Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
those of others. After all, Web sites generate profits only if visitors
utilize those sites so site owners want their sites to be visible. All of
this generates considerable motivation for owners of pornographic
and other adult Web sites to make their sites as visible as possible.
To be listed in the “top 20” references of a search engine is an espe
cially coveted position, because it implies the site would be listed on
the first page of responses given to a user. A listing at rank 1 or 2 by
a search engine would put the site at the very top of the page—in
the most visible position.
We have already discussed how companies often want to manip
ulate their sites so that they appear most relevant to a user's query,
but this is not the only way that they can achieve Web site visibility.
Two other common strategies include purchasing space on search
engines and working within browsers. Many search engine compa
nies generate revenue from ads or from highlighted references that
they place at the beginning of their pages of results. These advertise
ments, paid for by companies promoting their Web sites, can be an
important source of income for search engine companies, making
them a viable business enterprise. Typically, the ads or highlighted
references that appear on a search engine page are related to the
queries you make—at least according to keywords on the reference
pages. Adult sites, for example, have a strong incentive for public
ity, so the keywords that call up their Web sites in a search engine
may be more general or inclusive than some viewers might prefer.
Search engine companies using references that have been gener
ated through automated searches typically take a different approach
when it comes to ranking their search findings. These companies
usually have a clear policy that they will not adjust ratings based on
pressures or payoffs. Further, the search engine companies typically
keep the details of their ratings' computations private in order to re
duce the manipulation of these ratings by commercial sites.
However, even without public disclosure of ratings formulae, com
mercial companies and consultants work to identify relevant criteria
to improve ratings and visibility. For example, entrepreneurs may
conduct experiments to learn what factors seem to have the most ef
fect on ratings. A recent review of materials from several consul
tants and referenced on the Web highlighted several mechanisms for
improving visibility:
