Google Disciplines Itself in Chrome Browser PageRank Controversy
So, just as GoogleGoogle would do with any other company that broke its rules, the search giant punished Chrome's site ranking in Google search results--known as a site's PageRank. Punishing its own Web browser may make up for Google's faux pas in the eyes of the media and may even make Google employees feel that their company is doing the right thing. But for the average user, Google's self-flagellation makes it harder to find and download Chrome, even if you're specifically searching for the popular Web browser. Alles zu Google auf CIO.de
Google reportedly bought online video ads from a digital media agency called Essence Digital. Essence then reportedly hired another company called Unruly to carry out Google's video ad campaign, according to Search Engine Land. The end result was that a number of blogs wrote positive posts (with the video embedded) about Google Chrome for compensation--the reward was apparently AmazonAmazon gift cards, SEL said in a separate report. Alles zu Amazon auf CIO.de
Google doesn't specifically state it will punish a site's PageRank for creating sponsored posts. The problems start when paid posts start linking back to the sponsored website--in this case www.google.com/chrome.
Links pointing to a specific site are one of the primary ways that Google judges a site's PageRank. The more links a site has pointing at it, the thinking goes, the higher quality it must be. Let's say Acme company is paying for bloggers to link to acmecompany.com. Google could see those paid links and determine that acmecompany.com was a popular site on the Web and thus increase its PageRank.
In reality, however, the fictitious company I made up to illustrate a point, Acme, was artificially boosting its Google ranking to attract more customers. To fight against this type of abuse, Google's own watchdog team says it will penalize a site's PageRank if it is caught participating in a paid link scheme. Last February, for example, Google downgraded department store retailer, JC Penney after The New York Times uncovered an apparent paid link scheme. JC Penney denied any direct knowledge of the PageRank efforts claiming a third-party was involved.