Better Offline CZM Rewind: The Man That Destroyed Google Search
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Nov 27, 2024 Discover the dramatic tale of how Prabhakar Raghavan’s leadership led to chaos within Google’s search operations. Uncover the 'code yellow' alert that revealed serious issues in revenue and search growth. The conversation also dives into the blurry lines between ads and search results, raising ethical concerns in tech. Reflect on the decline of Google Search and insights on leadership turmoil at Yahoo, highlighting how corporate decisions can reshape the digital landscape.
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Code Yellow Incident
- Prabhakar Raghavan, Google's head of ads, initiated a "code yellow" due to concerns about search revenue growth.
- This led to a clash with Ben Gomes, the head of search, who prioritized user experience over revenue growth.
Gomes' Principled Stance
- Ben Gomes championed user-centric search principles and resisted pressure to prioritize growth over user experience.
- He argued that prioritizing growth would lead to manipulative tactics and ultimately harm users.
March 2019 Update
- The March 2019 core update to Google Search, likely influenced by Raghavan, rolled back quality control measures.
- This resulted in increased traffic to spammy sites, potentially to boost ad revenue.