Google it!

[Questor]

I've just recently noticed something when I use the google search engine. I seem to get diverted automatically to commercial web pages that I have no interest in. For example:

I am looking for information on a hockey team. I google it. First up on the list of web pages is the web page for the hockey team. I double click it. But I don't go to that web page. I go to the Ticketmaster webpage where I can purchase tickets for said hockey team. I go back to google and click again. Now I am on some travel web site where I can make hotel reservations in the city where the hockey team is located. Third time, I finally get to where I want to go.

Another example. I am researching a theme. Google it. Near the top of the list is an entry in Wikipedia. Click it. I end up on Amazon.com where I can purchase a book about said theme. Once again, it is my third attempt that gets me to where I want to go.

This is something that has been happening only recently. Is this a new policy of google to redirect to commercial sites? When did they start to do that? I would think that this sort of tactic would generate a lot of publicity but I have never heard it mentioned anywhere. Is that because I live in a cave and only leave once a month to go to an internet cafe to google porn sites and piss people off in the politics section on terb?

Any info is appreciated.

 

[trisket]

That's why Google is worth billions, gradually they started to get paid by businesses to have their site positioned higher.
It's going to get worse, or better depending on your outlook.

 

[oleman]

Check that you are not clicking on 'sponsored links', which means 'advertising'.

 

[Questor]

Yes, I was aware that there are sponsored links that are listed in the right side of the google page. I wasn't aware that payments to google could actually ensure that your site would be put at the top of any search list. I thought that was determined by other factors such as # of hits and links on a particular web page. But what I am talking about is something else. I am definitely not clicking on the sponsored links on the right, and I am definitely not ending up where I want to go. Any other thoughts?

 

[BuffNaked]

I thought that was determined by other factors such as # of hits and links on a particular web page.

This is correct. What you searching for specifically?

 

[fuji]

I think the website you've found is probably dodgy and it is the website that is diverting you to these other locations. Are you sure it's REALLY the website for the team and not some site run by a scammer that just looks like it?

I think they are running a scam that goes like this:

-- Put up content that would be interesting to people, say hockey fans, and do some work to have it highly ranked in Google

-- Whenever Googlebot comes to look at the page show the "real" content to users

-- When a user clicks on it, randomly send them to a paid advertiser or show them the content

This is called "cloaking" and if Google finds out they are doing it their site will be removed from the index. You could figure out that is what is happening by noticing whether your web browser first appears to be loading the right page before sending you on to the advertising.

Alternately you are clicking on a sponsored link. Those can appear right at the top of the page on the left but they always look a little different than a real result. Google gets paid per click for sponsored results and the highest paying sponsor appears at the top (where highest paying = # of times people click times bid per click).

 

[The Fruity Hare]

I had a similar experience with my old computer. Whenever I entered a search for any information whatsoever, I was redirected to eBay or another site on the first click. I believe I may have had a virus that I was unable to detect.

Since I bought a new computer, and use Google search many times each day, it has not redirected me once out of hundreds of searches in several months.

 

[fuji]

I believe I may have had a virus that I was unable to detect.

Good point, could be some spyware. He probably installs lots of porn and stuff from dodgy websites. No doubt caught an online STD.

 

[Questor]

Thanks all for your suggestions and ideas. One site in question was the site of the Hamilton Bulldogs, which is a semi pro team in the AHL and is the #1 farm team of the Montreal Canadiens. The first on the google list was www.hamiltonbulldogs.com This was not one of the sponsored links. When I clicked it, I ended out on Ticketmaster, then on a hotel booking/travel web site. I have no doubts that the Bulldogs site is legit. I have antivirus/antispyware software that seems to do a good job, but I have had my suspicions that the problem may be a virus problem that is getting by the software. I am not a big fan of porn sites but like most here on terb, I do stray to the occasional porn site for a peak now and then. So maybe I picked something up.

 

[kfames]

The big boys get richer

Understanding the Google and related empire, of which organizations own whom or what becomes relavent.

Looking long term, the Google empire has and will continue to secure the position of feeding us what they want. Look to their most recent acquistions if you want a little Orwellian thrill....
Google was the first to censor political rants in China, although there was 85,000 (yes) riots there in 2007.

Do the same searches under Yahoo, and a few others and note the difference in the response / returns. A number of other "also ran" search engines are finding niche's in the world by delivering unbiased search results.

A little education will go a long way - in terms of Googles stated goals.

 

[shakenbake]

Good point, could be some spyware. He probably installs lots of porn and stuff from dodgy websites. No doubt caught an online STD.

One such Trojan is Vundo. Watch out for this one!

 

[goalie000]

Have you ever Googled a persons name and had thousands of pages come up and nothing is about the person you were looking for. seems strange in todays electronic age that some one would have absolutely no history at all out there.

 

[mrcheeks]

I started a thread that was similar to this topic a while back.
Here is the thread:
https://terb.cc/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=151575
Special thanks goes out to juanbrujo because his Ad-Aware suggestion helped me out with my problem (in addition to using AVG along with Ad-Aware).