Google lets Chrome users remove search results

Google has released an extension for the Chrome browser that enables the user to fight so-called content farms. Such websites collect random content in the hope of ranking higher in search results.

With the personal blocklist extension a Chrome user can block websites that they suspect are irrelevant. Domain names added to the blacklist will no longer appear in the search results list when a new search query is entered. In addition, the blocked URL is forwarded to Google, which claims to use this data for further analysis.

The search giant stilt that it wants to collect information about content farms with the extension labeled as experimental. These sites publish large amounts of arbitrary content, often copied from other websites, in order to rank higher in search results. Some companies use this ‘trick’ as a form of search engine optimization.

Google already indicated last month that it wants to tackle this ‘pollution’ of its databases more rigorously. The experimental extension is part of this approach, along with modifications to the search engine’s algorithm.