Google lets you edit your search results.

[Rich Brady]

Paul,

The site promote feature only applies to your own searches while looged into google and is not seen by anybody else, although whether Google use the data in their own algorithm is unclear.

That's true but it does say whether or not you are the only user to have ranked said page.

I've just tested with two ids. I'm imagine that if a considerable number of people did this that it would affect the sites Ranking, however, for a body of genuine users to do this there would have to be some decent content on there anyway and will be ranked fairly high in the first place. IMO

[CymraegKev]

It will tell you how many other people have "Bigged" it up. I've seen one site with 11 other "ups". But it does only affect your results, when logged in. Personally, I only log into Google for Analytics/Adwords etc. Then I log straight back out as god only know what else they trace from your activities. I mean, I don't want Google knowing I listen to the Archers do I!!!

[Chunkford]

I don't want Google knowing I listen to the Archers do I!!!

Just did a google search and they already tell me that you listen to Wham and Duran Duran!

[CymraegKev]

Indeed! lol

[gabrielcrowe]

ummmm interesting, so if people are logging into Google and promoting sites, then regardless after that promotion you will have no chance of getting to number 1?

google are essentially humanising the web. They are making it so that 'good' sites, according to people, come high. For this, they naturally need the help of people. I think they are on to a winner here.

its time to buy more shares in the big G.

[Mark H]

But aren't the people most likely to be adjusting rankings site owners who are upping their own and trashing others' ??

[Golf Tee Warehouse]

Perhaps we need to get together as a group and promote each others sites, although I suspect you need several hundred votes to make any difference.

[RuralWeb]

Google says:

"Today we're launching SearchWiki, a way for you to customize search by re-ranking, deleting, adding, and commenting on search results. With just a single click you can move the results you like to the top or add a new site. You can also write notes attached to a particular site and remove results that you don't feel belong.
These modifications will be shown to you every time you do the same search in the future. [...] The changes you make only affect your own searches."

[completerookie]

does it allow you to remove a complete site from your search results?

I'd love to be able to slowly remove all those "mini-search engines" that claim to help me. but I don't fancy clicking on every page I see from those type of sites

[Kate (newbie)]

I discovered this on Friday much to my horror. Why? My EVIL brother promoted my site to the top of the page (you can use arrow thing to click it up), then showed me on his computer how well my SEO has been going. I honestly thought we we're top of Google on all my keywords! I was over joyed then gutted in 3 minutes!

[gabrielcrowe]

well malc, you're right, they do say that.

however, i simply cannot believe that google would ignore a massive demotion or promotion of a site in their index, if the population voted with their feet.

even if this isnt part of the search giants tech at the moment, at some point, i'm sure that they will try to make use of this data.

imho, they'd be wiser to pay more attention to sites that get demoted. These are sites most likely to be spam or not relevant for a certain search in their index.

oh course, this is purely speculation.

[Mark H]

Also, this is contradictory:

Can others see my rankings, deletions, and notes?
The SearchWiki notes page that summarizes your rankings, deletions, and notes can be viewed only by you.

Is my email address displayed to other users?
No. Other users who view your SearchWiki notes see only your Google Account nickname.



Plus there is the issue of public notes, ie "don't touch these people with a bargepole" placed by a competitor - how do you police that?

[RuralWeb]

It's a red herring and you should all be concentrating on things that actually do make a difference and have been added to recent alto updates such as bounce rate and benchmarking

[steve_gts]

This could not make a difference to the SERP's, as otherwise every webmaster would vote against every site above them, in a very short time it would make the results meaningless.

[CymraegKev]

Actually my understanding is that its not a red herring. Whilst your adjustments do not directly affect what others see in their results Google are planning on using these higher level adjustments in their calculations in the future (according to Matt Cutts). If 10,000 individual people "up" a particular site, then that will have a consequence is effectively what he was saying. Its a gimick at present though.