Google has long dominated the world of online search. However, a new study suggests that the search giant may be slipping when it comes to providing users with quality results.
Researchers from Leipzig University, Bauhaus-University Weimar, and the Center for Scalable Data Analytics and Artificial Intelligence recently completed a year-long study analysing search results from not just Google but Bing and DuckDuckGo as well.
The study looked specifically at product review searches – an area of increasing concern. The results confirm what many frequent searchers have noticed: the top results for product queries are increasingly littered with low-quality content from sites focused on gaming search algorithms.
The issue stems largely from the rise of affiliate marketing. Online publications rely heavily on affiliate links to monetise their content.
When users click on one of these links and make a purchase on a site like Amazon, the referring site receives a small commission. This business model has led to an explosion of quick-hit product review and roundup articles aimed at driving affiliate traffic rather than providing useful information.
(indianexpress.com)
