I started noticing some changes in search results on my blackberry about 1 week ago, seeing totally different search engine results on my mobile search queries then that on my laptop. I assumed that Google was toying with mobile search results based upon the fact that they were mobile searches. Guess what, I was wrong…

Yesterday morning around 11am I noticed these completely different search results on my laptop. I guess Google was using mobile search as a test bed for some serious changes to their algorithm.

Google’s old search results (have basically been like this for about 4-5 months) for the query “laptops”: (click image for larger)

The new results, click image for larger:

The new results look like the yellow pages, we search for laptops and we see Dell, Toshiba, HP. These results look nearly identical to the PPC results, could it be they are influenced by the Pay Per click results?

Google is definitely determining the results differently, possibly hand auditing the search results for major search queries? Giving some added value to manufacturers? Possibly devaluing the anchor text of incoming links? Unclear, but we have noticed this in multiple verticals; it is widespread, Google now placing household names in the top spots. I personally don’t want to see the same results as Yellow Pages.
In addition does Google not realize that by gifting Dell, Lenovo, HP the top spots in natural search results that these guys are going to figure out that they can therefore reduce their spending on PPC? The BIG boys do not look for an ROI on PPC, they use it for branding not profitability.  So when they see Google helping them with their branding for free, the cost per click should drop swiftly.
Man, Google the leaders of the new world, have taken us back to 1985….Geez we all may as simply go to http://directory.google.com/Top/Computers/Hardware/Systems/
Bring back DMOZ, let some person determine what we want to see…
Regardless, SEO Moves is quickly researching and testing everything possible to figure out what Google has done with these changes, we will have the answers shortly and our customers worldwide will be right back in the driver’s seats.

Tags: google new algorithm, google new serps, google search results

This entry was posted on Monday, January 26th, 2009 at 12:58 pm and is filed under Searcn Engine Ranking. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.