Google Search upgrades make it harder for websites to win traffic

To many web publishers and other businesses that have historically relied on the Internet giant to send users to their sites, Google’s subtle tweaks have siphoned off vital traffic and made it harder – and costlier – to reach customers online. — AFP

Type a query into the Google search bar on a smartphone and there’s a good chance the results will be dominated by advertising.

That stems from a decision in 2015 to test a fourth ad, rather than three, at the top of search results. Some employees opposed the move at the time, saying it could reduce the quality of Google’s responses, according to people familiar with the deliberations. But the company brushed aside those concerns because it was under pressure to meet Wall Street growth expectations, one of the people said.