Google Bans and Buries Web Sites-Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison's Campaign Site Is Latest to Get Blocked

Google Bans and Buries Web Sites: 6 Search Engine Showdowns
Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison's Campaign Site Is Latest to Get Blocked
By KI MAE HEUSSNER
Aug. 6, 2009


When it comes to Google, you'd better not try any mischief.

The Internet giant has very specific guidelines for Web sites that want to be found with its search engine. But when those sites don't comply, it isn't long before they get a slap on the wrist or worse.

"If a site has been penalized, it may no longer show up in results on Google.com or on any of Google's partner sites," Google says on a page devoted to Webmaster guidelines.

And don't think they aren't serious. Web sites belonging to corporations, individuals and political campaigns have been buried or banned altogether because of tactics that game or disrupt Google's system.

In the latest search engine showdown, Google blocked the Web site of Texas Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison's gubernatorial campaign last week after it found hidden text in the Web site's source code.

To the average visitor, www.standbykay.com looked like any other political site. But those who could pull back the layers of the Web found something else.

According to the Austin American-Statesman, the source code for the site included more than 2,200 hidden phrases, including word combinations with Hutchison's name and Rick Perry, the name of the incumbent. The newspaper said it also included the phrase "rick perry gay."

more...

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/Story?id=8252259&page=1

??

apparently not to THAT ONE. Although I did not burrow very far.

One liar has nerdier flunkies than the other one.

Then again a lot of folks who goggled "Rick Perry, gay" would get the KBH site and never think how it happened.

Like "Rick Perry vetoes gay rights bill" as well as "Rick Perry at gay local event" or even "Rick Perry cites Enola Gay".

This was obviously no accident but who did it? Think KBH staff knows coding? Knew about it? Simply paid the coders who promised the most hits? Or delivered them?