Will google bookmarks affect algo?

[virtualtraveller]

Been out of the loop so apologies if this is old;

Google's relatively new bookmarks functions for its members presents an intriquing new dimension to the algo in terms of identifying quality sites. It could be their way of fleshing out sites voted for as truly useful and content rich versus those that rank well by virtue of age and heavy SEO only. Spiders can't spot one 'quality content/user friendly site' from another, but millions of users collectively can.

What is the feeling about this possibility and it's effect on algos?

[incrediblehelp]

Are you talking about when you logged into your Google account? If so they track every action there, not just bookmarking, and apply it to how your SERPs appear.

[schmeetz]

Make sure you're not logged in while working on your seo...........they'll know.

[activeco]

Google has related patents (http://www.google.com/patents?vid=USPAT7031961&id=PUt4AAAAEBAJ&printsec=abstract&zoom=4&dq=bookmarks+inassignee:google&as_drrb_ap=q&as_minm_ap=1&as_miny_ap=2007&as_maxm_ap=1&as_maxy_ap=2007&as_drrb_is=q&as_minm_is=1&as_miny_is=2007&as_maxm_is=1&as_maxy_is=2007#PPA2,M1).
They probably use it in some environments.

[meinking22]

Google's relatively new bookmarks functions for its members presents an intriquing new dimension to the algo in terms of identifying quality sites. It could be their way of fleshing out sites voted for as truly useful and content rich versus those that rank well by virtue of age and heavy SEO only. Spiders can't spot one 'quality content/user friendly site' from another, but millions of users collectively can.


I had the same suspicion when I read the Google Toolbar terms and conditions. Not sure that Google actually uses the bookmark data it collects in this way, but it wouldn't surprise me if it is on the horizon. My first expectation was to see it used by Google in a similar manner that Alexa uses their toolbar. We shall see...

Steve

[bj]

LOL! It might be for awhile, until the blackhats figure out how to game it. Like pay a bunch of third worlders to bookmark certain sites while using it?

[aviator67]

Google has related patents (http://www.google.com/patents?vid=USPAT7031961&id=PUt4AAAAEBAJ&printsec=abstract&zoom=4&dq=bookmarks+inassignee:google&as_drrb_ap=q&as_minm_ap=1&as_miny_ap=2007&as_maxm_ap=1&as_maxy_ap=2007&as_drrb_is=q&as_minm_is=1&as_miny_is=2007&as_maxm_is=1&as_maxy_is=2007#PPA2,M1).
They probably use it in some environments.

I've been developing that concept for years now. (since 1999 - www.bookmarksync.com/clusters (http://www.bookmarksync.com/bms/clusterinfo.php), www.sync2it.com/search (http://www.sync2it.com/search/))


Gee, maybe Google will buy ME out? (lol)

More likely, they'll claim patent infringement and finish the job of running me out of business... (I have a prior claim published.)


Not sure that Google actually uses the bookmark data it collects...

This is a joke, right? I wonder why people who fear Microsoft, tolerate Google?

My only hope is that people are still willing to pay a few bucks to keep their personal bookmarks private. With the overwhelming popularity of MySpace & YouTube, etc., I'm not sure that there is much hope any more.

[activeco]

Gee, maybe Google will buy ME out? (lol)

More likely, they'll claim patent infringement and finish the job of running me out of business... (I have a prior claim published.)

They are not M$ for sure. If you have a patent issued, you can and should talk to Google about possible infringement.
Or you can work together in that field. AFAIK they are pretty open.

[jrb@w3f.com]

Google has related patents (http://www.google.com/patents?vid=USPAT7031961&id=PUt4AAAAEBAJ&printsec=abstract&zoom=4&dq=bookmarks+inassignee:google&as_drrb_ap=q&as_minm_ap=1&as_miny_ap=2007&as_maxm_ap=1&as_maxy_ap=2007&as_drrb_is=q&as_minm_is=1&as_miny_is=2007&as_maxm_is=1&as_maxy_is=2007#PPA2,M1).
They probably use it in some environments.

I've been developing that concept for years now. (since 1999 - www.bookmarksync.com/clusters (http://www.bookmarksync.com/bms/clusterinfo.php), www.sync2it.com/search (http://www.sync2it.com/search/))


Gee, maybe Google will buy ME out? (lol)

More likely, they'll claim patent infringement and finish the job of running me out of business... (I have a prior claim published.)


Not sure that Google actually uses the bookmark data it collects...

This is a joke, right? I wonder why people who fear Microsoft, tolerate Google?

My only hope is that people are still willing to pay a few bucks to keep their personal bookmarks private. With the overwhelming popularity of MySpace & YouTube, etc., I'm not sure that there is much hope any more.

