Google Targets Hacked Sites With Algo Update

Google announced that it is rolling out a series of algorithmic changes that will reduce hacked spam in its search results.

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In order to protect users and webmasters, Google software engineer Ning Song revealed that the changes will eventually impact roughly five percent of queries (depending on the language) and indicated that users may notice that for certain queries, the number of results shown may be reduced. This should, however, be improved in the future as Google tunes its system to "weed out the bad content while retaining the organic, legitimate results."

Google admitting that a "huge amount" of legitimate sites have been hacked and which are subsequently engaging in abusive behavior, "such as malware download, promotion of traffic to low quality sites, porn, and marketing of counterfeit goods or illegal pharmaceutical drugs," shows just how significant the problem has become for users, webmasters, as well as Google itself.