Google’s Content Farm Algorithm Not Live Yet

Last Friday, I reported that Google has launched a new content based algorithm to improve their search quality. I made an assumption that this was related to the content farms algorithm being live, but I was wrong to make that assumption. After we spoke with Matt Cutts today, we learned that the new algorithm that went live last week is related to blocking low quality content scraper sites and not content farms.

When will Google’s “content farm” algorithm be released? We do not know. But unlike Blekko, who banned content farms today, Google will be taking a more algorithmic approach to reducing the number of content farms in their search results. Exactly what that means is not so clear. Will Google drop ehow.com and the same sites that Blekko manually removed with a new automated algorithm? I am not sure. It all depends on how Google classifies a content farm and if those sites fall within those classifications. Time will tell.

I apologize for the inaccuracies in my original post. It is important to set the record straight that Google did not take any action, algorithmically, against content farms to-date.

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• Google Launches Algorithm To Fight Content Spam
• Google Says Search Quality Improved With New Spam Detection
• Blekko Bans Content Farms From Its Index
• Google, Content Farms & Why This May Be Blekko’s Moment
• Google Sets Sights On Content Farms In 2011
• Blekko Launches Spam Clock To Keep Pressure On Google
• The New York Times, Demand Media Edition
• Blekko: New Search Engine Lets You “Spin” The Web
• Blekko, The “Slashtag” Search Engine, Goes Live
• Google And Blekko Head-To-Head: Blekko Lives To Fight Another Day

About The Author

Barry Schwartz

Barry Schwartz is Search Engine Land's News Editor and owns RustyBrick, a NY based web consulting firm. He also runs Search Engine Roundtable, a popular search blog on SEM topics.