Interesting...

Too bad your page: www.bookmarksync.com/clusters (http://www.bookmarksync.com/bms/clusterinfo.php)
is too wide, and the horiz scroll bar never disappears. You might think about floating your display. Not everyone has your exact window settings. Since it is mostly text, it wouldn't ruin your format or presentation. (just a pet peeve of mine)

[aviator67]

Interesting...

Too bad your page: www.bookmarksync.com/clusters (http://www.bookmarksync.com/bms/clusterinfo.php)
is too wide, and the horiz scroll bar never disappears. You might think about floating your display. Not everyone has your exact window settings. Since it is mostly text, it wouldn't ruin your format or presentation. (just a pet peeve of mine)

It will dynamically resize down to 800px wide, which is about right these days and the exact same width as technorati (http://www.technorati.com) which I personally like the look and feel of. You're correct about the scroll bar though, I hadn't noticed that, thanks. I should expect my sales to increase when I get that taken care of. ;)

[Clint1]

This is just yet another way G is going to harm small business; and (as another pointed out) yet another "tool" of theirs that can and WILL be nefariously manipulated by black-hatters further hurting those of us that are legit.

G needs to stop ruining the mom & pop businesses and get back to a simple search engine only. With each new fiasco of theirs, their SE/SERP's suffers more and more--along with small site owners.

[dviney]

I have seen no evidence so far that Google bookmarks are used by the Google algorithm. I also suspect that doing so would hurt Google. Why? Well beacuse large businesses and brands would rise to the top of SERPs for their keywords and no longer have to spend large advertising dollars to get there artificially.

Same with Yahoo! - no evidence yet of use in algo.

Web2.0 bookmarks more generally are having an effect, however, as the links on the tag pages they create are picked up and contribute to SERPs.

Rgds,
D,

[Clint1]

I have seen no evidence so far that Google bookmarks are used by the Google algorithm. I also suspect that doing so would hurt Google. Why? Well beacuse large businesses and brands would rise to the top of SERPs for their keywords and no longer have to spend large advertising dollars to get there artificially.

I totally agree, and I hope you're right. But G does things that hurts others and themselves on a regular basis. Why would this be any different? Hopefully it will be. At any rate, it's still a horrible idea because G will have full access to the bookmarks and will on doubt use them for some nefarious purpose.

[bj]

it's still a horrible idea because G will have full access to the bookmarks and will on doubt use them for some nefarious purpose.

Well there's a simple solution for that. Uninstall Google Toolbar.

[incrediblehelp]

it's still a horrible idea because G will have full access to the bookmarks and will on doubt use them for some nefarious purpose.

Well there's a simple solution for that. Uninstall Google Toolbar.

and dont sign into your Google account.

[Clint1]

I never used the G toolbar anyway. Just because I don't use it isn't going to stop their misuse of the bookmarks. I'm afraid G is going to misuse people's bookmarks to affect rankings in the G SERP's.

[bj]

Well, then, I better pay . . . um . . . ask all my google toolbar using friends to add this bunch of links to their bookmarks . . . ;)

[Clint1]

Well, then, I better pay . . . um . . . ask all my google toolbar using friends to add this bunch of links to their bookmarks . . . ;)
That may be all too accurate. It may come to something like that. I bet this other new can 'o worms from them will be misused and manipulated just as their PR is misused and manipulated.

[aviator67]

Well, then, I better pay . . . um . . . ask all my google toolbar using friends to add this bunch of links to their bookmarks . . . ;)

You make the point. People will not generally pollute their own personal bookmarks with spam links to any great degree. It's a much better ranking system than PageRank(tm) in my opinion. I coined the term 'penetration ratio (http://www.sync2it.com/toolbar/ranking.php)' and display this information in the BookmarkSync toolbar

That's why Google's going after it...

[Clint1]

"A much better ranking system"??? Huh?? As another pointed out; this will even FURTHER ruin the G SERP's by giving top priority and precedence to big time Billion $ websites and ruin the small Mom & Pop type businesses--the very backbone of the US economy, even global!

This will only make the big and powerful even MORE bigger and powerful, and the small and struggling doomed. G will see everyone bookmarking (for example) Amazon pages and the like, (whom already monopolizes the G SERP's), and will use that to give them total carte blanche in the G index, whom I might add doesn't even NEED pages in the G index, further shoving out those that DO NEED their pages in the G index!

Furthermore, what about all the countless millions of LEGIT USEFUL and NEEDED webpages in supplemental hell? What about those with websites that have been removed from the G index for no reason other than another G screw-up? No one will bookmark those due to the fact they cannot be found! Therefore further ruining those people and businesses!

