[Sigia-l] "Web Searches: The Fix Is In"

[Listera]

A few months ago I had raised the issue of tainting search results by
selling placements, 'info design' par excellence. :-) It looks like the
mainstream press is catching onto the notion:


Yet an investigation by BusinessWeek , based on more than 30 interviews and
analysis of dozens of Internet searches, suggests that paying customers
frequently fare better. Indeed, out of 20 advertisers and online marketing
pros interviewed by BusinessWeek , 10 had experienced firsthand a boost in
search-engine rankings when they signed up for paid inclusion. Says James
Taylor, CEO of AICompany.com, a search-marketing company, "Paid inclusion
dilutes the accuracy and relevance of a search engine."
[...]
And why not label the sponsored links? Many search companies and advertisers
fret that marking them would scare the public away from relevant sites. Says
Glenn McLaren, e-commerce manager at Friedrich Air Conditioning: "Part of
what makes it attractive is that it  doesn't look like advertising." The
trouble is, if paid inclusions are hidden, readers could grow to dismiss
Internet search as nothing but a pile of ads.

<http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/03_40/b3852098_mz063.htm>

Ziya
Nullius in Verba