Google SEO Includes "Human" Ranking

Some people might be worried about whether Google can, does, or might be tempted to manipulate search rankings in ways that favor its own business interests. But every search engine has to use some specific algorithms to attempt to assess "quality" and "relevance" of content found on the Web.

All of which has spurred a rather-robust search engine optimization business, with a sort of constant "cat and mouse" game between the keepers of search algorithms and content providers who try to come up with legitimate, perhaps sometimes questionable methods of "gaming" the Google search algorithms.

"There’s good SEO, allowing people to get to more relevant content,” says Google’s Amit Singhal, an engineer who works on the algorithms, according to the Financial Times.

“Sometimes people do shitty things and sometimes our algorithms are fooled,” he said. That appears to be one reason why Google says it does use some human oversight as part of its overall system.

Given the potential for some abuse, that's likely a necessary and legitimate undertaking. Algorithms are precise, people are fuzzy. Sometimes adding a little human fuzziness might be a good thing, producing more-valuable search returns.

The potential for mischief, real or imagined, will always exist. But that's why markets and competition are so important. Too much mischief should lead to less-useful results, which will lead users to switch to rival search applications. It might not be a perfect system, but it is hard to imagine any other better set of safeguards.

FT.com / FT series / In depth - Groups magnify chances of Google hits