[WEB4LIB] Google Sponsored Links

[Dobbs, Aaron]

Actually,

Google clearly marks the Sponsored Links & Ads.  
They are highlighted in a faint but distinctly different color that the
general background and labelled "Sponsored Link."

-Aaron
:-)'
All great truths begin as blasphemies

-----Original Message-----
From: Craighton Hippenhammer [mailto:CHHammer at olivet.edu]
Sent: Friday, November 16, 2001 3:00 PM
To: Multiple recipients of list
Subject: [WEB4LIB] Google Sponsored Links


I knew Google has long had advertizements but now I'm seeing sponsored links
that appear at the top of the first page of search results.  I thought they
prided themselves on not stooping to this level.  See, for example, their
page http://www.google.com/technology/index.html that says:

"Integrity 
"Google's complex, automated methods make human tampering with our results
extremely difficult. And though we do run relevant ads above and next to our
results, Google does not sell placement within the results themselves (i.e.,
no one can buy a higher PageRank). A Google search is an easy, honest and
objective way to find high-quality websites with information relevant to
your search."
Other than the designation of "Sponsored Links," these advertizements both
look like results, and as I understand it, are pulled up at the top of the
results list based on the keywords that are entered.  Looks to me like
they're in bed with all the other search engines doing the same thing.



Craighton Hippenhammer
Information Technology Librarian
Olivet Nazarene University
chhammer at olivet.edu



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