Google accused BMW of manipulating search results by using so called "doorway
pages". Doorway pages can be used to trick search engines into sending users to
Web sites that are not directly related to the search terms they are searching
for. Google's quality guidelines forbid the use of doorway pages ("Don't deceive
your users or present different content to search engines than you display to
users."). Although BMW said that the pages had been created to direct people who
were interested in topics related to BMW -- such as used cars -- to the right
pages, the doorway pages were removed. Shortly after the BMW website could be
found again at Google.
The case once again rises the question if
search engines are completely free in deciding which website they include in
their index. A new article from me, that will presumably be published in the
April issue of the MMR, will adress this topic in more detail. A short
statement to the BMW / Google case has been published by Telepolis:
February 10, 2006: Ott, Stephan,
Google räumt auf, Telepolis:
"Warum der Kampf der Suchmaschine gegen Suchmaschinen-Spam leicht zum
Bumerang werden könnte"
Also see:
February 8, 2006:
BMW.de steht wieder im Google-Index, Heise:
"Der Suchmaschinenbetreiber Google hat die deutschen Webseiten des
Autobauers
BMW wieder in seinen Index aufgenommen."
February 8, 2006: Mills, Elinor,
BMW.de. Ricoh.de back in Google index, CNet:
"The German language Web sites of carmaker BMW and technology product vendor
Ricoh are back in the search results on Google's search site after they
stopped using a technique designed to artificially boost their search engine
rating, according to a Google engineer."
February 7,
Google Imposes a Ban on BMW Web Site, NY Times:
"Google
has removed the German Web site of BMW from its Internet search index,
saying that the company was redirecting users from requested information to
another page selling luxury cars."
February 6, 2006:
BMW sieht Google-Vorwürfe
gelassen, Heise: "Der Autobauer BMW hat
gelassen auf den Rauswurf
seiner deutschen Webseite
aus dem Suchindex der
Internet-Suchmaschine Google
reagiert."
February 5, 2006:
Google sperrt nun auch
deutsche Webseiten mit
versteckten Suchwörtern aus,
Heise: "Man kann es auch in den
deutschen Richtlinien des
Suchmaschinenbetreibers
nachlesen, dass Webseiten
mit versteckten Wörtern und
anderen Tricks zur Erhöhung
des Trefferrankings
unerwünscht sind."
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