Whither Google Transparency?

A few weeks back Udi Manber, the VP of Engineering for Search Quality, made a much publicized post on the Official Google Blog. In the post, he promised an increased level of transparency from the search giant and told us to watch that space for future openings of the kimono.

Well, since that first bit of bait, here's what we've gotten -

• a toast to a new data center
• feature announcements for Google Maps, Site Search and Google Finance
• Disney in 3D
• some 25 year old password safety tips
• recaps of a treasure hunt and a conference
• a birthday wish for a piece of software
• an update on the adventures of the Google mini
• a bit how great it is to work in the SF Google office
• and some blather about the Google Favicon

Ok. Great. Some of those were even interesting. But transparency with regards to Search Quality? Hardly.

In recent weeks, I've seen blog posts from a two-month-old web property hit the #4 ranking for short-tail terms the day after they were posted, remain there for 3-4 days, disappear completely from search results, and then return at position 15. During this whole time, no new in-bound links were created and post content did not change. This is Search Quality?

I wrote back when Google first promised a bit more insight that I hoped it wasn't just a PR move. I hoped they weren't using the opportunity to reiterate why they need to be so secretive and dangle the hope of future revelations in an attempt at reputation management.

The continued emergence of alternative search engines (Human-Powered Search, Semantic Search) highlights the failings of the current algorithmic approach. The market has identified a need and is responding. Fast. The idea of Google being forthcoming about Search Quality, and hopefully how they plan modify and improve search rankings, is tantalizing. Can one of the most technologically creative companies in the past 20 years avoid a fatal act of Hubris and proclaim a mea culpa?

Time will tell, but so far what's been promised has not been delivered.

Related Posts: Google Search Quality