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Rap Genius Traffic Has Dropped By Over 80%

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Re: Rap Genius Traffic Has Dropped By Over 80%

#41

Post by mcbaby »

mschuster91 wrote: post #27
jawerty wrote: post #15

I'm not sure if it's right or wrong what Google did, but it was certainly a shit business decision. It's Google's job to be a proper search tool for anyone to get the best possible results when searching something as simple as "rapgenius". If I search "rapgenius" and don't get the hugely popular website http://rapgenius.com as the first result, then that's bad service on Google's end.

+1. Even if RapGenius did cheat, they are still the best solution for Google's customers (i.e. those sheep whose data can be mined and sold). So I don't get why Google essentially fucks up with their customers.

I don't think it's fair to make that kind of teleological evaluation... Yes, RapGenius may be the best solution for google's customer. However, if Google permits shady SEO tactics simply because the ends justify the means, then what kind of precedent are they establishing? They would be encouraging that kind of behavior. As a heavy RapGenius user, I'm upset with what occurred, but from an objective standpoint, it makes sense why Google made its decision.

Re: Rap Genius Traffic Has Dropped By Over 80%

#42

Post by ouggnay »

dmak wrote: post #24

There really needs to be some checks and balances here. Perhaps an opensource search engine? I think an entity like Google having so much control over which businesses die or survive is a little ridiculous.

Do you have any idea how easy it would be to game an open source search engine?

Re: Rap Genius Traffic Has Dropped By Over 80%

#43

Post by [deleted] »

fragsworth wrote: post #18
jawerty wrote: post #15

I'm not sure if it's right or wrong what Google did, but it was certainly a shit business decision. It's Google's job to be a proper search tool for anyone to get the best possible results when searching something as simple as "rapgenius". If I search "rapgenius" and don't get the hugely popular website http://rapgenius.com as the first result, then that's bad service on Google's end.

> but it was certainly a shit business decision Not really, because they're using this kind of punishment to make an example of them in order to prevent future SEO abuse by others. It's probably for the better.

[deleted]

Re: Rap Genius Traffic Has Dropped By Over 80%

#46

Post by SemanticCoder »

beatpanda wrote: post #13

Which is really a shame, because RapGenius is a better lyrics site than all the rest by leaps and bounds. Google is acting like a cartel here and it's absolutely ridiculous. I hope they can beat this thing.

The only shameful thing about it, is that it doesn't happen more often. It took some major tech articles which showed the way RapGenius gamed the system, in order for Google to man up and step in.

Re: Rap Genius Traffic Has Dropped By Over 80%

#47

Post by jonknee »

mschuster91 wrote: post #27
jawerty wrote: post #15

I'm not sure if it's right or wrong what Google did, but it was certainly a shit business decision. It's Google's job to be a proper search tool for anyone to get the best possible results when searching something as simple as "rapgenius". If I search "rapgenius" and don't get the hugely popular website http://rapgenius.com as the first result, then that's bad service on Google's end.

+1. Even if RapGenius did cheat, they are still the best solution for Google's customers (i.e. those sheep whose data can be mined and sold). So I don't get why Google essentially fucks up with their customers.

Why is RapGenius the best result for Google searchers? I just want lyrics, if Google can get me to them I am happy. RG has a ton of bloat that I don't want or need.

Re: Rap Genius Traffic Has Dropped By Over 80%

#48

Post by asdasga »

mschuster91 wrote: post #27
jawerty wrote: post #15

I'm not sure if it's right or wrong what Google did, but it was certainly a shit business decision. It's Google's job to be a proper search tool for anyone to get the best possible results when searching something as simple as "rapgenius". If I search "rapgenius" and don't get the hugely popular website http://rapgenius.com as the first result, then that's bad service on Google's end.

+1. Even if RapGenius did cheat, they are still the best solution for Google's customers (i.e. those sheep whose data can be mined and sold). So I don't get why Google essentially fucks up with their customers.

What dumb logic. Rap Genius are just a piss in the ocean compared to all aggregate traffic. Making a statement that suggests "if you're big enough or we like you enough, you can cheat the system as much as you want" is infinitely more harmful in the long run.

Re: Rap Genius Traffic Has Dropped By Over 80%

#49

Post by drig »

falcolas wrote: post #28
beatpanda wrote: post #13

Which is really a shame, because RapGenius is a better lyrics site than all the rest by leaps and bounds. Google is acting like a cartel here and it's absolutely ridiculous. I hope they can beat this thing.

Google is a corporation. If you want to do business with them, you follow their rules, or face the consequences. RG didn't follow those rules. How is this ridiculous?

My feeling is that Google is acting like a monopoly. It's wrong that a private company is able to exert this much power over others, even if the others are being shady.

Re: Rap Genius Traffic Has Dropped By Over 80%

#50

Post by cynicalkane »

jawerty wrote: post #15

I'm not sure if it's right or wrong what Google did, but it was certainly a shit business decision. It's Google's job to be a proper search tool for anyone to get the best possible results when searching something as simple as "rapgenius". If I search "rapgenius" and don't get the hugely popular website http://rapgenius.com as the first result, then that's bad service on Google's end.

It's a game theory thing. There have been and will be a huge number of sites that would do anything to be #1 on Google.

In an iterated game, punishments must have a deterrent effect. They might seem disproportional, but Google's goal is not "do what's best for the world in this one instance, ignoring the long-term effects". Google's goal is "make sure nobody will try to cheat Google's algorithms, now or in the future." This is how you build the best search engine in the long run.

It would be the same if Google didn't dominate search, though they'd have to be more careful about optimally calibrating the punishment.

(N.B. This argument remains true even if other people are gaming Google right now.)

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