• SheeEttin@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=37802116

    If you search for "kids clothing", when it goes to pull ads to put above the results, it fuzzes the search phrase for synonyms. So for example if TJ Maxx has purchased ads for "kidswear", that's a semantic match, so they'll show the TJ Maxx ads even though it's not one of the exact keywords they picked.

    • ArbiterXero@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      While I’m not arguing your point, it certainly appears you’re right……

      I just can’t help but feel like the original story (despite the inaccuracy) was on to something.

      A few years ago when Google stopped processing quotes in the search properly, their search engine started shitting the bed HARD.

      I’ve always felt that since that time they’ve been searching the wrong things. Search has gotten worse. It’s been better for finding items I want to buy, but complete dogshit for everything else. I don’t particularly buy that seo’s got a sudden unexplained boost at that time.

      I don’t know, the article (despite the inaccuracies) really felt like it explained everything nicely. So the article might be wrong but…. There’s still something there Google isn’t telling us. I kinda wonder if it’s true despite the lack of evidence.