Paid inclusion

Definition and Examples of Paid Inclusion - Paid inclusion can take many forms. - Examples of paid inclusion include programs where only paid sites are listed. - Paid sites can be intermingled among non-paid sites. - Companies can pay for quicker review or inclusion of their websites. - Paid inclusion does not guarantee top rankings, only inclusion within the search engine. History of Paid Inclusion - In the early days of search, paid inclusion was a revenue source for search engines. - Google chose to avoid paid inclusion and focused on higher relevancy through AdSense. - Microsoft and Ask ended their paid inclusion programs in 2004. Google's Incorporation of Paid Inclusion - In 2012, Google reintroduced paid inclusion in a different form. - Google Flights, Google Hotel Finder, and Google Shopping have new paid inclusion programs. - Critics like Danny Sullivan criticize this move as a deviation from Google's IPO principles. - Aaron Wall criticizes Google's use of paid inclusion for pushing organic rankings below the fold. Mixed Views on Paid Inclusion - Paid inclusion reduces spam and improves relevancy. - Detractors argue it prioritizes economic interests over relevancy for end-users. - Ask Jeeves reported reduced relevancy and ended its paid inclusion program in 2004. Guidelines for Paid Inclusion - The FTC advises search engines to clearly mark paid placement and paid inclusion. - Companies like Nextag and Google are not legally bound to follow these guidelines.