Wikipedia As News Source? In Latest Google Testing, Yes
Jun 9, 2009 at 5:53pm ET by Matt McGee
As first noticed by Michael Dorausch, and later expanded on by Michael Gray, Google has very recently begun showing Wikipedia as a news source on Google News.
Little has been said about this until today, when Google’s Gabriel Stricker confirmed to the Nieman Journalism Lab that it’s part of a small experiment on Google’s part:
“Currently, we’re showing a small number of users links to Wikipedia topic pages that serve as a reference on current events.”
Many SEOs have railed for years against Google’s apparent love for Wikipedia, as evidenced by how often Wikipedia ranks at the top of Google’s search results. But it’s hard to argue with the idea that many Wikipedia pages — which are often more comprehensive and updated more quickly than some news sites — offer background and context on current events that could be beneficial to Google News users.
There’s more discussion on Techmeme.
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When I first noticed it, I found it odd that Wikipedia was grouped prominently for so many front page stories. What else is interesting is the way Wikipedia links are being handled. Sources like the Wall Street Journal, Reuters, Houston Chronicle, FOXNews typically get a link in the cluster, but not a link with key phrase (see screenshot) as Wikipedia is getting.