Google Tool Allows Users To Block Sites From Search Engine
Google has implemented a tool in its popular search enging allowing
users to block the sites they don't want to see.
After the recent change of Google's search algorithm - a move that has essentially blocked many web sites from the search engine's result
pages - Google is trying to convince users that they have the control
of the results returned from their search queries. In cases a search
result is not exactly what a user would expect, he / she will be
able to block any future results coming from specific sites with just
one click.
Once users click the link to "Block all xxxx.com results" they' ll get a confirmation message, as well as the option to undo their choice, Google said. Users will see the link whether or not they're signed in, but the domains they block are connected with their Google Account, so they'll need to sign in before they can confirm a block. Once they' have blocked a domain, they won't see it in their future search results. The next time they're searching and a blocked page would have appeared, they'll see a message telling them results have been blocked, making it easy to manage their personal list of blocked sites.
Users will be able to see a list of their blocked sites in a new settings page.
"We're adding this feature because we believe giving you control over the results you find will provide an even more personalized and enjoyable experience on Google," Google's engineers wrote in a blog. Google also added that while it would not use the domains people block as a signal in ranking, they'll look at the data and see whether it would be useful as they continue to evaluate the search engine's results in the future.
The new feature is rolling out today and tomorrow on google.com in English for people using Chrome 9+, IE8+ and Firefox 3.5+, and will be expanded to new regions, languages and browsers soon.
Once users click the link to "Block all xxxx.com results" they' ll get a confirmation message, as well as the option to undo their choice, Google said. Users will see the link whether or not they're signed in, but the domains they block are connected with their Google Account, so they'll need to sign in before they can confirm a block. Once they' have blocked a domain, they won't see it in their future search results. The next time they're searching and a blocked page would have appeared, they'll see a message telling them results have been blocked, making it easy to manage their personal list of blocked sites.
Users will be able to see a list of their blocked sites in a new settings page.
"We're adding this feature because we believe giving you control over the results you find will provide an even more personalized and enjoyable experience on Google," Google's engineers wrote in a blog. Google also added that while it would not use the domains people block as a signal in ranking, they'll look at the data and see whether it would be useful as they continue to evaluate the search engine's results in the future.
The new feature is rolling out today and tomorrow on google.com in English for people using Chrome 9+, IE8+ and Firefox 3.5+, and will be expanded to new regions, languages and browsers soon.