[duxup]

Is there enough content where searching just the ad-free segment is ... worth it?

What happens if you're a top result on the add free segment and you start incurring some level of costs? Do you drop off if you add an ad?

Granted I really like the idea, I'd love to see it tried, but I wonder what all the unintended consequences would be / skeptical of the value of segregating "ad-free" vs. "has an ad of any sort" vs. the sites that really are a mess.

[eloisius]

The add-free segment of the internet does indeed sound like a niche market. I wonder if quality of results could be drastically improved by just penalizing domains that contain a lot of referral links and ads. I remember the days when it felt like you could learn anything by searching the web a bit until you found some suitable content to read. Now it's like sifting through reams of affiliate spam that I have to at least skim before I can tell that it's low quality garbage.