The Problem with Google Snippets and Fake News Sites


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The news is very important and people in today’s world are reliant on the Internet for acquiring news at any time. However, as the internet is fast evolving the problems with phony news have also made their way in the snippets of the search engine Google. Usually, there is a standard procedure for Google to detect the construction of fake news and thereby prevent it from being circulated but in the present world, the creators of fake news have upgraded their processes for making it a vital piece of information. It is well known that whatever is shared on the Internet spreads like wildfire and keeps on revolving in this global network for years and can resurface again and again if the news is not attested as bogus. Hence search engines like Google are introducing stringent rules for prohibiting the viral circulation of such news.

The Problem with Google Snippets and Fake News Sites
The Problem with Google Snippets and Fake News Sites

A brief definition of counterfeit information:

In order to understand the steps which are presently taken by search engines for curbing fake news, it is important to understand what can be categorized as counterfeit. In very simple terms it can be delineated as false pieces of information that are shared on the online medium. There are different avenues available on the internet which allow individuals to share information and so within a span of time a shared piece of information can become a trending story on the internet. These stories or rather false stories are created in an eye-catching fashion and are shared so that the circle of sharing continues. There is no utility of such fake news as it only provides wrong news. But in many cases, it can harm if the false information is not detected quickly. These fake pieces of news are also drafted for earning revenue through advertisement. In many cases, it has been observed that such fake news includes advertisements that also go viral along with the news. This will aid the creator of the news as it will help in the collection of revenue from advertisements.

The methods which are introduced by Google for weeding out fake information

It is well known that people across the world access the internet for information through the search engine of Google and hence it becomes all the more important for this search engine to prevent such news from getting into the snippet section of the search engine. The Snippet section appears at the top of the search engine’s page and includes news updates or the news feed. However when false information makes its way into those snippets then it becomes a huge problem and in the current era, such information is figuring in the snippet segment of Google and so in order to solve this problem Google is also taking some measures. These measures are discussed below:

  • Introducing tags that are present for verifying facts:

In the attempt to remove false stories as far as possible a special tool has been introduced by Google which is present for checking facts. This step is taken for dealing with the matter of fake news more efficiently owing to the evolution of such false tales which are fooling the algorithm of Google to a great extent. Different kinds of sources for fact-checking are used which are deemed to be reliable by the Google tools. These tools reveal to the user that double-checking might be required with regard to a particular piece of information. Basically, if an article is tagged then it can be noted as a flag that depicts that the information contained in the story is possibly false. Further, this tool will provide links to users to sites that are present for fact-checking where an individual can get information regarding the validity of the given news.

  • Limiting sources for inserting advertisements

There are rules for posting advertisements on Google and people have been earning decent Ad Sense revenue by putting up advertisements on websites and other online SEO platforms. However, as false viral news creators have a motive of earning through advertisements Google has introduced some strict updates to its advertising policy and it has been declared that websites that don’t have enough information regarding the publisher or website creator will be strictly evaluated before posting any advertisements. In many cases, advertising from sites that have no enlisted objective or purpose will also be severely scrutinized for limiting the chances of fake news. This is also a step that will discourage the people who create such news as the route of earning through advertisement is getting blocked for them.

Also Read: Importance of SEO for Local Businesses

Drafting more measures for making Google free form scam news

It has already been observed that false information is appearing in a sophisticated manner and the present algorithm of Google is trying to combat such problems but as the issue is growing further more measures might be introduced in the future and some of these probable measures are discussed below:

  • Modifying the ranking system or algorithm of Google:

The algorithm which is present for ranking depends on the fame of links to a great extent as these have been considered as a prominent indicator of reliability but in the present scenario scam news have the ability to navigate within the present ranking system of Google and make way into the Google snippet section. Hence the search engine creators might introduce a better ranking system in the form of an update that will be more proficient in detecting fake news and stooping the circulation from the very beginning.

  • Providing more avenues to users for giving responses regarding news published on Google:

In many cases, internet users can detect the fake nature of a piece of information before the search engine and if more opportunities are provided to individuals for leaving feedback or comments regarding the untrustworthiness of some information then that will help in curbing the problem of fake information in a better way.

Hence in fixture, more methods might be introduced for warding off the fake news and it is better to know the changing policies of search engines and formulate quality content accordingly.

Author Bio: I am Naveen Kumar having 10 years of experience in digital marketing, ORM, SEO and SMO.  For several years I have started the company naming JDM Web Technologies, which stands as one of the renowned digital marketing companies today in India.  With my decade of experience, I can provide my clients with reasonable SEO packages in town.  My team experts include professional SEO and SMO experts, digital marketing professionals etc.  buy audible credits

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