Google Goes After Content Farms

New algorithm designed to weed out low-quality sites that copy material
By Matt Cantor,  Newser Staff
Posted Feb 25, 2011 12:32 PM CST
Google Search Revamp Targets Content Farms
In this Dec. 16, 2010 file photo, the Google logo is displayed in the company's New York office.   (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)

Google has had it with content farms—websites that seek traffic by amassing material that's often copied directly from other websites, Mashable reports. The search giant is altering its algorithm “to reduce rankings for low-quality sites,” it announces in a blog post. The shift, which will begin in the US, should affect 11.8% of searches.

The change will also “provide better rankings for high-quality sites—sites with original content and information such as research, in-depth reports, thoughtful analysis and so on,” the blog post continues. “Google has been plagued by black hat SEO practices and content farms for a while now,” writes Mashable's Stan Schroeder, so “it’s a very welcome” decision, though it may anger some website owners whose rankings fall. (More Google stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X