Everything that's wrong with Google Search in one image

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Variability of Results & Targeting

  • People report very different Google results for “midjourney”:
    • Some see the official site as the first result with few or no ads.
    • Others (especially on mobile or logged-out) see multiple “sponsored” competitors above the real site, sometimes requiring several scrolls.
  • Explanations raised: geography, experiments/A–B tests, personalization, advertiser targeting, and possibly being in a specific “ads experiment” cohort.
  • Several note that technically inclined users seem to get a “cleaner” experience than average users or non‑tech family members.

Ads, UX, and “Enshittification”

  • Many see this as part of a long arc: early Google had no ads, then clearly-labeled side ads, then increasingly blended and dominant ads above organic results.
  • Commenters frame this as Google optimizing for ad revenue rather than user utility, consistent with its core business as an ad company.
  • On mobile, cramped layouts make a single ad block effectively the entire first screen, amplifying confusion.
  • Some argue this isn’t “everything wrong” with search; others point to AI snippets, SEO spam, and cluttered SERPs as further degradation.

Security and Consumer Harm

  • Several call not using an ad blocker a safety issue:
    • Fake “official” sites for visas, government forms, banks, and popular apps often appear as top ads.
    • Older and less technical users are particularly vulnerable; stories of scam support numbers and overpriced “document helpers” are common.
  • Some workplaces or home firewalls now block all ad domains to reduce phishing risk.

Comparisons: App Stores, Maps, Amazon, YouTube

  • Similar complaints about:
    • Google Play and Apple App Store showing a competitor or scammy clone above the exact app name (including MFA apps).
    • Paid “sponsored” listings that are visually almost identical to real results.
    • Amazon search pages dominated by sponsored, often irrelevant, products.
    • Google Maps and YouTube using ads or “recommended” content that misdirects users.

Alternatives & Business Models

  • Many recommend switching to Kagi, DuckDuckGo, Brave Search, Bing, or LLM-based tools (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude) for many queries.
  • Kagi in particular is praised for: no ads, bury/boost controls, and subscription-based incentives more aligned with users.
  • Others insist on ad blockers (uBlock Origin, Pi-hole, NextDNS) as essential, especially for protecting family members.

Responsibility & Regulation

  • Some blame “capitalism + public markets”: once growth slows, pressure to extract more ad revenue becomes overwhelming.
  • Others argue Google could curb abusive ads but chooses not to because scams and brand-squatting are profitable.
  • A minority defend the idea of competitors advertising on brand queries, but many draw the line at deceptive or trademark‑parasitic formats.