Google Disciplines Itself in Chrome Browser PageRank Controversy

04.01.2012

In Chrome's case, the decision to downgrade the browser's PageRank appears to be more about the principle of paid links than actual misdeeds. Matt Cutts, Google's chief webspam fighter, said his team found only one paid link pointing back to Chrome's landing page, hardly enough to affect Google's search results.

Nevertheless, that one link violates Google's quality guidelines so now it is a little bit harder to find and download Google Chrome using a Google search. In my tests, Google.com/Chrome ranks on Google's fourth page of results for the search term "web browser" and the sixth page for "browser." Chrome typically ranks on the first page for both results.

The annoying problem starts when a user searches for "Chrome" or "Google Chrome." In those cases, the first result is currently a Google support page called "Download and install Google Chrome" instead of the typical first result, Google.com/Chrome. So instead of a top search result that gets you directly to where you want to go, you end up on a help page that has a second link you have to click to get to the page you really want.

Two mouse clicks (plus a little bit of reading to find the link you want) may not be such a big deal, but it is adds another hassle for users in what should be a relatively easy process. I suppose Google was in a difficult position with this choice. If the company penalizes Chrome, then users will have a slightly harder time using Google search. But if the company doesn't penalize Chrome it will be accused of hypocrisy, or worse, favoring its own sites at a time when federal regulators are looking at Google as a potential antitrust target.

So for the next 60 days users will have to muddle through a slightly less useful Google search result in the name of fairness. Unless, of course, your primary search engine is MicrosoftMicrosoft Bing where the current top search result for "chrome" and "google chrome" is currently, Google.com/Chrome. Alles zu Microsoft auf CIO.de

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