Google’s new SearchWiki: Block button to hide low quality results
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Google’s new SearchWiki: Block button to hide low quality results

11th March 2011

Yesterday Google introduced a new feature to help users improve the quality of the search results. It is now possible to block results for a search result page. After visiting a result and returning to the result page in Google a link will appear that allows you to “block all example.com” results. Once blocked, results from the specific domain will not appear anymore in any of  your search results. Instead a message shows at the bottom of the page, telling you some results have been blocked. You will also be able to manage your blocked results.

For some of us this feature sounds familiar. You might think of Google’s SearchWiki, a feature that was introduced over two years ago. The features actually differ on a few levels. The table below shows the differences between the two:

Google SearchwikiBlock button
Possible actions:Block results, add results, comment on results and put results at the top of SERPsOnly block results
Impact on queries:Only for the specific queryFor all queries
Impact on site:Only on the specific resultOn all results for the domain
Goal:Improve individual search experienceImprove individual search experience and generate data possibly to improve overall search quality
Visibility:Changes made to a result page are visible to everyone (anonymous)Unknown (probably private)

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Written By
Jeroen van Eck is a consultant search engine marketing at the online marketing company E-Focus in the Netherlands.
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