Google bomb and Googlewashing refers to creating a large numbers of links, causing a webpage to have a high ranking for searches on unrelated or off topic keyword phrases. These are often for comical or satirical purposes. In contrast, with search engine optimization, this is the practice of improving search engine listings/results of webpages for relevant search terms. By January 2007 Google had made changes to its search results to counter many popular Google bombs.
Google Link Bombing and miserable failure
Probably the most popular Google link bomb was “miserable failure”. People essentially used the keyword “miserable failure” within anchor text links and linked to results for George W. Bush. As of Jan 2007, the Google Link Bomb was defused.
Google bombing is very much related to spamdexing, which is the practice of intentionally modifying HTML pages to increase their chance being placed close to the beginning of search engine results, or influencing the category to which the page is assigned in a misleading or dishonest manner.
The term Googlewashing was coined in 2003. Googlewashing describes the use of media manipulation to change the perception of a term, or push out competition from search engine results pages.
Google Bombing is a now a part of Google’s glorious past, and part of Link Manipulation History.
Gerard Manning is the owner of Manning Search Marketing and has been working in the SEO industry since 2000. Originally started with Enquiro Search Solutions (now known as Mediative). Was previously a Research Assistant on Inside the Mind of the Searcher that was released in 2005.