artificial Intelligence, the year-long study examined search results not only from Google but also from Bing and DuckDuckGo. Focusing on product review searches, an area of growing concern, the study confirmed observations made by frequent users – the top results for product queries increasingly contain low-quality content from sites prioritizing gaming search algorithms.
The root of the problem lies in the surge of affiliate marketing. Many online publications heavily depend on affiliate links to monetize their content. Clicks on these links, leading to purchases on platforms like Amazon, generate small commissions for the referring sites. This business model has led to a proliferation of hastily produced product reviews and roundup articles aimed at driving affiliate traffic rather than offering valuable information.
Analyzing over 7,000 product search terms, the study found that pages ranked highest by Google and others were more likely to be filled with affiliate links and lower-quality content. Essentially, sites prioritizing search engine optimization (SEO) over publisher value seem to be gaining prominence.
Google has been actively combating these SEO tactics, continuously adjusting its algorithms to detect and demote low-value affiliate content. The specialists featured, "Exploring the domain of web improvement ends up being a continuous test, set apart by a steady back-and-forth. We observe a recurring pattern of survey spam entering and exiting search results, as search engines and SEO practitioners continually adjust their parameters in a dynamic exchange."
However, the study revealed that these algorithm adjustments only brought about temporary improvements, as SEO spammers inevitably discover new tactics to bypass the system.
Despite the grim outlook, the study did find a silver lining for Google. Although losing ground in product searches, Google still outperformed competitors Bing and DuckDuckGo. Furthermore, Google's product search quality demonstrated improvement over the study period.
When confronted with the study's findings, a Google spokesperson acknowledged the challenges with affiliate content prominence but argued that the results do not accurately reflect Google's overall search quality. "This specific review took a gander at item survey content, and it doesn't mirror the general quality and support of Quest for the billions of inquiries we see consistently," the spokesperson explained. They emphasized that Google handles billions of queries across a broad range of topics and maintained that, overall, Google's search results remain best-in-class.
Nevertheless, the increasing body of research highlighting concerns about diminishing product search quality aligns with a broader expert consensus, with many analysts asserting that search result quality has deteriorated in recent years as Google grapples with the challenges of scale.