Google results more biased to sales now ?

[Justin Smith]

Has anyone else noticed how Google search results are more biased towards sales / buying items now ?
Take the example of my own site, which used to be at the top of the rankings for almost all aerial related search terms. If you put a search term about aerials into Google most of the top rated results are from companies (almost all large companies) selling aerials, there is next to no information about aerials (or anything else) on those pages. There are also far more sponsored results than ever before, for the search term TV Aerials there are 6 (six ! ) advert listings even in the results on the left section, then six more in the "shopping" section on the right.

Is it the same for other subjects ?

 

[UKSBD]

Google are basing results on Intention

If they think the intention of the search phrase is that the person is looking to buy, they base results on this.

Try searching for the phrase "type of aerial" and you will see completely different layout and results

Once it has been decided a product search is considered to be a buying intention you are stuffed.

 

[Simon.P]

Hi Justin.
What queries are you running to see these results?
If I typed "new freeview aerial" I would expect to see those items for sale at the top. If I typed "best freeview aerial" then that would be more of an informational search and expect to see something like your site.
Have you taken a look at the freshbannanas course? Well worth it imo if wanting to improve your results in the SERPs

Edit: outtyped by not a real duck

 

[Justin Smith]

Google are basing results on Intention

If they think the intention of the search phrase is that the person is looking to buy, they base results on this.

Try searching for the phrase "type of aerial" and you will see completely different layout and results

Once it has been decided a product search is considered to be a buying intention you are stuffed.

That may well be, but it didn't used to be like that.
Does anyone know when it changed ?

 

[UKSBD]

That may well be, but it didn't used to be like that.
Does anyone know when it changed ?

Gradually over about 10 years.
Once your product has been picked it gets worse.

Edit to add: This is why if you sell a niche product you have to make hay whilst the sun shines

 

[Justin Smith]

Hi Justin.
What queries are you running to see these results?
If I typed "new freeview aerial" I would expect to see those items for sale at the top. If I typed "best freeview aerial" then that would be more of an informational search and expect to see something like your site.
Have you taken a look at the freshbannanas course? Well worth it imo if wanting to improve your results in the SERPs

Edit: outtyped by not a real duck

You are correct that a more specific search term (and even more so a more specialised search term) brings us right up the rankings. But even so, it used to be like that even for "TV aerial" !

One thing I don't understand. If it costs these companies (who advertise on Google) 50p to a pound for every click, and only one in 50 actually buy the aerial, how does that make economic sense ? The conversion rate would have to be like 10% for it to be worthwhile !

 

[Mr D]

Is google catering to its paying customers?
Including the ones doing better advertising.

 

[Justin Smith]

Is google catering to its paying customers?
Including the ones doing better advertising.

Now there's a big question.
I have often wondered whether Google up-ranks sites which advertise with it. I used to use Google search on my site and wondered if that also means an "up-rank", after all I was letting my readers click on Google adverts. But I was told that Google do not up-rank sites with Google search on them so I dumped it. Interesting point on this. My old site was not mobile friendly (using Google's definition) and I was told by everyone in IT that was why it was dropping down the search rankings. So I put a massive amount of work into transferring it to mobile friendly Wordpress.
Result ?
It's only about 5 or 6 weeks so far, but there has been no increase in visits, if anything they've gone down. AFAIK all redirects are in OK.
I wonder it it's anything to do with no longer having Google search ?

 

[Mr D]

People (well, some members of the public) often think of search engines as public conveniences.
Whereas they should - as a business - be looking to over time improve sales /. opportunities to make money. May be doing a dozen other things too but there is always going to be some issue regarding their income in decisions.

So if we want to use them we incorporate their algorithms and their published data about sites in how we set up and maintain sites.

 

[Justin Smith]

People (well, some members of the public) often think of search engines as public conveniences.
Whereas they should - as a business - be looking to over time improve sales /. opportunities to make money. May be doing a dozen other things too but there is always going to be some issue regarding their income in decisions.

So if we want to use them we incorporate their algorithms and their published data about sites in how we set up and maintain sites.

I'm not sure what you mean TBH. As far as I know nobody, other than Google (even Google ? ! ? ) knows exactly how the search engine works for its ranking, everyone is just making an educated guess (and with varying amounts of education....).
Specific to this thread are the two questions :

1 - If you advertise with Google do they up-rank the site ?

2 - If you have Google search incorporated into your site does it get up-ranked, either directly by the algorithm, or indirectly.

 

[UKSBD]

Ask Google if you think the people replying here as just giving you uneducated guesses...

 

[Joe Joiner]

I'm not sure what you mean TBH. As far as I know nobody, other than Google (even Google ? ! ? ) knows exactly how the search engine works for its ranking, everyone is just making an educated guess (and with varying amounts of education....).
Specific to this thread are the two questions :

1 - If you advertise with Google do they up-rank the site ?

2 - If you have Google search incorporated into your site does it get up-ranked, either directly by the algorithm, or indirectly.

That's correct — Google essentially 'teaches' the machines how to function, but they have no direct control over the results. That's why they can tell us what has more/less influence on ranking, but in practice this doesn't always translate into results.

In response to your questions:

1) No, advertising has no direct impact on organic ranking. There have been several studies, including one by the SEO agency where I work, to determine whether this is the case, but they have never been able to show any correlation. There are, however, some other factors that may result in coincidental ranking improvements, including brand exposure and clickthrough rate.

2) There's no evidence to show that Google site search improves ranking. Embedding site search is the equivalent of conducting a site search directly on Google, so indexing and ranking are only as good as they would be without the embedded search field.

 

[Justin Smith]

Ask Google if you think the people replying here as just giving you uneducated guesses...

I didn't say people on here were giving me uneducated guesses. I said all these theories about Google ranking are educated guesses and some of those making the guesses may not be that educated about it. I never said it was people on here who were uneducated, because, to be frank, I don't know anyway.

 

[fisicx]

Google shows you what it thinks you want. In many cases this is to buy a product.

If you ask a question the Google will show you answers and not products. People search very differently to the way they did even a couple of years ago.

Your site is a strange hybrid so Google doesn't know what to do. If you split the store from the information part then Google would be able to rank you more suitably.