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Unintentional google bombing

Caleb E [PersonRank 10]

Thursday, July 27, 2006
17 years ago3,762 views

Some google search results show signs of google bombing but without being really google bombed intentionally. For example, so many people have put "Click here to download adobe acrobat reader" on thier pages that:

http://www.google.com/search?q=click+here

This shows the adobe download page first, then quicktime, then flash, etc.

http://www.google.com/search?q=http

This used to show Microsoft.com first because the URL http://microsoft.com was hyperlinked so much. This result page also has AltaVista, Yahoo, and archives.gov.

http://www.google.com/search?q=logo

This one is a result of hyperlinking images with an alt text of "* logo*. The list includes sourceforge, microsoft, php, hp, intel, and apache.

Can you find any other unintentional google bombs?

Philipp Lenssen [PersonRank 10]

17 years ago #

I think a funny one is "exit":
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=exit&btnG=Google+Search

If you can figure out why the 2nd result is Disney, you probably saw a porn homepage before :)

Also, 6 leads to Internet Explorer and Apple Quicktime, other numbers show similar results... because people linking to the software with the version number.

Ludwik Trammer [PersonRank 10]

17 years ago #

Great thread :)

"or greater" – Netscape browser, Internet Explorer and QuickTime http://www.google.com/search?q=%22or+greater%22

"best viewed" – Firefox & IE http://www.google.com/search?q=%22best viewed%22

"our sponsor" – American Consumer Opinion http://www.google.com/search?q=%22our sponsor%22

"more information" – FrontPage and "Podcastng" on Wikipedia (probably podcasters links to this article for people that doesn't know what podcasting is) http://www.google.com/search?q=%22more information%22

Similar to Philipp's example – "I'm under 18" – Disney.com http://www.google.com/search?q=%22I%27m+under+18%22 :)

Ludwik Trammer [PersonRank 10]

17 years ago #

Ow, sorry. My links doesn't work. One more time:

"or greater" – Netscape browser, Internet Explorer and QuickTime http://www.google.com/search?q=%22or+greater%22

"best viewed" – Firefox & IE http://www.google.com/search?q=%22best+viewed%22

"our sponsor" – American Consumer Opinion http://www.google.com/search?q=%22our+sponsor%22

"more information" – FrontPage and "Podcastng" on Wikipedia (probably podcasters links to this article for people that doesn't know what podcasting is) http://www.google.com/search?q=%22more+information%22

Similar to Philipp's example – "I'm under 18" – Disney.com http://www.google.com/search?q=%22I%27m+under+18%22

Ionut Alex. Chitu [PersonRank 10]

17 years ago #

<< If you can figure out why the 2nd result is Disney, you probably saw a porn homepage before :)

I don't get it. Is there a "exit" link that sends minors to Disney?

Ludwik Trammer [PersonRank 10]

17 years ago #

Another kind of unintentional google bombing are numbers. I discovered that couple of years ago. For example:

0 – Internet Explorer http://www.google.com/search?q=0

1 – Mozilla.org & Mozilla Firefox (because of Firefox 1.x) http://www.google.com/search?q=1

2 – Spider-Man Movie, PlayStation, Picasa, Google Desktop http://www.google.com/search?q=2

3 – Fedora Linux http://www.google.com/search?q=3

4 – Netscape (famous Netscae 4.x :D), QuickTime http://www.google.com/search?q=4

5 – Flash Player, Perl http://www.google.com/search?q=5

6 – Internet Explorer, Netscape, Quicktime http://www.google.com/search?q=6

7 – QuickTime, Netscape http://www.google.com/search?q=7

8 – Netscape, The Unicode Consortium http://www.google.com/search?q=8

9 – Windows Media http://www.google.com/search?q=9

When I checked this about two years ago every first result for numbers between 3 and 7 where IE or Netscape.

Ionut Alex. Chitu [PersonRank 10]

17 years ago #

For 9 – also Opera.

/pd [PersonRank 10]

17 years ago #

==" you can figure out why the 2nd result is Disney, you probably saw a porn homepage before :)"

I see the r2nd result as a disney link.. but I am in a work safe env / behind firewall and have never visited a XXX site!! ..

So not sure, exactly where you going with that statement Philpp!!

Ludwik Trammer [PersonRank 10]

17 years ago #

> So not sure, exactly where you going with that statement Philpp!!

Before you enter the porn site it asks you if you are adult, and tells you to exit the site if you are not. Then there are link "ENTER" (to the porn content) and "EXIT" (to disney.com, google.com, yahoo.com etc. and in Poland sometimes to the site of our ultra-catholic radio). Sometimes the links states "I'm above 18" and "I'm under 18"

Both "ext" and "I'm under 18" points in Google search to disney.com.

/pd [PersonRank 10]

17 years ago #

No no.. Ludwik.. the inherent understanding that I got from Philipps statement is that I "probably" visited a pron site and therefore the 2nd result on the SERP is a dsiney and the 3rd is yahoo and 4th MSN etc return.

I maybe be wrong on this understanding, thats why I was seeking clarifcation.

I totally agree with your premise – the xxx site will point you elsewhere to disney.com in case you clic "I'm under 18" or exit..

Ionut Alex. Chitu [PersonRank 10]

17 years ago #

Maybe the exit link should point to:
window.close()
or
history.back()

Ludwik Trammer [PersonRank 10]

17 years ago #

Ok, sorry /pd. So my replay shoud be for Ionut ;):

> I don't get it. Is there a "exit" link that sends minors to Disney?

Caleb E [PersonRank 10]

17 years ago #

[go here], [overview], [download], [hilarious], [look here]

just a few i've thought of that were decent.

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