It will widen the gap even further between the have's and have not's. Ironically giving more to the "have's" which don't even NEED G in the first place!

It's another REALLY BAD idea, and you mark my words, it WILL be abused, misused, and lead to even more class-action lawsuits.

"Ranking system"? Why even use one? Why do they need one, why do they keep INSISTING on screwing things up? Let webpages speak for themselves, and NOT be manipulated by yet another nefarious spawned-in-hell google "tool".

[activeco]

Just noticed:
Google personalized search (http://www.google.com/support/bin/topic.py?topic=1593).

[aviator67]

This will only make the big and powerful even MORE bigger and powerful, and the small and struggling doomed. G will see everyone bookmarking (for example) Amazon pages and the like...

Because I have millions of user bookmarks, I can very confidently state that this does not hold true in actual practice. My top sites (http://www.sync2it.com/bms/stats.php) list is derived from well over 10 million user bookmarks stored by tens of thousands of users. People don't bookmark individual Amazon pages but rather, they bookmark Amazon.com and then begin their search there. (On average of course)

I agree with you whole heartedly about Google however and have begun backing away from using any of their additional services other than the various search channels without being logged in. I am one of those 'Mom & Pop' businesses that is being directly impacted by their move to include bookmarks and it's very costly.

I don't think they'll be able to help themselves, personal bookmarking habits are too marketable for them not to have already begun using them. It'll only get more intrusive.

My only hope is to offer a more complete service that maximizes a users privacy.

- Suggestions cheerfully accepted

[bj]

Because I have millions of user bookmarks, I can very confidently state that this does not hold true in actual practice. My top sites list is derived from well over 10 million user bookmarks stored by tens of thousands of users. People don't bookmark individual Amazon pages but rather, they bookmark Amazon.com and then begin their search there. (On average of course)

I agree with this. The very first thing I did upon installing my main browser (firefox) was to delete all those damn preloaded bookmarks they tried to force on me. And truthfully, I don't have a bookmark for amazon.com since I type "am" into my location bar and it's magically there. :)

The vast majority of my bookmarks are for web design & dev references, web ap forums and help sites, webnews sites I like (mostly alternative press kinda things like ars technica and mother jones), blogs I like, local info sites I like (ie the local tv station site with the local weather report), stuff about the environment and gardening . . . in fact, I just looked and I don't have a single bookmark for any big company that I could find.

I don't expect that I'm exactly typical, but I doubt that I'm unique in this regard either.

Of course, I don't use the goog toolbar. I personally hate (spyware laden) toolbars, and was extremely pissed when, on my laptop, the yahoo toolbar installed itself automatically somewhere along the line into IE7.

[activeco]

- Suggestions cheerfully accepted

PM sent.

[zbikenut]

It appears to me that Google is trying to get the best search results possible from computers since they can't afford to hire someone to read every web page. I cannot think of a better way to rate websites than by how many people put them in their favorites. Yes it is black hat trickable but anything done by a computer is trickable if worked at long enough.

I am amazed at the paranoia.

I want good search results. I am sick of my pages being stuck behind worthless directories that rate better for my pages with no information provided. In some searches all that the big three come up with is linkbait when there are lots of good pages available.

Anything Google does to improve their results is great by me.

[incrediblehelp]

I want good search results. I am sick of my pages being stuck behind worthless directories that rate better for my pages with no information provided.

I am tired of this as well.

[Clint1]

I cannot think of a better way to rate websites than by how many people put them in their favorites.
??????? I can think of MANY. How 'bout, like I said, letting the websites speak for THEMSELVES, WITHOUT G once again trying to manipulate people's businesses and LIVES via another one of their nefarious "tools".


Yes it is black hat trickable but anything done by a computer is trickable if worked at long enough.
"Long enough"? This would take very little time to exploit that.


I am amazed at the paranoia.
Look to the FUTURE at what this will do.


I want good search results. I am sick of my pages being stuck behind worthless directories that rate better for my pages with no information provided. In some searches all that the big three come up with is linkbait when there are lots of good pages available.
Well I think everyone will agree with that, I certainly do. That sounds exactly something I've said before. And you think this is going to HELP you?? You're mistaken. Quite the contrary. The "big three" as you put it will only get BIGGER as some have been pointing out. I myself am one of the millions with great UNIQUE RELEVANT content, and even CHEAPER prices, that gets slammed and ignored in favor of NON relevant long out-of-date BS from the likes of the big 3, big 4, 5, etc., just because of "their names" and inflated misinterpreted PR9's.


Anything Google does to improve their results is great by me.
Agreed again, but this certainly is NOT one of them. They could learn a LOT from other SE's as far as SERP's go.