Google Trims 300 Jobs at DoubleClick

Bloggers were paid for links to Chrome

(NEWSER) - Google cracks down on companies all the time for trying to mess with its vaunted search results, and it turns out that itself is no exception: Hundreds of bloggers were paid for putting up sponsored links to Google Chrome, with most of the posts containing the kind of irrelevant "garbage" content that the search king has been trying to push down the search rankings, Search Engine Land reports. Google blamed the clear violation of its guidelines on the ad agencies it hired to promote the browser. More»

New algorithm designed to weed out low-quality sites that copy material

(NEWSER) - Google has had it with content farms—websites that seek traffic by amassing material that's often copied directly from other websites, Mashable reports. The search giant is altering its algorithm “to reduce rankings for low-quality sites,” it announces in a blog post . The shift, which will begin in the US, should affect 11.8% of searches. More»

Levy on ad revenue would be used to bolster music, film, media

(NEWSER) - France is considering helping out industries hit hard by the digital revolution by slapping a tax on Google and other search portals. The proposal, outlined in a government-commissioned report, calls for a share of ad revenue to be turned over to the music, film, and publishing industries. The tax would end the search firms' "enrichment without end and compensation," notes one of the report's authors. More»

(NEWSER) - So much of our search engine experience is based on branding, but who would come out on top without all the window dressing? Blind Search may help you figure it out. Designed by a Microsoft employee, it spits out unadorned results from Google, Bing, and Yahoo, only telling you which is which after you’ve voted on a favorite. Ryan Sager of True/Slant, an avowed Google-phile, took it for a spin. More»

Employees' annual outing canceled after round of job cuts

(NEWSER) - There may be some tears and tantrums at Google's normally happy headquarters this week, the Telegraph reports. The company, rated one of the world's best to work for thanks to its generous perks, has canceled the annual company-wide trip to Disneyland. Insiders say executives decided the trip was too extravagant in light of the recent round of 200 job cuts. More»