| Answer - In terms of boosting rankings, yes, I
believe this doesn't happen at Google. Neither does Andrew Goodman,
in his recent article about the Google changes. Other serious observers
of search engines I know also doubt this, though certainly not all.
Those in the "I believe" camp feel Google would simply risk
too much in the long-term for any short-term gains it might get.
In terms of listing support, buying ads may be helpful. Some who
spend a lot on paid listings at Google have reported success in
getting their ad reps to pass along problems about their entirely
separate free listings to Google's engineering department for investigation.
To some degree, this is like a backdoor for fast support. Those
who aren't spending with Google's AdWords program have no such speedy
solution to getting an answer back. Google has continually rejected
suggestions that it should offer a "listing support" or
paid inclusion program, saying it fears this might be seen as establishing
a link between payment and its free results. For a deeper exploration
of this, see my article for Search Engine Watch members from last
year, Coping With Listing Problems At Google.
For the record, Google flatly denies that those who are advertising
get more access. The company says it takes feedback from many sources,
and every report is assessed for how it might have an impact on
search quality.
Indeed, it's important to note that Google does provide another
backdoor that plenty of non-advertisers have made use of. This is
the WebmasterWorld.com forum site, where public and private messages
to "GoogleGuy," a Google employee monitoring discussions,
have been acted upon.
Google also turns out to various search engine conferences, such
as the Search Engine Strategies show produced by Search Engine Watch
that begins in Chicago on Tuesday. Google provides assistance to
those with questions at these type of conferences, as well.
Google also offers a front door in the form of email addresses
it publishes. Yes, expect you'll likely get a canned response to
many queries. However, people do get some more personal investigation,
as well.
It's also crucial to make the HUGE distinction between listing
support and rank boosting. Investigating why a page may not be listed
at all (rather than ranking well) is an appropriate activity for
Google or any search engine. Boosting the rank of a particular page
in return for payment, and not disclosing this, is not acceptable. |
