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Google Entrapment?

by Fraggler
6 replies
  • SEO
    • |
I just got a link to this article from the SEOMoz Top 10 newsletter and thought some of you might be interested in some of the ideas Google patents. I couldn't see it mentioned here already.

This is the patent being discussed:
United States Patent: 8244722

And this is the commentary linked to from the SEOMoz email:
The Google Rank-Modifying Spammers Patent

Here is an excerpt which gives a good summary of what the patent entails:
By artificially inflating the rankings of certain (low quality or unrelated) documents, rank-modifying spamming degrades the quality of the search results. Systems and methods consistent with the principles of the invention may provide a rank transition function (e.g., time-based) to identify rank-modifying spammers. The rank transition function provides confusing indications of the impact on rank in response to rank-modifying spamming activities. The systems and methods may also observe spammers' reactions to rank changes caused by the rank transition function to identify documents that are actively being manipulated. This assists in the identification of rank-modifying spammers.
What they're are doing - or want to do - is make a rank change go through a transition process so they can see how the webmaster reacts to an unexpected result. So if you build 100 links and the ranking drops they can then take note of if the webmaster removes those 100 links to try and reverse the negative movement. What the webmaster doesn't know is that if they didn't react then the result may have been highly positive.
#entrapment #google
  • Profile picture of the author Nelapsi
    Easy solution... don't create crap links and you won't have to remove anything
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    • Profile picture of the author StarrManUK
      Originally Posted by Nelapsi View Post

      Easy solution... don't create crap links and you won't have to remove anything
      It doesn't have to just be links.

      It can be content as well, for example:

      1. You optimise your content
      2. Rankings fall
      3. You revert the changes
      4. Google realises you are trying to manipulate the SERPs
      5. Site is penalised

      Alternatively it could have gone:

      1. You optimise content
      2. Rankings fall
      3. You don't panic and do nothing
      4. Google thinks you aren't trying to manipulate the SERPs
      5. Your rankings go up higher than they were originally
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      • Profile picture of the author Nelapsi
        Originally Posted by StarrManUK View Post

        It doesn't have to just be links.

        It can be content as well, for example:

        1. You optimise your content
        2. Rankings fall
        3. You revert the changes
        4. Google realises you are trying to manipulate the SERPs
        5. Site is penalised

        Alternatively it could have gone:

        1. You optimise content
        2. Rankings fall
        3. You don't panic and do nothing
        4. Google thinks you aren't trying to manipulate the SERPs
        5. Your rankings go up higher than they were originally
        The trouble people get in is the live and die based on every twitch google makes. Create some content, start working on some back links and let some time pass watching the data and a pattern develops. Then when you come back to make some changes to your content is based off actual information not some half hazard notion the sky is falling and you need to react now to save it.

        The actual problem is people tend to forget you need to look at websites much longer then a 6 second window. Google takes advantage of this fact.. you just need to be smarter then Google
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  • Profile picture of the author StarrManUK
    Exactly you are right, if your site drops in the rankings give it a couple of weeks before worrying. If you start to react straight away building spammy links, changing your content etc then Google has caught you out.
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  • Profile picture of the author yukon
    Banned
    That patent was filed in 2005.

    Just because someone owns a patent doesn't mean they will ever use it in their business.

    Just saying...

    Also, keyword stuffing still works for certain things in the SERPs, that patent makes reference to keyword stuffing. You would think Google would have gotten that right in the last 7 years.
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  • Profile picture of the author Fraggler
    People have suggested or theorised this sort of baiting in the past and some have just called the random or unexpected movement the 'Google Dance'.

    Who knows!

    People also said that Google couldn't do anything about anchor text abuse, low quality links, low quality sites etc - but they managed to prove at least some of them wrong.
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