Networks

Google and other search engines use methods to decide what the most relevant websites are that should show up first when someone inputs something in their search bar. J.C. Penney’s is a company that found a way to cheat the system of Google’s search engine optimization methods, that the link to their website would show up first for a plethora of searches, before possibly more relevant websites. Called “black hat” optimization, J.C. Penney’s was optimizing their website in ways that cheat the system by taking advantage of methods used to optimize. “White hat” optimization is using Google, or another search engine, to increase web site traffic in a way that is legitimate, many companies use “white hat” optimization, but J.C. Penney’s did not.

J.C. Penney used “black hat” optimization by taking advantage of Google’s algorithms. Google treats paid advertising websites slightly differently that unpaid websites, giving paid advertising website a higher ranking. For unpaid websites, the ranking must be evaluated by some measure of popularity, which is where optimization comes in. The biggest way in which J.C. Penney took advantage of the rankin system was by making themselves seem more popular by have links to their website put on on other sights. If another website links to your page, it causes your ranking to go up. Someone paid to have links put on many websites that link to J.C. Penney. Often called, link schemes, this trick of putting links on other websites is against Google guidelines. Another company BMW, also used trick to increasing search ranking, “doorway passages” were set on so that search engines are attracted and website traffic is redirected. These tricks are unethical according to Google’s guidelines and Google took action against the groups. BMW was removed from search results, and J.C. Penney’s ranking dropped significantly, in one case it dropped from number 1 to number 71.

The actions made by Google may sound harsh, but ethics in search ranking are a necessity. According to one study, 34% of traffic clicks on the number one result and almost twice that clicks on the second result. Having a higher ranking can be cause for a huge amount of revenue for businesses. Link-selling business exist to try to profit off the craving for having a higher page ranking. People will sell links on their website to companies that wish to have a higher page ranking. While these websites go against Google guidelines and were most likely where J.C. Penney was able to link it’s website all over the web, they are usually ranked lower themselves so they have a little bit less power in raising page ranking.

The ethics of page ranking websites are a key issue for Google who has a near monopoly over search engines. While Google has to uphold it’s reputation that pages are ranked by popularity, it is not surprising that Google may have a soft spot for its customers. It is possible that companies who pay for search ads may be treated more leniently than those who don’t, when it comes to organic page rank. Among many of the big companies that pay for search ads J.C. Penney. With so much money to be made from either search ads or higher page ranks. Google as well as the companies that use Google must police themselves to keep search engines and search engine optimization a fair game.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/13/business/13search.html