5 ms·

Google removes Reviews widget when you add the word 'sucks' to a company search

63 points by kurtisorwell 3y ago

I search for a local company on Google. 'City Boss Roofing Calgary' and there's a bunch of results, and on the right a widget giving basic details about the company. I decided I wanted to see if I could find some negative news. When I did the same search but added the word sucks my interface flashed as the Company details widget disappeared! An interesting design problem that they seem to have taken a pretty opinionated stance on. I think it probably tacitly dissuades people who don't like the company from leaving reviews. If you know a good roofing company in YYC... https://ibb.co/vDd8dJt https://ibb.co/phqSjfk

ForkMeOnTinder 3y ago
Nothingburger. It also removes the widget if you add "is awesome" to the end. If you've already decided what you think of a company and you're telling google as much, the reviews won't change your mind so they aren't a relevant result. Tested with: https://google.com/search?q=iphone+15 https://google.com/search?q=iphone+15 https://google.com/search?q=iphone+15+sucks https://google.com/search?q=iphone+15+sucks https://google.com/search?q=iphone+15+is+awesome https://google.com/search?q=iphone+15+is+awesome
- kurtisorwell 3y ago
  Haha but oddly if you say something like it's weird the the widget returns! https://www.google.com/search?q=city+boss+roofing+is+weird https://www.google.com/search?q=city+boss+roofing+is+weird
  - Cieric 3y ago
    I think this is just the back end taking guesses, for me [sucks] makes is disappear, [is awesome] makes it appear, [is weird] makes it disappear. Edit: also tried [is terrible] and it appeared so it's not even based on sentiment.
  - cmeacham98 3y ago
    Maybe I'm in an A/B test or a Googler rushed out a fix but this doesn't show the widget for me.
- aceazzameen 3y ago
  I just tried searching for a local restaurant. "sucks" removes it "is awesome" brings it back "stinks" keeps it "has bad food" keeps it "is weird" keeps it "sucks" and it's gone again Restaurants and products probably have different rules.
skilled 3y ago
Isn’t this done purely so that Google can avoid complaints from business owners who may get brigaded with false reviews? You can still write a bad review on Google reviews, and you can still find bad reviews elsewhere. It’s a bad look for Google to show that widget and be like, “yeah these guys suck!”. Not playing devils advocate either, seems like common sense to me.
- kurtisorwell 3y ago
  They do it for positive sentiment as well. The Reviews themselves are a whole other rigged mess of suck f*(%ery.
gardenhedge 3y ago
It happens on positive words too - or any word really. Try 'Apple' - you get the side widget. Try 'Apple wins', 'Apple best company', 'Apple yes', 'Apple profitable' - you don't get the widget.
- kurtisorwell 3y ago
  Only if its positive or negative. I tried weird and it was find with the review again.
RektBoy 3y ago
add "aa" and widget will also disappear. Guys sometimes you overthink stuff.
- kurtisorwell 3y ago
  What's your search? I added aa and it remained.
diogenes4 3y ago
I really wish we could convince the anti-trust efforts to focus on search quality over competition—it's a lot more relevant to google's actual harm than comparison to competitors, especially when the competitors are guilty of much of the same harmful behavior. There are good parallels in abuse of this power in the app stores offered by the cell phone manufacturers.
- bee_rider 3y ago
  Isn’t the focus on competition a big part of anti-trust law? I thought it was the whole point. Maybe we need some more general expanded consumer protection laws.
  - diogenes4 3y ago
    It is, but it doesn't have to be. We certainly don't have another term for regulating the general abuse of the public by a private entity other than "anti-trust".
tracerbulletx 3y ago
It's much more likely that adding some words just moves the vector similarity to that place entity enough that it's not sure enough to give you the Enhanced Search Results card for that specific google maps place.
ortusdux 3y ago
They have been monkeying with search more than usual the last few months. I expect it is more AI integration. Searching "245mm to inches" returns '245 Meters = 9645.67 inch'. https://i.imgur.com/B9aML1Q.png https://i.imgur.com/B9aML1Q.png
- whymauri 3y ago
  For some reason, searching for conversions can fetch the wrong result for me. But writing the conversion in the search in for Google Chrome (and waiting for the response) is always correct.
- Affric 3y ago
  Google was the first CLI I ever learnt now that I think about it. A term and then a bunch of switches that would modify the results. A powerful tool that one could master. The web has changed (even without SEO) but using Google used to be about knowing the invocation for the box. Now it’s about knowing which results to ignore. Stallman was right.
TrevorJ 3y ago
Specific example aside, it really feels as if Google search returns are just a huge collection of edge case handling, to the point where the underlying product barely even works anymore.
frank_bb 3y ago
[dead]
dizhn 3y ago
While the premise doesn't seem to be true (according to comments), one thing I noticed is at least in my case search results have become extremely "positive". I don't know if it's SEO or not but when I search for things like "sucks" along with anything I still mostly get results praising the thing unless the thing has become a meme like woke Disney. I notice the positivity on YouTube comments too which I first thought was due to the current domininat generation of youth being really nice until I realized channel owners can delete comments.

