Google Labs is experimenting with a ‘Digg like’ interface that would allow searchers to vote on which sites belong or are best within the SERPs (Search Engine Results Page). Users can choose move a search result to the top by clicking on the up-arrow corresponding result, which will be marked by an orange asterisk next time you search for the same keywords. If users don’t like the page, they can hide it in future searches for the same keywords by clicking on the X button next to the title of the result, as shown in the below screenshot.
Meanwhile the searcher can suggest a better page if they know one.
Right now this experiment only applies to the signed-in searcher who searches on that term it does not apply across the site yet. The real question is why would someone go back to the results page if they already on a page that they are satisfied with? Most users do a search, go to what they are looking for and don’t search on the same keyword(s) again?
But there are endless possibilities to which this information could be utilized by Google for its Pagerank system. Could we be seeing the beginning of user decided SERPs and where user votes will become the new decision maker vs. the inbound links of the past? Considering the shake up that’s happened recently with inbound linking devaluation it seems like a reasonable new system, although still wrought with the same potential for black-hat activities as inbound linking did.
The opinions expressed in this Weblog are those of the writer and may not represent the opinions of Network World.
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