Positive move by Google, which should help the best content to rank in search.
However when Google start using this feedback data directly in their algorithm there are two dangers, which both can be overcome:
1. Abuse by SEOs trying to get their competitors blocked
2. Bad use of block data on a site wide basis in the search algorithm. Eg just because certain pages on a site cause users to give block data doesn’t mean other pages on that site contain unique useful content. High volume publishing or community sites will have a large degree of noise, but due to nature the cross section of society as members there will be also valid useful content in the seams.
One approach is to let individual users block sites forever (as the extension now) but use the block data on a page, not domain basis in the search algorithm. Individual pages can also increase in quality over time (the qoura business model) so changes in page content needs to be considered too.
The Internet is a better place with non editorial user generated content (hacker news is user generated) after all the human race mind based knowledge is a not all published online. Google just needs to figure out which pages really add value in that specific search no matter which domain they sit on.
However when Google start using this feedback data directly in their algorithm there are two dangers, which both can be overcome:
1. Abuse by SEOs trying to get their competitors blocked
2. Bad use of block data on a site wide basis in the search algorithm. Eg just because certain pages on a site cause users to give block data doesn’t mean other pages on that site contain unique useful content. High volume publishing or community sites will have a large degree of noise, but due to nature the cross section of society as members there will be also valid useful content in the seams.
One approach is to let individual users block sites forever (as the extension now) but use the block data on a page, not domain basis in the search algorithm. Individual pages can also increase in quality over time (the qoura business model) so changes in page content needs to be considered too.
The Internet is a better place with non editorial user generated content (hacker news is user generated) after all the human race mind based knowledge is a not all published online. Google just needs to figure out which pages really add value in that specific search no matter which domain they sit on.