63 points by kurtisorwell 3y ago

ForkMeOnTinder 3y ago

Nothingburger. It also removes the widget if you add "is awesome" to the end. If you've already decided what you think of a company and you're telling google as much, the reviews won't change your mind so they aren't a relevant result. Tested with: https://google.com/search?q=iphone+15 https://google.com/search?q=iphone+15 https://google.com/search?q=iphone+15+sucks https://google.com/search?q=iphone+15+sucks https://google.com/search?q=iphone+15+is+awesome https://google.com/search?q=iphone+15+is+awesome

kurtisorwell 3y ago
Haha but oddly if you say something like it's weird the the widget returns! https://www.google.com/search?q=city+boss+roofing+is+weird https://www.google.com/search?q=city+boss+roofing+is+weird
- Cieric 3y ago
  I think this is just the back end taking guesses, for me [sucks] makes is disappear, [is awesome] makes it appear, [is weird] makes it disappear. Edit: also tried [is terrible] and it appeared so it's not even based on sentiment.
- cmeacham98 3y ago
  Maybe I'm in an A/B test or a Googler rushed out a fix but this doesn't show the widget for me.
aceazzameen 3y ago
I just tried searching for a local restaurant. "sucks" removes it "is awesome" brings it back "stinks" keeps it "has bad food" keeps it "is weird" keeps it "sucks" and it's gone again Restaurants and products probably have different rules.

skilled 3y ago

Isn’t this done purely so that Google can avoid complaints from business owners who may get brigaded with false reviews? You can still write a bad review on Google reviews, and you can still find bad reviews elsewhere. It’s a bad look for Google to show that widget and be like, “yeah these guys suck!”. Not playing devils advocate either, seems like common sense to me.

kurtisorwell 3y ago
They do it for positive sentiment as well. The Reviews themselves are a whole other rigged mess of suck f*(%ery.

gardenhedge 3y ago

It happens on positive words too - or any word really. Try 'Apple' - you get the side widget. Try 'Apple wins', 'Apple best company', 'Apple yes', 'Apple profitable' - you don't get the widget.

kurtisorwell 3y ago
Only if its positive or negative. I tried weird and it was find with the review again.

RektBoy 3y ago

add "aa" and widget will also disappear. Guys sometimes you overthink stuff.

kurtisorwell 3y ago
What's your search? I added aa and it remained.

diogenes4 3y ago

I really wish we could convince the anti-trust efforts to focus on search quality over competition—it's a lot more relevant to google's actual harm than comparison to competitors, especially when the competitors are guilty of much of the same harmful behavior. There are good parallels in abuse of this power in the app stores offered by the cell phone manufacturers.

bee_rider 3y ago
Isn’t the focus on competition a big part of anti-trust law? I thought it was the whole point. Maybe we need some more general expanded consumer protection laws.
- diogenes4 3y ago
  It is, but it doesn't have to be. We certainly don't have another term for regulating the general abuse of the public by a private entity other than "anti-trust".

tracerbulletx 3y ago

It's much more likely that adding some words just moves the vector similarity to that place entity enough that it's not sure enough to give you the Enhanced Search Results card for that specific google maps place.

ortusdux 3y ago

They have been monkeying with search more than usual the last few months. I expect it is more AI integration. Searching "245mm to inches" returns '245 Meters = 9645.67 inch'. https://i.imgur.com/B9aML1Q.png https://i.imgur.com/B9aML1Q.png

whymauri 3y ago
For some reason, searching for conversions can fetch the wrong result for me. But writing the conversion in the search in for Google Chrome (and waiting for the response) is always correct.
Affric 3y ago
Google was the first CLI I ever learnt now that I think about it. A term and then a bunch of switches that would modify the results. A powerful tool that one could master. The web has changed (even without SEO) but using Google used to be about knowing the invocation for the box. Now it’s about knowing which results to ignore. Stallman was right.

TrevorJ 3y ago

Specific example aside, it really feels as if Google search returns are just a huge collection of edge case handling, to the point where the underlying product barely even works anymore.

frank_bb 3y ago

[dead]

dizhn 3y ago

While the premise doesn't seem to be true (according to comments), one thing I noticed is at least in my case search results have become extremely "positive". I don't know if it's SEO or not but when I search for things like "sucks" along with anything I still mostly get results praising the thing unless the thing has become a meme like woke Disney. I notice the positivity on YouTube comments too which I first thought was due to the current domininat generation of youth being really nice until I realized channel owners can delete comments.