[Arnt]

Obviously the search term you type is what you want to see, so in a sense you're right. But that wasn't what you meant, right?

Google selects a large set of search results based on what it thinks your query means, then weighs each result according to many, many criteria, I've heard there are about 140 but that's a long time ago, and finally orders them by aggregate weight.

You may assume that all of those criteria are "boost pages that seem to be written by idiots", but do you really think so?

[ludocode]

Google doesn't just use the search term. It also uses your search and browsing history. This is why if you're a programmer, you're more likely to get results from StackOverflow because your search is more likely to be about programming. It's one reason why people can get better search results from Google than, say, DuckDuckGo.

If you've been watching lots of conspiracy YouTube videos and reading lots of conspiracy blogs, Google is more likely to give you conspiracy search results because it thinks that's what you want to see. This is called a filter bubble [1], and it's how social media as well as search amplify questionable content.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filter_bubble

[Arnt]

Google uses many things. Search for IBS where I live, and the company called IBS here is among the top result. There are also quite different companies called IBS in several neighbouring cities, but those aren't shown on the first page. We both know why: One of Google's factors is geography.

Perhaps IBS is also a relevant abbreviation to your work, and Google can tell that you often search for that, so it'll also boost results that pertain to that sense of IBS if you search.

None of this is about what you like. One is about where you are, the other is about your work. Perhaps your work interests you, perhaps one may say that your work necessarily interests you, in a compelled sense of "interest". But it's not about preferences or opinions.

So you could say, fairly and honestly, that your interests as indicated by search history influences how Google interprets the search term. Returning to the "IBS" example, your search history hints to Google which IBS you have in mind. This is good, not bad, as long as there are more senses of IBS than will fit on the search results page.

[magicalhippo]

It's also why you should be careful about directing people to "the first hit on Google". Whatever Google placed on top for me might be very different from what it places on top for you.

[pixl97]

Google: "hi, I see you watched a WWII video. Would you like to like to join the National Socialist party?"