Google execs admit users are 'not quite happy' with search experience after Reddit blackouts
www.cnbc.com
Google executives acknowledged this month they need to do a better job surfacing user-generated content after the recent Reddit blackouts.

Google executives acknowledged this month they need to do a better job surfacing user-generated content after the recent Reddit blackouts.

  • W6KME@lemmy.worldEnglish
    11·
    2 years ago

    That’s not the least of what makes me unhappy about the Google search experience lately. The thing I don’t like is how much it sucks. Like, really really sucks. It was the paradigm of mind-boggling usefulness at one point. Now it’s an ad server with occasionally marginally relevant results.

    • klyde@lemmy.worldEnglish
      41·
      2 years ago

      I haven’t been able to find anything good on there in years. Everything is some company claiming to have a fix and it’s just stupid crap that isn’t helpful. ‘Here’s 10 tips to fix your issue that are worthless.’

      • Infernal_pizza@lemmy.worldEnglish
        5·
        2 years ago

        How to fix your tech problem:

        1. restart
        2. the same generic fix you already saw on the last 10 websites that didn’t work
        3. download our totally legit software that’s specially designed to fix this exact issue
      • Arekusenpai@lemmy.worldEnglish
        5·
        2 years ago

        I’m in the process of repairing my entry way guard rail. I did a Google search for marking banister placement with curved railing. Google’s attempt to be useful was to to search for “baluster” instead of “banister”. It’s a complete fucking joke.

        And forbid searching for vehicle tire size suggestions if you’ve ever done a single search bikes. Finding recommended tire size for 17x8 wheels is fuck all impossible. After the first 10 links I start getting links to Bicycle shops in the UK. While I’m located in the US.

        • grue@lemmy.worldEnglish
          3·
          2 years ago

          Also is it just me, or did search engines (not just Google) suddenly start disregarding quotation marks a year or so ago? I’ve been adding quotes to tell the stupid thing “no, I really did mean that weird word you think is a typo” and lately it just fucking auto-incorrects it anyway!

          • c2h6@lemmy.worldEnglish
            1·
            2 years ago

            Yea I have this problem as well. Brackets, quotes, nothing forces the search engine to ONLY return that specific term.

        • livus@kbin.social
          1·
          2 years ago

          Ah that’s interesting. I get US results all the time but I assumed it was because the US dominates and New Zealand is small and obscure. Yet now I see you literally live in the US and it still doesn’t help you!

        • klyde@lemmy.worldEnglish
          21·
          2 years ago

          It’s awful and it’s sad. I remember when I could find everything on there and now it’s just all garbage. I’d be pretty annoyed getting links outside the US when that’s where you live. Sure wish it was like it used to be.

    • _finger_@lemmy.worldEnglish
      2·
      2 years ago

      The biggest problem is that if you want to find info on a particular subject matter, be it something niche or not, there’s no dedicated place to find discussions on it unless you already know of specific forums where you can mine for info. That’s the real value that Reddit brought to the table.

    • SCmSTR@kbin.social
      1·
      2 years ago

      I’ve found that bad addons, spyware, and adware can immensely affect your Google results. Which is… Really alarming, but… Its true.

      This is not to say a lot of seo hasn’t absolutely ruined search. Because it has.