Is this the beginning of the end for Google PageRank system? Maybe.
TechCrunch reports that Google is experimenting on social marketing style voting system. This is an experiment that is still on individual level, not yet public. In this experiment Google allows you to manage your personal search results. You can promote some websites, and you can also remove some websites from the search results page (see screenshot to the left).
How you use it?
In order to use this feature, first you need to be signed in to your Google account. And I think not everybody will see this feature, even after you sign in to your Google account. But for those who can see this feature, here is how you use it.
I like it! If you like particular result (website) you can promote it by clicking on the arrow-up icon beside the result.
I don’t like it! If you don’t like particular result, you can press on “x” icon beside the result. This will remove the result, and it will remain hidden when you search for the same keyword(s) in the future.
The changes you make are not permanent. There’s a link at the bottom of the search results that lets you view the results in their original ordering.
In addition to these features, you can also add some websites that are not included in the search results. This will allow Google to include the websites that it had missed. But this feature can be misused easily. I think that’s why Google wants users to sign in to their Google accounts first. So that Google can track their activities.
Will it replace PageRank?
In my personal opinion, this is directly related to the latest PageRank crisis. It’s the product that resulted from this very problem. Google now is trying to find a long term solution for its PageRank algorithm (which is open to manipulation), which is responsible for defining search engine results.
Since social marketing and collective collaborative projects are becoming the norm in this age. It’s no surprise that Google is moving in that direction too. Millions of people use Google everyday, so this experiment can actually be proven successful. Because the people who are manipulating the system will be very small, and there will be thousands of other people who will help to improve the search (by removing spam from the SERPs).
What do you think of this? What is your opinion? Is it a good move by Google?
Source: JohnChow, TechCrunch
Why must you accept the order imposed on you by the search engine? Why can’t you list SERPs by: date last modified, reverse rank order!!, URL order?!! Why doesn’t the search engine allow the user to sort the results using different criteria?!! This is search engine tyranny! I’ve been trying to find out how to list results in different ways! Can you help me?!!
Thank you
Steve Vera :~)
Steve try Grokker Search Engine, I think they have some of the features that you are looking for.
Your questions are very relevant. But it’s Google’s search engine and they can do whatever they want with it (including people to abide by their rules, if they want to be included in Google index). And I think there is very little we can do about it.
I just want to say that your new blog design is awesome. Clean and easy to read!
Thanks for sharing great info.
George, thanks a lot! I have tried to keep it as clean as possible.
Thanks for the info on Page Rank, what is the tool you use to bring up the text on the web pages, it is a nice touch.