In 2020, two thirds of Google searches ended without a click • Hacker News Board

Re: In 2020, two thirds of Google searches ended without a click

#101

Post by colordrops » Mon, Mar 22, 2021, 6:12 PM UTC

BitwiseFool wrote: post #15

Google results have gotten dramatically worse over this last decade. Google now seems to fixate on the most common terms in my query and returns the most generic results for my geographic area. And, it seems like quotes and the old google-fu techniques are just ignored or are no longer functional. There are a whole host of factors behind this, but I'm certain that the switch to Natural Language Processing / Semantic…

The main problem with google search is that results are driven mostly by interests other than the user doing the search.

Re: In 2020, two thirds of Google searches ended without a click

#102

Post by croes » Mon, Mar 22, 2021, 6:12 PM UTC

moate wrote: post #27

croes wrote: post #12

At some point Google will overdo it and they will be split up.

I think that time was "a while ago" and they're still running because the US doesn't actually care that much about virtual monopolies.

They are just very slow.

Re: In 2020, two thirds of Google searches ended without a click

#103

Post by shortstuffsushi » Mon, Mar 22, 2021, 6:12 PM UTC

ocdtrekkie wrote: post #51

jeffbee wrote: post #13

This "panel" must be highly biased, right? Only Google itself knows the real answer to this question. The data in the article comes from 100 million people dumb enough to infect their devices with malware.

> Only Google itself knows the real answer to this question This alone should be setting off alarm bells for everyone, the government should be raiding Google offices to find the necessary facts to answer these questions. Google operates as the de facto front page of the Internet, the default starting point for the vast majority of the public, and they're incredibly dodgy about the real facts about how they use that…

> the government should be raiding Google offices

I can't get behind this. Suggesting that corporations be raided by the government is not a good idea.

To my knowledge, Google has not denied any information requests they've received (or been subpoenaed for), and actively work with law enforcement in circumstances required of them. If we get to a point where they stand in contempt of court ordered information requests, perhaps this becomes appropriate, but let's not jump straight there because they're a big (huge) company. Many, if not most companies have private information that only they would know about their company and don't have the expectation of turning it over, I don't think scale changes that.

Re: In 2020, two thirds of Google searches ended without a click

#104

Post by another-dave » Mon, Mar 22, 2021, 6:13 PM UTC

vkou wrote: post #72

bmitc wrote: post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It drives me crazy how Google never fails to remove the most unique and yet most important words of my search term. It basically does this 99% of the time now.

If you force the term to stay, you'll get two search results, neither of which answer your question. The web of 2021 sucks.

I'd prefer to recognise immediately that there are no results & reframe my query that to start to scan down through the results, maybe click into one & start to read only _then_ to realise it doesn't relate, back to Google — "oh, they didn't actually search for what I told them to search for" & then reach the same point they could've given me at the start.

At least there should be a checkbox for "make a best guess when limited results" / "give me my exact search query" (maybe there is somewhere & I've missed this)

Re: In 2020, two thirds of Google searches ended without a click

#105

Post by fractionalhare » Mon, Mar 22, 2021, 6:13 PM UTC

The author speculates that this is a direct side effect of Google searches being monetized by ads, and therefore targeting multiple searches.

I don't think that's the case. I think this has more to do with the fact that Google now deliberately surfaces as much information - including summaries, answers, tools and widgets - in the search results page itself, which incentivizes searching without a subsequent click. Google very much wants you to end your search journey on google.com, but I think that's because they believe it will keep people coming back. I do not think Google directly tries to keep people searching for the same thing.

This may still raise interesting antitrust concerns though.

Re: In 2020, two thirds of Google searches ended without a click

#106

Post by shadowgovt » Mon, Mar 22, 2021, 6:13 PM UTC

Jonnax wrote: post #2

I would say that's about right for me. I Google things for information which I can glean from the search results more than looking for a website. Like what's the definition of a word or a quick calculation is easier than opening the calculator. There's even a metronome if you search metronome.

Google's goal, for a long time, has been precisely this experience.

The company mission statement is "Organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful." Nothing about that statement says "redirect web traffic to third-party sites." They consider it an inconvenience to the user (a negative signal) if the user has to click through.

Re: In 2020, two thirds of Google searches ended without a click

#107

Post by dgellow » Mon, Mar 22, 2021, 6:13 PM UTC

gxx wrote: post #93

BitwiseFool wrote: post #15

Google results have gotten dramatically worse over this last decade. Google now seems to fixate on the most common terms in my query and returns the most generic results for my geographic area. And, it seems like quotes and the old google-fu techniques are just ignored or are no longer functional. There are a whole host of factors behind this, but I'm certain that the switch to Natural Language Processing / Semantic…

For me Google "verbatim" is the best way to get focussed results although it's too bad it doesn't allow date ranges. Bing search with appropriate use of guotes, + and - operators and date ranges usually beats non-verbatim Google search, and it can sometimes be better than Google verbatim.

I had no idea "Verbatim" was a thing!

For those who don't know, after a search, click on "Tools", then "All results", and select "Verbatim".

Re: In 2020, two thirds of Google searches ended without a click

#108

Post by polote » Mon, Mar 22, 2021, 6:14 PM UTC

BitwiseFool wrote: post #15

Google results have gotten dramatically worse over this last decade. Google now seems to fixate on the most common terms in my query and returns the most generic results for my geographic area. And, it seems like quotes and the old google-fu techniques are just ignored or are no longer functional. There are a whole host of factors behind this, but I'm certain that the switch to Natural Language Processing / Semantic…

It really depends on what you are looking for. If you are searching on a term that is used by business you will get mostly shitty content. But if you search for things that make no money, for example. "diff with prosemirror" or "travelling with monitors" you will get very relevant results.

I don't think it has a lot of to do with new search algo. I think it is the opposite, the algo is mostly the same as a decade a ago, but now it is abused by SEO expert. And Google doesn't seem to care yet

Re: In 2020, two thirds of Google searches ended without a click

#109

Post by bick_nyers » Mon, Mar 22, 2021, 6:14 PM UTC

dawnerd wrote: post #31

BitwiseFool wrote: post #15

Google results have gotten dramatically worse over this last decade. Google now seems to fixate on the most common terms in my query and returns the most generic results for my geographic area. And, it seems like quotes and the old google-fu techniques are just ignored or are no longer functional. There are a whole host of factors behind this, but I'm certain that the switch to Natural Language Processing / Semantic…

I was kinda thinking the same too until I went back and gave bing and DDG a shot and well, Google is still way better for my searches. I think its more of the seo spam that popping up thats making the results look less useful.

That would be an interesting problem, how do you algorithmically filter out SEO and focus on useful information? A signal vs. noise problem, but on human text, with the added challenge that the noise is trying to outsmart you. Maybe an adversarial ML network with an SEO-generating bot working against you?

Re: In 2020, two thirds of Google searches ended without a click

#110

Post by sebringj » Mon, Mar 22, 2021, 6:14 PM UTC

I think this is mostly due to the immediate messaging they give on the topic that is sufficient and no further click is needed. Meaning the little drop down suggestions more often than not for me has the full content I want. For example, "What is the meaning of temporal?" or 'Who wrote "Wild Thing?"'. Google has inline calculators and an amazing array of usefulness without needing a website to go to in so many cases growing more and more. What is kind of sad/funny about this is its making the search results themselves less useful in which it was built on, giving less incentive to give this AI food.