An unofficial blog that watches Google's attempts to move your operating system online since 2005. Not affiliated with Google.

Send your tips to gostips@gmail.com.

March 11, 2011

Block Sites from Google's Results

You no longer have to use Google's Chrome extension to hide the results from certain domains. The feature is now available at google.com and the best thing is that the list of blocked sites is saved to your Google Account.

To try this feature, make sure that you are using google.com in English. Click on a search result, then go back to the list of results. You'll notice that there's a new link next to the result you've just clicked: "block all [domain.tld] results".


If you block an entire domain, you'll no longer see results from that site. You'll only notice a small box at the bottom of the search results page which informs you that you've blocked certain results.

There's also a page that lets you manage your blacklist and manually block sites. "Sites will be blocked only for you, but Google may use everyone's blocking information to improve the ranking of search results overall. You may block up to 500 sites."


As Barry Schwarz points out, blocking sites is not a novelty: in 2005, Google tested a similar option. "If you're in this experiment, you'll have newfound powers. Click the 'Remove result' link and with one click you can drop that url from your search results. By default, it will only block that url for that particular search. If you're really annoyed, you can click 'More options' and you'll get two more choices: block this url from all future searches and the ability to block the entire host from all future searches," explained Matt Cutts at that time. The experiment wasn't successful, but Google partially resurrected this feature in SearchWiki: you could only hide a search result for a specific query.

I think that blocking an entire site from Google's results is a feature that's way too powerful for a regular user. Some might use it accidentally and find that Google's results are suddenly less relevant. Google could add a link for explicit feedback ("Not useful?") and use that information to personalize search results.
Posted by at
Labels:

25 comments:

  1. AnonymousMarch 11, 2011 at 12:43 PM

    Currently not available on https://encrypted.google.com/

    ReplyDelete
  2. John BatzelMarch 11, 2011 at 1:26 PM

    I believe you're wrong. First thing I'm going to do is go block experts-exchange, which teases me with possible answers to problems but wants me to pay to see them first.

    Similarly, other pay-only sites that show up in my searches uselessly.

    (Does that mean I'm not a 'regular' user?)

    ReplyDelete
  3. IrfanMarch 11, 2011 at 2:13 PM

    I guess one like me will never block any website from Google search, as in my case i need a lot of search to give my readers a best find.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Azriel7March 11, 2011 at 2:17 PM

    Ok, I was wondering what I was doing wrong. The other description just said search for something, then click back. It did not explain that you had to go "into a link" and then back to the search results.

    Looks cool, can finally start blocking sites that have annoying troll spamming ads that game google's search engine.

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousMarch 11, 2011 at 2:57 PM

    This will be very useful, since I am well aware of some annoying sites that frequently clog my search results with useless links.

    ReplyDelete
  6. liyasMarch 11, 2011 at 9:17 PM

    we need to block those unnecessary result and porn.

    ReplyDelete
  7. AnonymousMarch 11, 2011 at 11:16 PM

    500 isn't enough in my opinion. Sounds like a big number... but takes 5 minutes to add 500 sites (*.domain.tld) :(

    ReplyDelete
  8. UnknownMarch 12, 2011 at 3:48 AM

    Nice idea.

    I look forward to see if it will improve my search results in the future.

    I guesting for certain queries, such as searching for tutorials,where there seem to be a lot of junk, it will very useful in future searching.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Rakesh KumarMarch 12, 2011 at 5:10 AM

    This is really a great feature and by using this we can hide such sites which uses the same info. Thanks

    ReplyDelete
  10. PresidentMarch 12, 2011 at 9:58 AM

    i do believe it will not give benefits for site with lots of subdomain like blogspot. for instance, if you found site like example.blogspot.com which is poor quality, of course you can blocked it but you're blocking all sites of blogspot.com which is unfair to other sites with good quality but using the blogspot.
    i experienced the feature and the result was like this, "Block all blogspot.com results".
    i tell you, will you block it?

    ReplyDelete
  11. edMarch 12, 2011 at 11:10 AM

    "How to pour milk in a mug"
    ....that's funny!

    ReplyDelete
  12. SteroidsMarch 13, 2011 at 6:20 AM

    I wonder if enough blocks will negatively effect a sites serp ?

    ReplyDelete
  13. bystreamsofwaterMarch 13, 2011 at 9:08 AM

    Now they just need an option to give certain sites preference...

    ReplyDelete
  14. MasroorMarch 14, 2011 at 5:29 AM

    But, it is not fair.... as huge blocks can have negative effect on a site's SERP.

    ReplyDelete
  15. MasroorMarch 14, 2011 at 5:42 AM

    Hi Kathy,
    I think it doesn't holds true for Blog.
    Because as in the case of blog i am seeing this- "Block all blogspot.com results."
    So, it should block others blog as well from search result.
    Kindly update me if you get a plausable answer.
    Thanks,
    Masroor

    ReplyDelete
  16. ArtMarch 14, 2011 at 9:19 AM

    I just saw that for the first time and couldn't believe my eyes. Maybe I have just been overlooking it or have been under a rock. The google algorith update already murdered my blog, Now this. I guess google has lost a lot of love for blogger. A lot of google chrome users probably blocked them and this is the reason for it. My uneducated guess.

    ReplyDelete
  17. ArtMarch 14, 2011 at 9:40 AM

    I guess I should have spelled Algorithms right. I just noticed you could block any website, not just blogspot. I guess I should have my info correct before posting. Your blog is amazing. A massive wealth of good info. Dig it.

    ReplyDelete
  18. MasroorMarch 14, 2011 at 10:06 PM

    Hi Kathy,

    I tried and tested blocking a blog on blogspot.com and noticed all other blogs being blocked from the search result on Google.


    See Here in Details

    ReplyDelete
  19. Stellar DriftApril 11, 2011 at 4:52 PM

    "I think that blocking an entire site from Google's results is a feature that's way too powerful for a regular user. "

    Bullshit! I'm tired of this attitude which makes humanity as a whole more and more stupid. We must make it harder so the idiots can learn from their mistakes.

    ReplyDelete
  20. AnonymousMay 29, 2011 at 10:52 AM

    Experts-exchange has to be the obvious candidate - particularly as the same answers are usually freely available from other sites without charge

    ReplyDelete
  21. AnonymousMay 31, 2011 at 12:10 PM

    Love the concept of giving the user control, many companies such as microsoft and apple seem to believe that their customers are stupid peons Ok so many are, but not all of us!

    ReplyDelete
  22. AnonymousJune 6, 2011 at 10:23 AM

    you guys do you know you can simply scroll down the page on experts exchange and actually see the answers without paying right...?

    ReplyDelete
  23. aivilvinAugust 27, 2011 at 5:23 AM

    This feature is used by only advanced users..bloggers or experts..otherwise people don't digg into these types of matter that much...

    though its really a cool feature if someone needs it for some specific reasons !!

    ReplyDelete
  24. HRAugust 29, 2011 at 11:43 AM

    here is an addon for firefox to
    1.block single result for specific search query
    or
    2.block single result for any search query
    or
    3.block domain
    https://addons.mozilla.org/de/firefox/addon/g-clean/

    ReplyDelete
  25. SaloniMay 2, 2012 at 4:12 AM

    Why only for few results?

    ReplyDelete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)