Annoyed with Google Results Lately

I am an avid Google-user. In fact, I use a ton of Google searches daily. I also can’t remember ever using another search engine for a search that wasn’t SEO related for my websites. I am hardly let down by Google.

I don’t know about you, but I have been getting annoyed with Google lately. Since they started permitting websites to have multiple results on search pages, it seems that searches get more frustrating.

Take a search from today for example. I am looking for a company that does fulfillment inserts, aka blow-ins. Basically I want to insert some of my DogWalker.com magnets into boxes shipped from pet companies to dog owners. When they open their box, voilla, a magnet is inside that they can add to their fridge You’ve probably seen similar things, like samples, coupons, and/or other inserts on your shipped purchases.

From the sponsored advertising links on my search, I know Google recognizes what I am looking for, but the top organic results are way off. Perhaps Amazon links would be appropriate if Google was directing me to Amazon’s fulfillment department, but they aren’t. I’ve seen results like this a number of times, and it’s frustrating when Google seems to understand my search but not produce the organic results that are even close to what I want.

I don’t know about you, but this type of thing is happening to me more and more. As a webmaster, I do like the fact that my website might have 3-4 links in Google for some searches. However, as a searcher, I am finding this to be annoying, especially when the results are way off.

I’ve turned of Google Instant already, and I hope Google is going through growing pains and it’s not a sign of things to come.

Elliot Silver
Elliot Silver
About The Author: Elliot Silver is an Internet entrepreneur and publisher of DomainInvesting.com. Elliot is also the founder and President of Top Notch Domains, LLC, a company that has closed eight figures in deals. Please read the DomainInvesting.com Terms of Use page for additional information about the publisher, website comment policy, disclosures, and conflicts of interest. Reach out to Elliot: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn

15 COMMENTS

  1. “From the sponsored advertising links on my search, I know Google recognizes what I am looking for, but the top organic results are way off.”

    The more targeted the ads the better… For Google.

    Personally I think the instant feature sucks and I would like the bottom search box back as well.

    Instant makes it hard to link to search results and I think the whole thing is a bad user experience.

  2. Wow, your number 2 on google for fulfillment inserts. Bing on the other hand produced some good results.

    I turned instant search off the second day. This is what happens when a company has too many people looking for stuff to do.

  3. Not shocking I suppose, but it is annoying for a webmaster that Google is placing sponsored links above organic search results. So even if your site ranks organically say in the middle of page one of Google, 8-10 sponsored links can outrank your site. (search example: type “comprar dominio” & see how many sponsored links rank above my site)

    Another thing I have noticed is that megasites or sites with high PR links but unimpressive content are outranking better developed sites apparently because of the page’s PR. I have heard SEO experts argue that Google should stop giving ranking preference to exact match domains. Well, I would argue that Google shouldn’t give preference to a site just because of a high PR link if the “content” on that page is %$#@^&*!

  4. like i stated before google instant is junk putting up unrelated terms,words websites.

    as for google in general it has limited value the world does not revolve around google and its algorhythems.

    the important thing is to have revelant content on your website.you will be found

  5. You ever wonder how much Amazon and others are paying to have such high organic preference for the majority of searches on google? Just a thought, lets be realistic people. There are just a few different companies that are somehow always considered extremely relevant when it comes tojust about any organic search and there are a lot of other companies out there that could have been considered. I’ve always been suspicious of Dell too when it comes to computer relates searches. Why is Dell always the most relevant search result for any search about coputers. Just some conspiracy theory for ya.

  6. “frustrating when Google seems to understand my search but not produce the organic results that are even close to what I want.”

    By showing more relevant and better results in ads and lowering the quality of organic results should raise CTR on there ads.

    Lower quality results + better ad results = More ad clicks.

    This small change adds a few extra million dollars (per day) to big G’s cash register.

  7. Maybe the following from thedomains.com can explain some of what is going on…also it could be a good subject to be discussed at TRAFFIC….:

    “While Google had yet another great quarter as it reported earnings last night, domainers all know that PPC payout have continued to decline.
    While most business and industries have suffered through the great recession of 2008, 2009, 2010 still with no end in sight, some asset classes and industries have done quite well.
    Gold, silver and those companies that mine such minerals have done exceptionally well.
    Those holding such commodities have seen them continue to rise in value although the overall economy has suffered.
    So back to the topic at hand.
    Why is Google’s earning growth bad news for domainers?
    Most industries that have suffered through the recession are holding on for a recovery.
    House builders, retailers, hotels, the travel industry in general, as well as millions of small business owners are all struggling to pay their bills, people are struggling to hold on to their houses, all in hopes that in another month, year or couple of years, unemployment will improve, people will start spending money and business will pick up.
    Every other business on earth has what we don’t have which is hope.
    What Google’s earning show is that online advertising is doing well.
    Judging from Google, business is great.
    Income is up.
    Revenue is up.
    Clicks are up.
    Cost per click is up.
    But our revenue is down.
    So what do we are domainers have to look forward to?
    So where is our hope?
    What is going to turn the tide and cause our revenue to increase, when Google is already doing so well and our earning are falling?
    As Google closed 60 points higher on Friday up to over $600 a share, domainers stock as measured by PPC income is down 90%.
    Something isn’t right and we all know it.
    The question is:
    Is there anything we can do about it?”

  8. When I first read this post I must admit I largely dismissed it, thinking its either normal Big G fluctuations, a quirk of the algorithms combined with Elliot’s personal search history. (the mind boggles lol)
    I also do a bunch of searches daily, my goog defaults to google uk, since I am in London. I have noticed this degradation too now, starting fairly recently.
    The organics sometimes seem like lame offerings when I am looking to buy something – but oh boy do the paid listings get to exactly what Im looking for.
    Since I use adwords as well as having top slots on some good keywords I havent noticed my traffic change significantly, perhaps its gone up a little, time will tell. If anything my adwords costs have decreased slightly.
    The Big G works in mysterious ways.

  9. Google results have been getting worse for several years.

    I was ok with the PPC ads, after all Google needs to make money.

    But now when I do a “Web” search, I get Google images, Google Video, Google Places and Google Maps results.

    If I want that kind of results I can click the appropriate tab, I don’t want or need these results when I do a web search!

    The icing on the cake way too many results per website; two was enough, but now five!

    And now, what web results are there are just weird; at times have little to do with my search.

    I long for the “clean” web results of old. This is NOT progress, this is chaos and I don’t like chaos.

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