Google page-ranking row
p2p news / p2pnet: Google can rank web pages any way it likes, it states in answer to a lawsuit filed against it by a California parenting site.
"The search giant is being sued in California by a parenting website which claims it lost most of its traffic when its ranking dropped to zero," says Out-Law.com.
"The site, Kinderstart.com, claims that it was downgraded because it is a competitor to Google. A motion by Google to dismiss the case was heard in California last Friday, where Kinderstart argued that it competed with Google because it also offers a search facility on its site."
Among other things, "KinderStart says Google has defamed it, kept it from expressing itself in a public forum, and violated KinderStart’s contract under Google’s AdSense program, in which it carries ads distributed by Google and gets a commission when users click on them," says PC Advisor, continuing:
"KinderStart calls itself a competitor to Google in the specific area where it offers search results. As part of the suit, it wants Google to reveal how it comes up with its rankings.
"Google says its search rankings are opinions and entitled to free-speech protection.”
Although rankings are based partly on a mathematical algorithm, Google studies the quality of sites and makes subjective judgments, according to David Kramer, who’s representing Google.
Also See:
Out-Law.com – Low ranked firm sues Google over zero score, July 3, 2006
PC Advisor – Google attempts to get lawsuit dismissed, July 3, 2006
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July 4th, 2006 at 7:41 pm
heh, now a big company can claim that ‘practicing a form censorship by limiting it’s competions exposure to the public’ is protected under the first amendment?
First disney now this?
July 5th, 2006 at 4:03 am
Hardly. If Kinderstart is a competitor to Google, then why does it need a Google ranking? Is it admitting that as a competitor it can’t compete? Did it have a contract with Google to ensure a high ranking?
The best way to get a good ranking with Google is to offer something of value so that many other sites will link to yours. Link spamming won’t get you there, neither will whinging.
–Bob.
July 5th, 2006 at 7:47 pm
[QUOTE]The best way to get a good ranking with Google is to offer something of value so that many other sites will link to yours. Link spamming won’t get you there, neither will whinging. [/QUOTE]
erm, what was that all about? Link spamming? Sometimes I wonder why I comment here… repsonses are sometimes, sub par to say the least…