What's happening with Google 'search'?

Bendy_House

Hi all.

I've noticed for quite a while now that when I do a Google 'shopping' search for an item, I get a seemingly-successful page of 'returns' flash up for less than a second, to be followed by a new page of less relevant results - still to do with the item, but often not as specific.

I've just carried out an experiment - I Google-shopping-searched for an item I have listed on eBay, and - sure enough - it flashes up for that brief less-than-one-second, before being replaced by completely useless, far less relevant - results (ie, one of the search words did not apply, so made the returns far too wide).

What the heck is going on? Google is not returning the most accurate results.

For instance, this is a specific part for a device, and has been listed by part number and full description. It appears fleetingly on the 'Shopping' results page, before being replaced by examples of the complete device, or closely-associated parts, but not the ACTUAL specific part. It clearly finds it, but then overrides the results with its own choice of less-accurate returns.

If I try the search using 'All' results and not just 'Shopping', I do find the item under things like 'Picclick' which directs to their page which shows the correct eBay result.

So, is Google's 'Shopping' a purely paid-for service?!

pendragon_arther

I get so frustrated with Google myself. I get lots of worthless results. I think it's something to do with it doesn't search websites anymore. I find it's become utterly useless.

400ixl

Have you got a specific example to see if others get the same results?

Bendy_House

I carried out a malware scan, and it removed a 'pup'. 

Not sure if it's connected, but the results are seemingly back to normal, and no more sub-one-second flash of 'good' results followed by carp.

diystarter7

Me too last week or so.

baffledandconfused

I don't know about the specific occurance you mention but I have noticed in the last year or so (maybe longer) that the quality of Google as a search engine took a dive. It was like they'd changed their algorithm as suddenly whatever I searched for,  It was like whatever an advertiser might want me to see was being prioritised over what I might want to see. It was odd as they've had sponsored results for years, I don't remember Google before the advertisers at this point to be honest, but all of a sudden there was a tip so in favour of advertisers that as a search engine, it's usefulness was notabley reduced, for me any way!

I've definitely noticed a change in the shopping tab. In the past I'd use it whenever I wanted something hard to get, or if I wanted to compare prices, but now it's useless for that.  It just shows me things that are somewhat related to what I'm searching for,  even if what I'm searching for is available on individual sites and so should be there for the search engine to show me.

Even using search tools doesn't seem to help. More often than not I just get 'no results' or a page of completely unrelated links from big companies. When in the past I'd have good results from obscure Web pages, using the same technique.

It's annoying to be honest! I've mostly switched to duckduckgo as the only thing that had been stopping me was that I'd get better results on Google but to be honest, that isn't the case anymore. I get more variation in my results now but their algorithm really isn't refined to the same level that Googles was a few years ago.

 I feel like I'm really missing out on those hidden gems, where you'd search and find some hyper detailed html site on some ridiculously specific subject. I'm sure they're still out there but I have no idea how to find them now!

I also used to use Google to search other sites a lot and that's pretty useless now. 

forgotmyname

Google has been useless for a while, so many advertisers to please there is no room left for the actual results
that you wanted to find unless you cycle through 20 pages first in the hope they bothered to find the results.

Just the way it seems to me, search results I know it used to find is no longer anywhere to be seen. Wondered
if right to be forgotten was to blame but the searches are for products not people.

One example a product was imported to the UK with the seller claiming its brand new never seen before in this country.
I disputed the fact with proof of the item being sold many years before with many complaints that it caused more
damage than it was intended to fix. Seller threatened to sue me but soon went away to sulk.
Nothing on that can be found anywhere with a google search.

Even the wayback machine appears to have removed data also.  I thought if its on the internet then its visible forever
but that seems not to be the case anymore.

Bendy_House

baffledandconfused said:

I don't know about the specific occurance you mention but I have noticed in the last year or so (maybe longer) that the quality of Google as a search engine took a dive. It was like they'd changed their algorithm as suddenly whatever I searched for,  It was like whatever an advertiser might want me to see was being prioritised over what I might want to see. It was odd as they've had sponsored results for years, I don't remember Google before the advertisers at this point to be honest, but all of a sudden there was a tip so in favour of advertisers that as a search engine, it's usefulness was notabley reduced, for me any way!

I've definitely noticed a change in the shopping tab. In the past I'd use it whenever I wanted something hard to get, or if I wanted to compare prices, but now it's useless for that.  It just shows me things that are somewhat related to what I'm searching for,  even if what I'm searching for is available on individual sites and so should be there for the search engine to show me.

Even using search tools doesn't seem to help. More often than not I just get 'no results' or a page of completely unrelated links from big companies. When in the past I'd have good results from obscure Web pages, using the same technique.

It's annoying to be honest! I've mostly switched to duckduckgo as the only thing that had been stopping me was that I'd get better results on Google but to be honest, that isn't the case anymore. I get more variation in my results now but their algorithm really isn't refined to the same level that Googles was a few years ago.

 I feel like I'm really missing out on those hidden gems, where you'd search and find some hyper detailed html site on some ridiculously specific subject. I'm sure they're still out there but I have no idea how to find them now!

I also used to use Google to search other sites a lot and that's pretty useless now. 

That sounds like the perfect description of what was going on.

As I said, I don't know if it was the cause, but it's worth trying a Malwarebytes scan just to see. Worth doing every few months anyway, and their free version is very good.

If you try it, could you come back with your findings, please? It would be good to have confirmation of the cause.

pendragon_arther

400ixl said:

Have you got a specific example to see if others get the same results?

I watched W. last night and wanted to find out who George Bush senior was vice president to which president. My Google search resulted in all George Bush senior's vice presidents and not the one I was after. That's just one search in many I've done and my search questions are quite precise.

bat999

Hi
Malwarebytes scan might well solve these problems.
Something could have hijacked the search.

But internet search is usually paid for by adverts.
And Google is very greedy.

Other search engines are available.

See these two for example...

https://lite.duckduckgo.com/

https://lite.qwant.com/  

They are LITE versions with uncluttered resuslts.

Google seems to know *all* the answers, but they're sometimes hard to see among the rubbish.

PS

Read about them first...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DuckDuckGo

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qwant

GunJack

bat999 said:

See these two for example...

https://lite.duckduckgo.com/

https://lite.qwant.com/  

They are LITE versions with uncluttered resuslts.

using either of these is very good advice...it also stops google slurping most of your search history and other data.