Are you tired of seeing spammy websites masquerading as your trusted news sources? Google's 'Preferred Sources' tool was designed to elevate high-quality websites, giving users more control over their news feeds. But what happens when the system gets hijacked? Sadly, it appears that Google's tool is being infiltrated by spammy domain squatters and low-quality sites, and it's time we talked about it.
What is Google Preferred Sources?
This feature allows users to tell Google which news outlets they want to see more of in the Top Stories section. It's all about personalization; rather than relying solely on Google's ranking algorithms, you can prioritize your favorite sources. This doesn't block other sites from appearing; it simply gives you more control over your news consumption.
The Problem: Spam and Copycats
Instead of showcasing legitimate websites, the tool is surfacing copycat sites, random websites, and even parked domains. Some of these sites are so low-quality that only their homepages are indexed. This raises a critical question: shouldn't this tool exclusively feature credible, trustworthy websites?
How Are These Spam Sites Getting In?
One common tactic is domain squatting. Cybercriminals register domain names that are similar to those of well-known websites. For instance, if a popular website uses a .com or .net domain, squatters might register the same name with a .com.in or .net.in domain extension. This allows them to create fake websites that look legitimate at first glance.
Examples of the Issue
When searching for a popular SEO tool, the results included the correct domain, but also a parked domain with an Indian .com.in ccTLD (country code top-level domain). Similarly, a search for HuffPost surfaced a copycat site on an Indian country code domain, featuring articles and links to topics like payday loans, personal injury lawyers, and luxury watches. Shockingly, Google doesn't appear to be indexing more than the homepage of that site. Another example is an Indian site squatting on Search Engine Journal's domain name.
How is this happening?
It's unclear exactly how these copycat domains are getting into the Preferred Sources tool. It's possible that SEOs are registering these domains and submitting them to the tool themselves. Alternatively, Google might be picking them up automatically. Since the tool is currently available in the USA and India, this could explain the prevalence of Indian domains.
But here's where it gets controversial...
This situation brings up a lot of questions. Is Google's system flawed? Are there loopholes that are being exploited? What can be done to improve the quality of the sources that appear in the Top Stories section?
What do you think? Do you believe Google should be more vigilant in filtering out spammy sites from its Preferred Sources tool? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
